Vikings Seek Football Win In Sanford
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BY F.W. Manning II
Sports Writer
The Union Pines Vikings football team is still in search of its first league victory of the season as the squad travels to Sanford tonight to take on the Southern Lee Cavaliers in a conference clash.
On the season the Vikes are 2-6 overall and 0-4 in 3-A Cape Fear Valley Conference competition. Union Pines enters the contest against Southern Lee riding a 17-game league-losing skid that stretches back to late in the 2009 season.
Coincidentally, the last CFVC victory for Union Pines came in a 10-0 decision against Southern Lee at Woodrow Wilhoit Stadium in Cameron.
Southern Lee, 2-6 overall on the season, enters tonight’s gridiron match-up with a league record of 0-4. In their four CFVC losses the Cavaliers have been outscored 148-38.
Last week Southern Lee dropped a 40-7 defeat to Overhills (3-4, 2-1 CFVC) and two weeks ago it lost 49-0. to league leader Gray’s Creek (6-2, 3-0). The Cavs’ other two losses in league play were a 27-21 defeat to Western Harnett (3-5, 2-1) and a 32-10 loss to Westover (3-5, 2-1).
In comparison, Union Pines has been outscored 165-42 in its CFVC contests, including losses of 46-0 to Overhills, 42-14 to Gray’s Creek, 51-28 to Western Harnett, and a 26-0 defeat last week to Westover.
Gray’s Creek enters week nine of the prep pigskin season atop the CFVC standings with a league mark of 3-0. At 6-2 overall and 3-1 in league play Douglas Byrd sits alone in second. Then Overhills, Western Harnett and Westover are in a three-way tie for third, leaving Union Pines and Southern Lee knotted up in last place.
That knot stands to be broken when the Cavs and Vikes take the field for the kickoff tonight at 7:30 p.m.
One key for Union Pines could be the return of junior strong side linebacker and running back Kaleb johnson..
Johnson, who missed two weeks due to an ejection in week five, rushed for 172 yards and scored three touchdownss in Union Pines’ last win of the season, a 35-34 overtime thriller which came in week four against the East Montgomery Eagles.
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Comments
RD28327 7 months, 1 week ago
The Vikings will seek but they will not find a conference win, especially if they have problems with turnovers just like last week. The offensive line also needs to do a much better job of protecting the QB. Southern Lee has also had its ups and downs like UP, but the Cavaliers will come up victorious. Southern Lee 24 Union Pines 21
cooldaddy 7 months, 1 week ago
Rueb...you are down in the local standings after week 5. I am a Viking fan, and so are you. Your heart is making this game way too close. UP-7 tops...and probably 28 for Sanford.
member 7 months, 1 week ago
Good thing you both seem to be off...at least by the scoreboard I'm looking at. There's still a lot of game left, though.
RD28327 7 months, 1 week ago
Did not expect a shootout tonight! Southern Lee outlasted UP 63-55. UP led 28-21 at the end of the first quarter. Was tied 35-35 at halftime and 42-42 at the end of three quarters. After UP closed to within 55-49 with 2:49 remaining in the game, UP should have never kicked the ball deep. They should have went for an onside kick. Kicking the ball deep led to a long Cavalier return into UP territory which led to a score 16 seconds later. Lots of turnovers, no defense, but you gotta like the effort. Too bad someone had to lose! Would enjoy seeing a box score and stats from this contest!