CHARLO - A hush fell over the crowd in Charlo last Saturday. Their football team's leader, the multi-talented quarterback Chico Stipe, limped off the field in the first quarter against White Sulphur Springs in a game that couldn't be going any worse.

A hurt knee was just another string of unfortunate events that plagued the undefeated Vikings in the beginning of their first-round playoff game.

Stipe would return after just a few plays, but said the initial pain seemed like it would have kept him out much longer. He said he knew he had to walk it off and play through it. Last Saturday, perhaps more than any other time during the season, the Vikings needed their leader.

"I just knew my teammates needed me," Stipe said. "I had to be mentally tough."

Down 20-0 in the first quarter, things seemingly changed immediately once Charlo got out of that cursed one-fourth of a football game.

"We decided to get going," senior lineman Chance Rosenbaum said.

Stipe came alive with a 15-yard pass to junior Kolton Andrews to get the Vikings into the red-zone and then Andrews punched into pay dirt from five-yards out with 10:09 in the second to make it 20-8. He then followed it up with a 35-yard touchdown pass to freshman Jacen Peterson as Charlo pulled closer to the Hornets 20-16 with 5:03 to go in the half.

"They jumped up on us, we didn't expect them to be that good," Andrews said. "Our offense stepped up after that."

Charlo head coach Mike Krahn said that it was the team speed of White Sulphur Springs that was most surprising.

"They did really keep us on our heels," he said. "[After the first quarter} We just told them that we couldn't get it back in one play."

The Hornets scored in their next position to make it 28-16 and blocked a punt to get the ball near midfield to put Charlo's newfound momentum in question.The defense held onto the short field, and with just 46.3 seconds left to go in the half, perhaps the biggest play of the day occurred when Stipe hooked up with senior wide receiver Austin Bauer for 40 yards and the score. The Vikings would go into the locker room with their pride and some confidence, down just 28-24.

Krahn said that scoring before halftime was huge, especially since Charlo got the ball back to begin the third quarter.

It was that third stanza where the Vikings made their stand. A 25-yard run by Trae Ludeman helped set up a five-yard touchdown pass from Stipe to Bauer as Charlo took their first leader of the game, 30-28, with 9:54 to go in the third quarter.

Then things got crazy. White Sulphur Springs fumbled the ball away on the ensuing drive, but then a blind-side sack jarred the ball lose from Stipe to give the ball right back to the Hornets. Pass rusher Rosenbaum did the work of a skilled defensive back, intercepting the ball that he tipped and getting the ball back for Charlo.

"No. 44 was blocking me and I just stuck my hand out," Rosenbaum said. "I saw the ball in the air and then somebody grabbed my helmet. My mouthpiece was the only thing holding my helmet on."

That turnover led to Charlo score on a fourth and goal, as Stipe found Andrews in the endzone from six yards out. That gave Charlo some breathing room at 36-28 with 3:53 to go in the third.

Stipe would score again after a Hornets' punt, this time with his legs from 48-yards out. Recently injured junior Ross Fullerton would intercept White Sulphur Springs during the next drive and Charlo would once again capitalize on the penalty, with another Stipe touchdown pass, this time a 32-yard throw to Andrews with 10:16 in the fourth to make it 52-28.That capped a 36-point turnaround by the Vikings.

"You don't see that very often in high school football," Krahn said of his team's comeback.

White Sulphur Springs wasn't about to go away though, as they answered back with a 48-yard touchdown pass and a recovered fumble in the end zone and a nine-yard pass by the Hornets made it 52-44 with 5:20 to go in the game.

"They definitely earned their spot here in the playoffs," Stipe said. It was the senior quarterback, the one that many thought may have been knocked out of the game with an injury, that put it on ice with 3:29 to go. Stipe scored from 30 yards out and gave Charlo a 58-44 lead. The Hornets would score again but the Vikings ran the ball out and held on for the 58-50 victory. "That rallies the troops around him,"

Krahn said of Stipe's performance after his injury. "We definitely needed that team effort."

Charlo was able to weather a 390-yard passing performance from White Sulphur Springs quarterback Cy Williams and his four touchdown passes.

"We always keep our composure," Stipe said. "In games, there's always up and downs, this one had a lot of them. It's not a feeling I want to have again."

Charlo will play host 8-1 Chinook in the second round of the playoffs. Krahn said it's a team that's full of size and likes to run the ball with hard-nosed football."It will be a tough challenge but we're just happy to put the pads back on Monday," he said.