Decorah Vikings Secure Third Straight Win, Defeat Mason City 35-7

The stories of Decorah matter. Help us cover them. MASON CITY, Iowa — The Decorah Vikings traveled to Mason City on Friday and secured their third victory in a row, beating the Riverhawks 35-7. "[It was] another good win for us," said coach Mike Tangen. By "good," Tangen means a total team win. The offense put up 35 points, the defense forced turnovers and special teams delivered. Despite the score, it wasn't always easy. "We had to overcome some adversity throughout the game with some penalties but the guys found a way to get stops and make enough plays to get the job done," Tangen said. Offensively, the Vikings were well-balanced. As a team, they rushed for 169 yards. Leading the attack was junior Kasen Tyler, who rushed 13 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. Not far behind was sophomore quarterback Gus Pole, who rushed 13 times for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Pole also passed for 86 yards and two touchdowns, completing five of his 12 attempts. On the receiving end of those scores were seniors Gavin Knutson and Carter Riley. Defensively, the Vikings continued to pose problems for their opponents' passing game. Last week, they had three interceptions. This week, against the Riverhawks, they intercepted two passes. Tyler had one, and sophomore Grant Knutson had the other. Leading the team in tackles was Gavin Knutson with eight. The team also recorded two sacks. Of note on special teams, junior David Walter had a 45-yard punt return, and junior Kellen O'Gara had a 25-yard kickoff return. Junior Brayan Ortiz Gonzalez missed a field goal attempt but was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts. "I am very pleased with how our team is continuing to improve," Tangen said. Going into this week's game, the Vikings will try to capitalize on midseason momentum and home-field advantage as they host Xavier, currently the top-ranked team in the state in Class 4A. "Xavier is the real deal and so well coached," Tangen said. "We will continue to work hard as coaches to put our kids in a situation to be successful and continue to improve." And that much is evident, as the coaches have worked with a talented, young Vikings team throughout the year. "We still have everything in front of us and all you want as a team is to be playing meaningful games at this point in the season," Tangen said. The Vikings host Xavier on Friday, Oct. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. For more information about the game against Mason City, visit GoBound. Busy day? We've got you covered. Get local news delivered to your inbox.