On a blustery day when even the birds were flying backwards, it was full speed ahead for Keenan Postans.
The Hammarskjold quarterback on Thursday scampered for 130 yards and a score on the ground, and 111 yards and two more touchdowns through the air – both to receiver Braydon Halvorson – leading the junior Vikings to a 25-0 whitewashing of the Superior Collegiate Gryphons.
Postans, making the adjustment from linebacker, where he spent last season with the Vikings, was all but unstoppable on Hammarskjold’s opening drive, in the Fort William Stadium kickoff to the Superior Secondary School Athletic Association’s junior football season.
After making a 22-yard run to push the Vikings deep into Gryphons territory, the sophomore used his teammates to clear the way on his next run, a 31-yard dash to the end zone that gave the Vikings an early 6-0 lead.
“It was just great blocking by the wide receivers on the outside,” Postans said. “They gave me a lane, I took it and I scored.”
Turned around and firing into the wind, Postans looked every bit as poised in the second quarter, firing a 35-yard strike to Halvorson for the second Vikings touchdown, and a 12-0 lead they took into halftime.
It could have been much worse for the Gryphons, who struggled in the passing game, none of the three pivots they tried having much of an effect on the Hammarskjold secondary.
For Postans, however, it was business as usual, though with a little more care, the score might have been a bit higher for the red and gold.
Postans and Halvorson connected for a 48-yard passing play that had the Vikings threatening the red zone in the fourth quarter, but Gryphons defensive back Keenan Mannella swiped the ball away.
But a fumble on the ensuing play, recovered by R.J. Richards of the Vikings, all but put the contest away. Postans, who had an eight-yard score taken away on a penalty, hit Halvorson from 18 yards out to make it 18-0.
Hammarskjold put it away minutes later when Darrien Fice intercepted a Troy Kondrat pass and took it home for a 40-yard score.
Hammarskjold coach Matt Steele said he couldn’t say enough about his second-year quarterback’s afternoon.
“He had a great performance. He’s a great team guy around the room,” Steele said.
In other junior boys football action:
Westgate 31, Churchill 1: Caleb White ran for 132 yards and scored twice, as the Tigers opened with a convincing win over the Trojans. Alan Chen was the top offensive producer for Churchill, managing just 10 yards on the ground.
St. Ignatius 34, St. Patrick 0: Jake Puskas ran the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a score, all the offense the Falcons would need to open the season with a win. Liam Fors ran the ball six times for 52 yards and two scores and took an interception 36 yards the other way for another. Jake McKee led the Saints with 26 yards rushing.
