The Palo Alto Vikings varsity football team finished the regular season with eight wins and two losses after a 16-0 shutout win Friday night over the Mountain View Chargers.

The game was the Vikes’ first night game under lights in school history.

"It was a great game under the lights," announcer Peter Dipenbrock said. "I hope it becomes tradition for years to come."

It didn’t take long for the Vikes to score on the unprepared Charger defense. The Vikes started the game with a 68 yard six play scoring drive that lasted just over two minutes. The drive ended on a 17 yard sweep run to the right side of the field by senior running back Tamal Briggs. Junior quarterback and kicker Nathan Ford hit the extra point making the score 7-0.

The Vikes maintained momentum with very impressive defense the whole game. The defense came up with three fumble recoveries, several forced turnovers and punts, and tackled various Charger players for losses all game long.

The first fumble recovery of the game came late in the first quarter, and was recovered by senior defensive end James McClutskey. This fumble recovery set up the second scoring drive of the game.

The Vikes took over with a four minute scoring drive,
after the turnover. The four play scoring drive finished the first quarter and continued less than a minute into the second quarter. This drive was capped off by a seven yard run to the middle of the field by senior running back Detrich Clay. Ford’s extra point was blocked, making the score 13-0.

The drive of the game for Mountain View consisted of 13 plays spanning over seven minutes and got all the way down to the Viking’s three yard line.

The 14th play of the drive sealed the Victory for the Vikings. On third and goal, Charger quarterback Francis Papica fumbled the snap, the ball ended up in the end zone and junior defensive back Teddy Way pounced on it.

The last attempt for the Chargers showed the offensive frustration which they had been suffering from all season long. With just under three minutes left in the game Papica’s third down pass from the Vikings 12 yard line went in and out of the hands of intended receiver Andrew Czajkowski in the end zone.

Ford hit a 38 yard field goal with under seven minutes to play in the game. That was the last score of the game, making the final score 16-0 for the Vikes.

The Vikes improve their record to eight and two for the season. The Vikes take the number four spot in the CCS playoffs and they will host fifth ranked Branham at Foothill College in a Division III contest . Start time is scheduled for 7p.m. Friday.

"It was a great win for us," junior defensive end Matt Wismann said about the first game under the lights. "It was our second defensive shut out of the year and that’s a great way to end a season."