Knights rumble through Stanton/Essex

J.W. Linkenhoker ran for 173 yards and the Fremont-Mills defense pitched a second half shutout in a 60-22 victory over Stanton/Essex on homecoming in Essex Friday.

The Knights (2-1) controlled the block with a heavy dose of its run game – 276 yards on 42 carries – while limiting the Vikings to 156 total yards.

“I don’t know if it was our most complete win, but it was a big win because we are in playoff mode right now,” said Fremont-Mills coach Greg Ernster after the game. “We have to win out. We have a tough district. To be in the top three, you have to win games. A slip up here would have hurt us. Most complete game?  I don’t know but it was close.”

Both teams looked like they were in for close games early when the Knights marched 65 yards in seven plays to take the early lead on a Linkenhoker 20-yard scamper. They would miss the extra point.

But the Vikings would answer on the ensuing kickoff when Jacob Martin raced 68-yards to for a touchdown. The two-point conversion out Stanton/Essex ahead 8-6.

The Knights would take the lead back at the end of the opening frame on Linkenhoker’s second TD run, this time from four yards. This time they would get the two-point conversion to take a 14-8 lead.

Stanton-Essex would again answer with Martin racing 40 yards through several missed tackles to the endzone. The two-point conversion put the Vikings back ahead 16-14.

The lead, however, would be short lived.

Fremont-Mills’ Paxton Campbell returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards for a touchdown. The two-pointer would put the Knights ahead 22-16.

A Knight defense stop on fourth down led to another Campbell touchdown to make the score 30-16 with 3:27 to go in the half.

The Vikings did answer just before half on an eight play, 65-yard drive that cut the capped by a Gavin Ford to Martin 28-yard TD toss that made the score 30-22 at the half.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, Stanton/Essex was held to a three-and-out and the Knights took over at the own four yard like. They proceeded to march 74 yards on 11 grueling 11 plays that Campbell capped five nine yards out to make the score 36-22 with just over four minutes to go in the third quarter.

The drive appeared to take the wind out of the Vikings sails.

The Knights would hold on fourth down on the ensuing drive and then answer with a Sawyer Forney to Linkenhoker 27-yard TD pass that all but ended the Vikings comeback with 11:06 to go in the game.

“It’s a tough loss and it’s tougher the way we lost,” said Stanton coach Jeff Grebin. “We talked about toughness and doing the right things on and off the field. We have to continue to work. I was proud of our senior captain leading the way with words of encouragement. It was a 14-point game to start the fourth quarter, and it just didn’t come out the way we wanted. That fourth quarter just spun away from us.”

Ernster said tweaks here and there on his defensive line, with a few more blitzes and more pressure led to the second half shutout.

“We really mostly talked about playing hard, playing our game and doing what we we’re supposed to do,” Ernster said of his halftime adjustments. “That kickoff return we gave up, that was a Fremont-Mills mistake. You look at that second touchdown, it’s a toss sweep and we don’t fill the hole, and we don’t do what we’re supposed to and it’s another Fremont-Mills mistake. And their third touchdown, that kid made a play on us. So out of their three touchdowns, two were our fault. So, we talked about not helping them out and that was what we did in the second half.”

Linkenhoker finisher his big night with 173 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving with three touchdowns. Campbell, a freshman, ran for 48 yards and two scores returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

“Our freshman (Campbell) is fast and physical; we have to get him to avoid some of those hits and J.W. is such a physical kid and he’s fast. And one of our better backs is injured and out right now hopefully we can get him back next week.”

Forney, the Knights’ quarterback, was an efficient 6-of-11 passing for 132 yards and two TDs. Sam Sanchez was the leading receivers with three catches for 85 yards and a TD.

Martin tallied 192 all-purpose yards and scored all three of the Vikings touchdowns.

Scoring Summary
FM    14  16  06  24  60
S/E    08  14  00  00  22
    
Game Summary
    FM – J.W. Linkenhoker, 20 run (two-point conversion failed).
    S – Jacob Martin, 68 kickoff return (two-point conversion good).
    FM – Linkenhoker, 4 run (two-point conversion good).
    S – Martin, 40 run (two-point conversion good).
    FM – Paxton Campbell, 55 kickoff return (two-point conversion good).
    FM – Campbell, 15 run (two-point conversion good).
    S – Gavin Ford to Martin, 15 pass (two-point conversion good).
    FM – Campbell, 9 run (two-point conversion failed).
    FM – Sawyer Forney to Linkenhoker, 26 pass (two-point conversion failed).
    FM – Nash Moreland, 20 run (two-point conversion failed).
    FM – Forney to Sam Sanchez, 25 pass (two-point conversion failed).
    FM – Aidyn Kling, 10 run (kick failed).