Clark County Vipers Clash With The Mt. Hood Eruption

May 12^th 2012, a rather warm sunny day at Kiggins Field, saw the Clark County Vipers taking on the newly formed Mt. Hood Eruption team. The Vipers returned to their home field after a three game losing streak looking to regain some sign of composure. A sense of desperation was in the air as both teams took to the field hoping to get back on the winning side of things.

The first quarter saw the Eruption scoring first with a well thrown pass in between the coverage of the Viper’s defense. #9 Jonathon Simpson set up deep to receive the kickoff. After receiving the kick, Simpson took off like he was shot out of a cannon as he flew by the Eruption’s kickoff team and into the end zone for a touchdown.  Both defenses then took turns making stops on the field with three Vipers, #50 Donnie Vercher, #60 Devin Dyer, and #90 Matt Tefs recording sacks before the quarter ended tied 7 to 7.

The second quarter began with great defensive stands by both teams as each side’s offense was unable to do anything. With 2:30 left in the half, # 17 Kyle English kept the ball himself and scrambled into the end zone for a Viper’s Touchdown. Another defensive stop later with another recorded sack by #60 Dyer and the Vipers were back in control of the ball. The Vipers made their way down to the end zone where #17 Kyle English connected with a beautiful pass to #15 Deshawn McKenzie for another Viper’s touchdown.  With that the first half ended with the Viper’s leading 21 to 7.

The second half began the same way the rest of the game had been going with both defenses dominating their side of the ball. #51 Tim Ivanov recorded two interceptions, one of which he took all the way back to the end zone for a Viper’s touchdown. The special teams unit scored as well when # 40 Tim Gaston blocked an Eruption punt in the end zone for a safety. Also of note, #90 Matt Tefs added to his impressive sack count, registering two more in the 3^rdquarter alone.  The 3^rd quarter finally came to a close with the Vipers now with a huge lead of 30 to 7.

The 4^th quarter slowed almost to a halt in comparison to the rest of the game as both offenses were unable to produce anything. With 7:44 left in the 4^th quarter, a great drive down the field by the Vipers ended with #40 Tim Gaston powering the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. With that the 4^th quarter ended, the Vipers winning 37 to 7.

The game after all was said and done, was a good competition between both team’s defenses. The Viper’s offense also showed some signs of improvement. From the running game making its presence felt for the first time, to the timing between the quarterback and his receivers being more on track, the offense showed promise and improvement from the previous weeks.

Some important side notes of the game were:

Andrew Johnson coached his first game and got his first win as the new Viper’s Offensive Coordinator.

# 90 Matt Tefs finished the game with a hat trick of 3 sacks, but also had a hand in several others.

# 40 Tim Gaston managed to score both on the special teams and as a running back for the Offense.

# 60 Devin Dyer dominated the offensive line early, registering several sacks in just the first two quarters.

Several veteran Vipers returned to the field this week, making their presence felt across the offense, Defense, as well as the special teams units. Cliff Wallace, a long time Viper veteran, strapped on the pads to test out an injury that had plagued him this last year. After giving it a strong go, Cliff suited down and helped the team out with his extensive knowledge of the line, as he could be seen coaching players from the sidelines. Mike North, also a veteran for the Vipers, played his first home game since returning to the team. Mike played in several positions, on the offense, defense, as well as on special teams.

Want to see the excitement for yourself? Come check out the Vipers take on the Raiders at Kiggins Bowl this Saturday at 6:00 PM. Be sure to check out the Viper’s website at www.clarkcountyvipers.com or on Facebook for all the current new and updates.