Harve MT (VCSU) – Joey Cave’s nine-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter broke a 7-7 tie then the defense recovered a fumble on the Lights first play on the ensuing drive lifting the Valley City State to a 13-7 win over Montana State-Northern in Frontier Conference football Saturday in Havre, Montana.

The Vikings are 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Frontier Conference. The MSU-N falls to 1-9 overall and 0-5 in the conference.

Defense was the order of the day in the game. The Viking defense held MSU-N to just 161 total yards and eight first downs. Valley City State had 250 total yards and 21 first downs. The Vikings had opportunities to score but the Northern Lights bend-but-don’t-break defense held the Vikings scoreless in the first half.

MSU-N scored first after they recovered a Joey Cave fumble at the Vikings 40-yard line. Tilose Tupou sacked Cave and forced the fumble. Alphonse Joseph recovered it for the Lights at the Viking 40-yard line. Two plays later, Ethan Maroni hit Colter Woldstad for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Cyrus Tebay added the extra-point to give Montana State-Northern a 7-0 lead with 7:54 to go in the second quarter.

On the VCSU ensuing drive, they would go 61 yards on 16 plays and take over seven minutes off the second quarter clock. On first and goal from the Northern Lights six-yard line, Cave’s pass was intercepted by Michael Watkins and returned to the MSUN 30-yard line. But the half ended on the first play of the drive, keeping the score 7-0 Montana State-Northern.

Valley City State took the second half kickoff and marched 65 yards on ten plays to get on the score board. Devyne Pearson scored from a yard out on the tenth play and Walker Brondos added the extra-point to tie the game at 7-7 with 10:52 to go in the third quarter. Pearson’s 16-yard run down to the Montana State-Northern’s three-yard line was the big play on the drive.

The Vikings would have another scoring chance on their next drive. On fourth and 13 from the MSUN 15, Ethan Kastner’s pass to Trent Finney only covered nine yards, so the Vikings turned the ball over on downs at the Northern Lights six-yard line.

Each team would punt the ball away on their next two drives. MSUN would turn the ball over when Fafo Lefano intercepted a Maroni pass at the Valley City State 30-yard line. The freshman returned the pick 45 yards to the Northern Lights 25-yard line. An illegal block call on the Vikings pushed them back into their own territory. The drive started at the VCSU 42-yard line. Valley City State would need nine plays to cover the 58 yards to break the tie. On first and goal from then MSUN nine, Cave took the snap, started up the middle then bounced it to the outside to take it in from nine yards out. Walker Brondos’ extra-point was blocked by Spencer Lehnerz to keep the score at 13-7.

On the first play of the Lights ensuing drive, the Vikings’ Moziah Rogers-Tivao would sack Maroni who fumbled the ball, Aiden Russell recovered the fumble for the Vikings. The Vikings went into victory formation to end game and pick up the win on the road.

Joey Cave was 13 for 20 passing for 102 yards and an interception. He would add 41 yards rushing and a touchdown. Devyne Pearson led the ground game with 88 yards on 19 carries and a score. Jake Deutsch led the receiving corps with 47 yards on six receptions.

The defense had four sacks and turned the Lights over three times. Lorenzo Luchi had two tackles, both for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Aiden Russell had seven tackles and a fumble recovery. TaQuez Chatman had a sack, his sixth on the season, and Savilli-Hiapo Castillo-Levao also had a sack. Moziah Rogers-Tivao had a sack as well for the Vikings defense.

Next Up: Valley City State wraps up the regular season at #5 Montana Tech in Butte, Montana next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. Central time and 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time.