Hickey, Vikings steamroll Corvallis in 52-0 shutout

A week after a tough loss at Frenchtown, the Bigfork Vikings made a clear statement Friday night, steamrolling Corvallis 52-0 at home behind a relentless defense and an efficient, balanced offense.

Senior running back Treker Hickey set the tone early, bulldozing into the end zone for two first-quarter touchdowns. Hickey finished with 82 yards and two scores, pacing a Viking rushing attack that wore down the Blue Devils.

“It feels good, coming off a game like last week and especially going into next week against Dillon,” Hickey said. “We still need to be more physical and have a better mentality in practice going forward. We’ve got to have more grit.”

After a slow opening drive, Bigfork’s offense clicked into gear. Quarterback Cole Schmit connected with tight end Austin Savik for a 48-yard completion down the sideline, setting up Hickey’s first touchdown. Later in the quarter, a strong punt return from Rye Rodriguez put the Vikings in prime position. Schmit found both Savik and Tayden West on short passes before Hickey powered across the goal line for a 14-0 advantage.

The second quarter showcased Bigfork’s explosiveness. Facing third-and-long, Schmit delivered a 58-yard strike to Savik, then capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Schmit wasn’t finished, hitting Ollie Buzzell on a 28-yard score in which Buzzell weaved past defenders to extend the lead to 30-0. Moments later, Tamret Savik picked off a pass and returned it 20 yards for another touchdown, sending Bigfork into halftime up 38-0 and triggering a running clock.

“We didn’t play football the way we should have last week,” offensive coordinator Connor Coleman said. “This week, the boys came out and translated their practice onto the field. They really stepped up tonight and it started in the run game. Cole threw some great balls to our playmakers and that’s what we have to do.”

The Vikings’ defense was suffocating, holding Corvallis to just 18 total yards and forcing multiple turnovers, including a fourth-quarter fumble return for a score by Vaughn Edwards.

Schmit wrapped up the night with 162 passing yards and two touchdowns, spreading the ball among several targets.

Bigfork senior quarterback Cole Schmit looks for a receiver in a game against Corvallis on Friday at Bigfork. (Steve Mitchell photo)
Steve Mitchell

Bigfork's Wyatt McKenly Hickey follows blocks for some good yardage against Corvallis on Friday at Bigfork. (Steve Mitchell photo)
Steve Mitchell