Big plays lift Vikings past North Vermilion

LEROY — Northside High used an explosive offense to claim a 42-15 win at North Vermilion on Friday, finishing with seven plays of greater than 20 yards and another 11 plays gaining 10 yards or more.
“We knew coming into it that they were a big-play team on offense,” North Vermilion coach Joe Heintz said. “We felt like if we had to make them drive, it was going to be hard for them. They did it a couple of times, but they’re a big-play team.”
Penalties hurt both teams as the officials littered the field with 26 flags totaling 222 yards in infractions. Northside was penalized 15 times for 95 yards, while North Vermilion was whistled for 127 yards on 11 penalties.
Northside’s also fumbled the ball six times, with North Vermilion recovering three. An interception by North Vermilion’s James Higginbotham was wiped out by a roughing the passer penalty. NVHS lost one of its two fumbles.
The game was close early on, with quarterback Jamarion Ardoin scoring on an 11-yard keeper and Ja’Nathan Bonnet tacking on the 2-point conversion for the Vikings before North Vermilion answered with a 52-yard touchdown run from Grant Wise and the 2-point run by Tucker Denais that made it 8-8 with 2:08 left in the first quarter.
But Northside came back with a 10-yard TD pass from Ardoin to Garran Hypolite to lead 16-8 after one quarter following the 2-point conversion, then got a 34-yard TD catch from Cameron Gotch in the second-quarter for a 22-8 lead at halftime.
The Patriots lost middle linebacker Noah Stelly to a dislocated shoulder on the first play from scrimmage, which didn’t help North Vermilion.
“Guys stepped up, but when you lose your leader on defense, it’s tough,” Heintz said.
Ardoin finished the night with 87 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and completed 13 of 16 pass attempts for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Gotch had eight receptions for 131 yards and two TDs.
A five-yard TD from Keagan Dugas made it 28-8 after three quarters, and Bonnet scored on runs of 47 and 49 yards on consecutive possessions to push the lead to 42-8 with 7:26 remaining in the game. Bonnet finished with 121 yards on 11 carries, scoring two touchdowns and three 2-point conversions.
An exchange of fumbles led to North Vermilion’s final score. The Patriots got inside the Northside 25 on a late possession before fumbling the ball away. Two plays later, however, the Vikings coughed it up and Preston Bagwell recovered for North Vermilion, returning the fumble to the 6.
Tucker Denais scored on the next snap and Jacob Lattier kicked the PAT to make it a 42-15 final.
Denais led the Patriots with 66 yards on 15 carries. Wise had 50 yards on four rushes.
Heintz said defensive end Myles Johnson played well.
“It was tough sledding tonight on both sides of the ball,” Heintz said. “I thought Myles did a good job defensively. He always does.::
Things don’t get easier the last two weeks for the Patriots, who fell to 2-6 overall and 0-3 in District 4-4A. North Vermilion travels to Lafayette Christian on Friday, then finishes at home against Teurlings Catholic.
“We’ve just got to show up Monday and get back to it,” Heintz said. ‘
“We know it’s a tough road the last two games. At the end of the day, it’s a tough district that we play in.”