BY KEITH KANE
BRYAN—The Bryan Vikings ran out of downs, time outs, and time Friday night in Merrill Green Stadium and lost the Homecoming football game to the Conroe Oak Ridge War Eagles 36-33. The Vikings had a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds, but a time out earlier in their final drive left Bryan with the only option of throwing the ball into the end zone from 23 yards out as time expired only to have the pass knocked away by War Eagle defenders.
It was a spectacular coming back party for Bobby Johnson none the less as the Vikings star returned from an injury three weeks ago to rush for 276 yards, throw for 55 yards and catch three passes for 58 yards all while scoring five touchdowns.
After a slow start, B.J. Ross threw for 188 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 76 yards, most of that in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings got off to a good start recovering an onside kick on the opening kick off to set themselves up a mid-field. The drive ended with a score when Bobby Johnson ran in from five yards out. Corey Johnson added the extra point to make it 7-0 with 10:52 left in the first quarter.
Oak Ridge would storm back to kick a 27 yard field goal with 5:46 left in the quarter and scored on a 5 yard run by sophomore quarterback Braden Letney to take a 10-7 lead.
The rest of the first half would belong to the Vikings as they capped of a 73 yard drive with a 1 yard Bobby Johnson run with :10 left in the first quarter to lead 14-10. Bryan would add another TD with 1:46 left in the first half on an 85 yard Bobby Johnson run to lead at halftime 20-10.
The Vikings would score on their first two possessions of the second half on a 20 yard pass from B.J. Ross to Bobby Johnson with 8:50 left in the third quarter and on a 34 yard run by Bobby Johnson with 2:25 left in the third quarter to extend their lead.
Sandwiched in between those two scores was a 1 yard run by Oak Ridge’s Kwame Etwi to make the score at the end of the third quarter Bryan 33, Oak Ridge 17.
However, the fourth quarter would have the War Eagles score 19 unanswered points. Etwi would score again on a 1 yard run with 11:37 left to make it 33-23. Etwi would score from 23 yards out with 7:01 left to make it 33-30. And, with 2:31 left, Etwi would score his fourth TD of the night on a 49 yard run to make it 36-33. Etwi would finish the game with 204 yards rushing, 179 of those yard in the second half.
The loss leaves the Vikings 0-1 in District 14-5A heading into next week’s game at Buddy Moorehead Stadium again the Conroe Tigers. The game will be broadcast beginning at 7:00 pm with Keith Kane and Zach Taylor on 1150 The Zone.