NORTHWOOD, Iowa &045; In order to qualify for the Iowa state football playoffs, the Northwood-Kensett Vikings needed two things: An eight-point victory over Nora Springs-Rock Falls, and a North Central upset of West Bend-Mallard.

They took care of their part. The other did not happen.

The Vikings crushed visiting Nora Springs-Rock Falls 60-22 at Northwood Friday night but 10th-rated West-Bend Mallard handled North Central 48-14.

It means the end of the season for the Vikings, who started slowly but finished 6-2 in District 3 and 7-2 overall. West Bend-Mallard (7-1, 8-1) advanced to the playoffs along with district co-champion Graettinger.

Dustin Wagner got the Vikings on the board with 7:17 left in the first quarter Friday with an 8-yard touchdown run. Lee Nelson ran for the two-point conversion.

An 80-yard scoring sprint by Joe Fierova started a 20-point N-K outburst that used up less than three minutes of game clock. It came with 1:39 left in the first quarter. Fierova followed with a 65-yard interception return, also running for the conversion, to make it 22-0. Then he ran 29 yards with 11:12 left in the second.

The Vikings also finished the half with a flurry. Doug Millard scored on a 4-yard run with 32 seconds left and, with only one second on the clock, Nelson threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Hanson. It was 42-0 at halftime.

The Vikings outgained NSRF 459-202 in total yards, including 401-96 rushing. Fierova had 160 yards on six carries. Nelson completed all three of his pass attempts for 58 yards.

Nick Hovey was the Vikings’ top tackler, with 12. Sam Hengesteg tallied eight tackles.

NSRF

&045;

0

0

6

16

&045;

22

NK

&045; 22

20

6

12

&045;

60

First Quarter: NK &045; Wagner 8 run (Nelson run); NK &045; Fierova 80 run (run failed); NK &045; Fierova 65 interception return (Fierova run)

Second Quarter: NK &045; Fierova 29 run (run failed); NK &045; Fierova 4 run (run failed); NK &045; Millard 4 run (run failed)

Third Quarter: NK &045; Hanson 8 pass from Millard (Millard run); NSRF &045; Blickenderfer 9 run (run failed)

Fourth Quarter: NSRF &045; Blickenderfer 14 pass from Wood (Schmidt run); NK &045; Nelson 5 run (run failed); NSRF &045; Wyborny 4 run (Wyborny run); NK &045; Madsen 9 run (run failed)

NS, NK: First downs: 9, 12; Rushing yards: 96, 401; Passing yards: 106, 58; Total yards: 202, 459; Pen.-Yds.: 3-24, 5-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: RUSHING&045;NK, Fierova 6-160; NSRF, Blickenderfer 16-77.; PASSING&045;NK, Nelson 3-3-0, 58.; RECEIVING&045;NK, Fierova 1-35; NSRF.