It was a rude welcome to high school football for many of the Gibraltar Vikings players as they lost to Almond-Bancroft on the road 52-0 Thursday night.

The Eagles took control of the game immediately as they scored touchdowns on their first three possessions with quarterback Emmitt Stiles at the controls. He rushed in from inside the 10-yard line for the first score while connecting with Kayden Hageness and Ayden Phillips for touchdown passes to make it 22-0. Phillips would find the endzone again late in the second quarter after Davis Dernbach took a screen pass to the house from 70 yards away to make 34-0 at the break. The only miscue forced by the Vikings was a botched hook and ladder play that defensive back Parker Gallant recovered.

Thanks to a suffocating Eagles defense, the Vikings' offense never got on track in the game. They lost two fumbles in the first half, including one on a field goal attempt that represented the Vikings' best scoring opportunity after the Gallant fumble recovery and a nice run by Will Lecy. 

The Eagles padded their lead early in the third quarter with two touchdowns by Hageness and Kaden Martinez. With a running clock and both teams tempting their benches, both teams went unscathed in the fourth quarter, except for a safety given up by the Vikings.

The Vikings will return home next Friday night when they welcome Algoma to Fish Creek. Kickoff for the game will be 7 p.m. and will air on 105.1 The GOAT. The game will act as a fundraiser for the family of Braden Sitte, who is currently fighting cancer.