MIAMI, Okla. — Continuing to struggle with a non-existent offensive production, Northeastern A&M’s Golden Norsemen suffered a 38-17 loss Saturday afternoon to Trinity Valley Community College before a stunned homecoming crowd.

While sustaining their third consecutive loss, coach Donnie Bigby’s Golden Norse are 1-3 in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference and 1-5 overall. Coach Brad Smiley’s Cardinals are 2-1 in the league and 4-2 on the year heading into this weekend’s game at home against Blinn.

Last weekend in a 31-0 loss to Kilgore, Texas, the Golden Norse managed only 89 yards in total offense that included minus-19 yards on 31 carries on the ground.

Against Trinity Valley’s defense, NEO was held to a grand total of 63 yards that included minus-14 yards on 42 carries. The longest run of the game for the Norse was 14 yards by tailback Delans Griffin in the first five minutes.

Sophomore tailback Josh Johnson almost single-handedly defeated NEO. He rushed for 198 yards on 24 carries while returning five punts for 50 yards and catching a 20-yard pass.

Johnson scored the first of four touchdowns on a 25-yard run with 7:29 left in the first quarter on a 4th-and-4 call. Jaimie Salazar kicked the point-after for a 7-0 lead.

During the 62-yard, five-play drive, Johnson caught a 22-yard pass from quarterback Si’Darius Blackshire.

NEO’s defense set up the Golden Norse offense at the Cards 15-yard line  after punt return specialist Rodney Samuel muffed a punt by NEO’s Anthony   Sparks. Golden Norse linebacker Kameron Stewart recovered the lose ball.

Once again, unable to reach the endzone the Norsemen received a 29-yard field goal by freshman Collin Yeary to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 7:51 left in the second quarter.

Constructing an 80-yard drive in 12 plays that consumed six minutes, Johnson scored on a 1-yard plunge with 1:31 until halftime. Salazar’s PAT gave thee Cards a 14-3 cushion at intermission.

A 14-yard punt by Sparks on NEO’s first possession of the second half set Trinity Valley up at the Golden Norse 35-yard line.

The Cardinals stalled and Salazar kicked a 48-yard field goal to widen the lead 17-3 margin at the 11:38 juncture of the third quarter.

Johnson unleashed a 44-yard touchdown run on Trinity Valley’s next possession to cap a 61-yard, two-play drive. The extra point by Salazar produced a 24-3 TVCC lead with 8:14 showing on the clock.

Gaining some momentum starting the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Josh Engert, making his first start, hit veteran wide receiver Jermaine Sherman on a 44-yard pass play to the Cards 5-yard line.

Engert found tight end Brade Robinson open for a 5-yard touchdown pass and Yeary’s point-after rallied NEO to a 24-10 deficit with 7:07 left in the game.

Johnson recovered an NEO onsides kick attempt on the ensuing kickoff and the Cardinals moved 41 yards in two plays. After a 39-yard run by Johnson, the sophomore from  Richardson, Texas, scored on a 2-yard run  with 6:42 showing on the clock. Salazar’s extra point increased the TVCC lead to a 31-10 margin.

Another muffed punt by Trinity Valley was recovered at the Cardinals 8-yard line by Vinita’s Bryce Ebbs.

Three plays later Engert scored on a quarterback keeper from 1-yard out and Yeary kicked the point-after for a 31-17 deficit with 2:22 showing on the clock.

Reserve tailback Jack Brown scored on a 39-yard run for the final Trinity Valley score with 1:27 left in the game. Salazar hit the PAT.

Herman Walters led NEO’s ground  game with 31 yards on 10 carries while Engert hit 7 of 16 passes for 76 yards and two TDs.

— Monty Franks, Miami (Okla.) News-Record

CARDINALS 38, GOLDEN NORSEMEN 17

    TVCC    NEO

First Downs    16    8

Rushing Yards    41-224    42-(-14)    

Passing Yards    129    77    

Total Yards    353    63    

Passes Attempted    23    16    

Passes Completed    11    7    

Interceptions    0    1    

Fumbles/Lost    4/3    2/0    

Penalties    11/107    11/109    

Punts    4/28.5    9/38.2    

Score By Quarters

TVCC    7    7    10    14    —    38    

NEO    0    3    0    14    —    17

Scoring Summary

TVCC — Johnson 25 run (Salazar kick), 7:29

NEO — FG, Yeary 29, 7:51

TVCC — Johnson 1 run (Salazar kick), 1:31

TVCC — FG, Salazar 48, 11:38

TVCC — Johnson 44 run (Salazar kick), 8:14

NEO — Robinson 5 pass from Engert (Yeary kick), 7:07

TVCC — Johnson 2 run (Salazar kick), 6:42

NEO — Engert 1 run (Yeary kick), 2:22

TVCC — Brown 39 run (Salazar kick), 1:27

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — TVCC: Johnson 24-198, J. Brown 9-59, J. Williams 1-5, Pickett 1-2, Blackshire 1-(-1), Chapman 1-(-4), Samuel 1-(-16), Watson 1-(-19). NEO: Walters 10-31, Griffin 20-18, Everheart 1-(-10), Engert 11-(-53).

PASSING — TVCC: Blackshire 11-23-0-129. NEO: Engert 7-16-1-76.

RECEIVING — TVCC, C. Franklin 4-53, Watson 2-28, Walker 2-17, Johnson 1-20, Pickett 1-6, Rabun 1-5. NEO: Sherman 2-44, Robinson 2-21, Thompson 1-8, Griffin 1-2, Walton 1-2.