Brannigan powers Northridge past Grandview Heights
JOHNSTOWN ― The Northridge football team defeated Grandview Heights 35-8 Friday night for its first victory of the season.
The Vikings were led by their ground game in a physical matchup that featured four total pass attempts.
Junior running back Cameron Brannigan was the feature back for Northridge (1-2), ending the night with 110 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
“I saw (the holes) my linemen (created) every play,” Brannigan said. “I owe them something. I’m going to have to figure that out.”
Those running lanes were there from the onset for the Viking backfield, but a Brannigan fumble stunted any offensive momentum in the initial stages.
The Bobcats (2-1) could not cash in the turnover for points, and 27 penalty yards left the score 0-0 at the end of the first quarter.
However, Northridge (1-2) was able to get the offense working on its second drive, capped off by a 7-yard TD run by Brannigan.
After a three-and-out from Grandview, Brannigan burst through a hole on the ensuing play for a 46-yard TD run to give the Vikings a 14-0 lead.
Sophomore fullback Riley Wheeler chipped in 54 yards on the ground for the Vikings.
“(As a fullback) you have to lead the way,” Wheeler said. “You have to put your head down, get low and power through.”
Wheeler also powered the Viking defense on the night with five tackles, one for a loss. The Northridge limited the Bobcats to 30 yards of offense in the first half.
Brannigan added his final rushing touchdown of the half with a commanding stiff arm from 15 yards to give the Vikings a 21-0 advantage at the break.
Junior quarterback Dylan Chambers then sparked the passing offense to start the third quarter with a 29-yard TD to sophomore receiver Charlie Kinkead.
Junior defensive lineman Jake Davis stamped the exclamation point for Northridge with a punt block that was scooped up for a score by Kinkead to form a 35-0 lead in the third quarter.
Sophomore receiver Ben Matney was able to punch it into the end zone on the final play of the game for Grandview, executing the two-point conversion as well to create a 35-8 final score.
The victory marks the first for new coach Dustin Calhoun, who expressed his excitement after the Vikings’ home opener.
“I’m so excited for these kids and the students,” Calhoun said. “This community deserves to win, and hopefully we have (many) more ahead of us.”
Northridge travels to Watkins Memorial (2-1) next week for a Licking County League crossover matchup.
“(This win) is another stepping stone, and we have to keep improving,” Brannigan said. “It’s the start of something big, and we can’t slow down.”
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Cameron Brannigan powers Northridge Vikings past Grandview Heights
