DUNSMUIR – Dunsmuir High School made it known, on Saturday, that when it comes to 8-man football, Vikings don’t stand a chance against Tigers. Dunsmuir displayed near total domination in their 60-12 win over Herlong.

It took the Tigers just 1:11 to get the score-fest started. Dunsmuir began on its own 39, following the opening kickoff. Cory Knowles went 16 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Colton Sondahl rumbled for nine. Erin Kirch picked up four yards. Tiger QB Nate Gonzales connected with Lt Hisey for eight more yards. The Tigers went back to Knowles to cover the last 23 yards for the TD. Gonzales ran for the 2-point conversion, giving the Tigers an 8-0 lead.

On the Vikings’ first possession, they moved deep into Tiger territory at the 23-yard-line. A sack by Jamison McIntyre and Josh Silver moved Herlong back nine yards. On the next play, Tiger Matt Norton picked off a Viking pass and returned it 19 yards to the Dunsmuir 29.

On the third play of the ensuing Dunsmuir drive, it was Knowles’ turn again to find the end zone, going 73 yards. Gonzales tacked on the 2-point conversion, and the Tigers led 16-0, with 5:35 to play in the first quarter.

The Vikings responded with four seconds gone in the second quarter, when they scored on an 18-yard TD pass. The 2-point try failed, making the score 16-6.

Eighteen seconds later, the Tigers’ Knowles was trying to catch his breath, following an 89-yard kick return for his third touchdown in barely over a quarter of play. Gonzales added his third 2-point conversion, to put the Tigers up by 18 points, 24-6.

The Vikings didn’t waste any time in answering. Herlong started their next possession on its own 38. On their second play off the drive, the Vikings struck on a 60-yard TD pass. The 2-point attempt came up short, leaving the Tigers with a 24-12 lead, with 10:40 left in the half.

Lest the Vikings think they might be able to make a game of it, the Tigers scored on their next four possessions, while shutting down the Herlong offense. With 9:44 left before intermission, Gonzales scored on a 53-yard keeper around the right side. Just for good measure, Gonzales also scored his fourth straight 2-pointer, to give the Tigers a 32-12 lead.

Shuler recovered a Viking fumble on Herlong’s 22, to set the table for the Tigers’ next score. Kirch finished the short drive, when he took a pitch from Gonzales and went three yards for the TD. The two point try failed. With 7:05 left in the second quarter, it was 38-12.

On their next possession, the Vikings turned the ball over on downs at mid-field. With 3:49 left in the half, Gonzales hit Kirch for a 19-yard scoring pass. Again, the 2-point conversion was a no-go. The Tigers led 44-12.

Herlong punted from its own 30, and Dunsmuir’s Knowles returned it 61 yards for another TD—his fourth of the game. Gonzlaes converted the 2-point try, giving the Tigers a 52-12 lead at the half.

With the clock running unabated most of the second half, the scoring slowed down. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gonzales picked off a Viking pass and returned it 70 yards for an apparent TD. A block in the back, however, brought the ball back to the Herlong 47. The Tigers did not score on the possession.

The Tigers did get on the board again with 3:32 left in the game, when Gonzales scored on a 10-yard keeper. Norton added the 2-point conversion to make the final 60-12.

Cory Knowles  rushed for 146 yards on seven carries, had two punt returns for 90 yards, and an 8-yard kick return. Colton Sordahl rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries. Nate Gonzales picked up 84 yards on 12 rushes. Erin Kirch had two receptions for 27 yards.

Matt Norton led the defense with 12 solo tackles and five assists. Justin Shuler, Josh Silver, and Nate Gonzales each had five solo tackles. Silver had two sacks, and Shuler had one. Gonzlales, Norton and Sordahl each had an interception.

Dunsmuir (3-0) hosts Big Valley (1-1) next Friday at 6:00 pm.