VCC gets title, home game
The Vermilion Ironmen hope to make the most of their second chance.Despite a lopsided 56-28 loss to Mesabi in the Oct. 27 regular season finale, it’s the Ironmen, and not the rival Norsemen, who are at home today for the start of the Minnesota Community College Conference football playoffs.Vermilion claimed the Northern Division title and a top-seed in the four-team state tournament after Mesabi was forced to forfeit an early-season game for using an ineligible player.That keeps the Ironmen at home for a first-round matchup against Southern Division runner-up (today, 1 p.m., Ely School Stadium) and sends Mesabi on a long road trip to Worthington and a meeting with unbeaten Minnesota West.With a victory against the Yellowjackets, the Ironmen can wipe out the bad taste left from their loss to Mesabi, avenge an earlier loss to Rochester, and gain the program’s first state title game berth in seven years.“The more I sit here, the more I think like we’re getting a reprieve,” said Vermilion Head Coach Keith Turner. “We’re getting a chance to play the defending state champions at home and I know we have the opportunity to knock them off.”Rochester pounded the Ironmen 59-20 in what was a disastrous season-opener for the Ironmen.Since an 0-2 start in which it committed 12 turnovers and gave up 103 points, Vermilion won six times in seven games, shored up its defense and got an offensive spark from quarterback Willie Johnson, who has thrown 23 touchdown passes.“We’re a different team from the first two weeks to right now,” said Turner.And though the final score was decisive, Rochester and Vermilion nearly played to a standoff in total offense.The Ironmen were hurt by turnovers and atrocious special teams play. Rochester blocked three Vermilion punt attempts and used a special teams advantage to score 28 points in seven minutes, opening up a 31-0 halftime lead.“One thing that stands out about them is their special teams,” said Turner. “We’re going to really have to be consistent on special teams. We have to avoid turnovers and play field position. If we play like we did the last six weeks, and not like we did against Mesabi, we’ll do well.”The Norsemen won a shootout at Ely School Stadium, pulling away with three scores in the last 10 minutes.Two high-powered quarterbacks named Johnson - Vermilion‘s Willie and Mesabi’s Anthony - took turns directing scoring drives in the first half.Willie Johnson hooked up with Harold Fannin on a 24-yard score and added an 11-yard touchdown run in the opening half, but Mesabi’s Anthony Johnson connected with Ray Moore twice in the first two quarters.Mesabi seized control at the end of the half, scoring on the final play with a six-yard throw from Anthony Johnson to Kyle Lindgren.The Ironmen fell behind 28-14 but cut the gap back to seven when Isaiah Osborne hauled in a three-yard throw.Moore, who had 146 yards receiving, then burned the VCC secondary and caught a long pass from Anthony Johnson in stride for a 51-yard backbreaking touchdown.Vermilion would trim the deficit to 35-28 early in the final quarter, but that’s as close as it would get.Anthony Johnson ran one in for Mesabi, and the Ironmen had a touchdown called back because of a penalty.Mesabi would add a defensive touchdown to finish Vermilion off.
