High school football: Wolves, Nick Vigil nip Knights in double-overtime duel

LAYTON — It's good to be Nick.

Fremont's junior running back, Nick Vigil, carried the ball 41 times for 187 yards and scored four touchdowns in Fremont's 27-21 double-overtime victory over Northridge on Friday.

"Nick is Nick," said Fremont head coach Kory Bosgeiter. "He fights for every yard. He's a great player and a great young man."

Vigil said one of Fremont's goals coming into the game was to put together a solid ground game.

"Coach told us to establish the run," he said. "We were just trying to pound the ball. We really came together as a team and were able to do that."

Fremont, winners of six straight, improves to 6-1 on the season and 6-0 in region, while Northridge drops to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in region.

In a game that featured back-and-forth scoring and several momentum swings, the Silver Wolves pulled out the victory by running the ball, playing solid defense and making big plays when they needed to.

Northridge scored first on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trent Buckley. The scored capped a 16-play 80-yard drive, which chewed up the first eight minutes of the first quarter. The score gave the Knights a 7-0 lead.

Fremont scored on consecutive drives in the second quarter. Both of the Silver Wolves' drives ending touchdown runs by Vigil. Vigil's 3-yard run and 29-yard run gave the Wolves a 14-7 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Northridge tied the game in the fourth on a 76-yard score by Shaymus Bertagnolli. The touchdown came on a double-pass by the Knights. Buckley threw the ball to Alex Trotter, who then hit a streaking Bertagnolli, who outran the Fremont defense for the tying score.

In the first overtime, Fremont scored capped its offensive possession with a 3-yard run by Vigil. Northridge answered on its possession with a 10-yard run by running back Jordan Lee. Lee's score and Gottschalk's PAT tied the game at 21-21.

In the second overtime, Northridge, after runs by Lee and an incomplete pass attempt by Buckley, lined up for the go-ahead 35-yard field goal attempt. But Gottschalk's kick was blocked by Fremont defensive back Rowdy Stucki. The block turned the ball over to Fremont, which scored the game-winner on its possession on a 4-yard run by Vigil — his fourth TD of the night.

It gave the Wolves an important Region 1 win heading into next week's game against defending champion Davis.

Vigil said the win was big for his team.

"This (win) was huge," he said. "This keeps us in the race for a region championship."

Bosgeiter agreed with his star player's assessment.

"This was a huge win for us," he said. "Not to look ahead or anything, but this was a big win for us."