Titans beat Charlo with dramatic overtime stand

DRUMMOND – It was back to old school football for the Flint Creek Titans Friday night. The locals used a bruising running game and made a dramatic stand on the final play of overtime to post a 38-36 victory over the Charlo Vikings.

The win keeps the Titans unbeaten on the year at 6-0, yet still behind Thompson Falls (7-0) as the 8-man schedule heads into the final two weeks of regular season play.

It all ended in an overtime period that saw Flint Creek start with the ball at the 10 yard line. On third down Andrew Tallon punched the ball in from the one for a 36-30 lead. Chase Goldade hammered in the point after to put full pressure on the Charlo offense with a 38-30 advantage.

If the Viking offense was feeling any anxiety they didn’t show it. After an illegal motion penalty pushed them back to the 15, QB Coyle Nage hit Braydon Zemple with a 15 yard strike on their first play. But it was the point after where the Titan defense made its stand.

Nagy rolled out to his right on an option and pitched the ball toward teammate Zempel. The ball hit his hand but caromed off and to the ground. Another Charlo player fell on it along with several Titans, but the damage was done as no point was scored.

“So much fun! So much fun!” exclaimed lineman Grady Radtke after the game when asked about its outcome.

Radtke had started the game in place of 2020 All State lineman Cordell Langton, who along with his brother John missed the game while in quarantine after a potential COVID-19 exposure. Radtke’s play on both sides of the ball helped fill that void and lift Flint Creek to victory.

“It’s definitely hard because they’re big shoes to fill,” Radtke said of Langton’s absence. “I think I did pretty good on offense today and I think Cordell would be proud of me.”

It was another game where Flint Creek came out with less on the ball than their opponents. After failing to score on their opening drive, the Vikings took over and methodically worked their way down field until quarterback Coyle Nagy hit running back Braydon Zempel with a 12-yard scoring pass for a 6-0 lead.

The Titans responded with a sustain drive of their own. After finding no success passing earlier in the game, the locals went to a blunt force rushing game on the back of junior Tyler Burden. He found consistent success behind an offensive line that was staffed with a few first-game starters. He got the ball to the six yard-line before Goldade punched it in and gave Flint Creek a brief 8-6 lead.

The change on offense helped the locals, but did little to slow the onslaught of visiting Charlo. The Vikings scored two more times before halftime on Nagy TD passes, one to Braydon Piedalue and another to Stetson Reum, to claim a 22-8 advantage.

“We just couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback and missing a couple of kids we usually have,” said Flint Creek Head Coach Jason Ostler. “We just couldn’t get that push.

“Grady played really good for us on the ‘O’ line. Great job, big blocks. Anytime you’re getting five or six yards a carry, you’re doing something right down there on the blocks.”

Radtke’s play alongside his other Titan linemen gave Burden, Tallon and Goldade lanes to accumulate a combined 384 rushing yards on the game. Burden led the way with a score and 140 yards on the ground and it was his leadership that paved the way for Flint Creek to score his only score of the game with 2:43 to play in the third period.

The Titans seemed to have found their rhythm with that score and found the end zone again three minutes into the fourth when Tallon scampered in from 13 yards out to tie the game at 30-30.

But the Viking horde from Charlo was far from done. Zempel fielded the ensuing kickoff and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown and a 36-30 lead.

Flint Creek answered with 5:27 to play as Tallon scored his second rushing TD of the night.

Charlo tried to get back on top before the end of regulation, but the Titan defense had found its footing and stopped them cold to force the overtime and eventually claim the win.

While Burden was plowing through the Viking defense, he also led the way on defense with 10 tackles including one for a loss.

Flint Creek has just one game left in the last two weeks of the regular season, a road match at Seeley October 15 against the Blackhawks. The Titans presently have a bye scheduled in Week 9 of the season but that could change as they get ready to enter the postseason starting October 23.

SCORING

Charlo – 6/16/0/8/6 – 36

Flint Creek – 0/8/8/14/8 – 38

FIRST QUARTER

1:23 CH Nagy to Zempel 12 yard pass TD. Pass failed.

SECOND QUARTER

6:50 FC Goldade 6 yard run TD. Tallons to Parsons pass.

3:08 CH Nagy to Piedalue 38 yard pass TD. Nagy run.

0:00 CH Nagy to Reum18 yard pass TD. Nagy to Piedalue pass.

THIRD QUARTER

2:53 FC Burden 2 yard run TD. Goldade run.

FOURTH QUARTER