VCSU – Valley City State football team’s quest for a conference championship fell short Saturday as the Vikings dropped a needed game at Dickinson State.
 
Dickinson State opened up a 20-3 halftime lead en-route to a 48-17 victory on their home field, clinching the outright conference title in the process.
 
The Vikings needed a win Saturday to keep their title hopes alive. With the loss, Valley City State drops to 6-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play. Both conference losses have come against Dickinson State. The Vikings will close out the season on Saturday, Nov. 11, hosting Waldorf University on Viking Senior Day.
 
Dickinson State improves to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play. With Saturday’s victory, the Blue Hawks clinched the conference title and the automatic bid into the NAIA playoffs.
 
Both teams scored on their opening possession as part of a lightning fast first quarter Saturday. Dickinson State took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in 10 plays to score an opening-drive touchdown. Valley City State responded with a 14-play, 50-yard drive that was capped by Andrew Nielsen’s 33-yard field goal. From there, Dickinson State took control by scoring the next 27 points. The Blue Hawks led 20-3 at halftime and then scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the third quarter – both coming after VCSU threw interceptions.
 
The Vikings scored two second half touchdowns as Faaris Amegankpoe caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Noah Chambers in the third quarter, and Avery Thorsgard capped VCSU’s scoring with a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
 
VCSU finished with 307 yards of offense, including 218 passing and 89 rushing. Mason Yoshino caught seven passes for 75 yards while Amegankpoe hauled in four catches for 55 yards and a score. The Blue Hawks had 464 total yards, which included 203 on the ground and 261 passing.
 
Up next: Valley City State hosts Waldorf University for the season finale on Saturday, Nov. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. from VCSU’s Lokken Stadium.