Sports : Injury-plagued Vikings lead 18-13 but lose to W Dubuque in fourth quarter

Chase Overton hands the ball to Nick Hyland.

Sean Noeller (7) and Jordan Womochil (20) help break up a WD pass.

Eric Studer tackles a WD ball carrier.

Tanner Spies made several big plays for the Viking offense.

Vikings enter the field for the Homecoming game.

Sophomore game: John Betterton pursues a WD runner.

Nicholas Funk (81) and John Betterton pursue a Bobcat ball carrier.

John Betterton made several key offensive and defensive plays for the Viking sophomores.

Sophomore cheerleaders perform Friday.

Chase Werderman (42) recovered this WD fumble for the VS sophomores.

Vinton-Shellsburg took an 18-13 lead into the final quarter of its Homecoming football game vs. Western Dubuque on Friday. But the Vikings, playing without running back Nick Hyland, gave up 22 points in the final quarter. The Bobcats won, 35-18.

"I feel like this is a game we could have won," said coach Jim Womochil.

Yet, he said, the Vikings are a young team, and when a player like Hyland sits out with an injury (Hyland injured his knee in the third quarter), the Vikings feel the impact of the loss.

With Hyland on the bench, the Vikings fumbled on two consecutive plays. The first fumble rolled forward for a Viking first down. The Bobcats, however, recovered the second one and drove for the go-ahead touchdown.

QB Chase Overton and WR Logan Davis also missed some of the game because of injuries.

The Vikings (2-2, 1-1 in Class 3A District 5 games) travel to Independence this week.

Hyland had a 90-yard run that set up a Viking touchdown. Tanner Spies led the Vikes with 142 yards of total offense.

See complete stats HERE.