Viking coach Johnnie Frost attempts to reason with a game official. (T-G Photo by Jimmy Jones) [Click to enlarge]

MURFREESBORO - The Community Vikings went into Throneberry Stadium in Murfreesboro on Friday night with high expectations.

Coming off some of their best performances of the season in the last two games, Community faced a winless Middle Tennessee Christian team that had displayed little opposition to region opponents in their first six games.

The ingredients for the Vikings’ first Region 5-A win appeared to be in place as they thoroughly outplayed the Cougars on both sides of the ball through much of the first half.

But the Cougars, with help from penalties against Community (0-8, 0-7 5-A), claimed a 21-0 victory.

The Viking defense held MTC (2-6, 1-6) to just 12 yards in the first nine minutes while the offense churned out over 100 yards.

But the momentum shifted when quarterback Jake Francis scored from 2 yards out to cap off a 12-play, 59-yard drive and give MTC a 7-0 lead at the 2:34 mark of the second quarter. The Cougar drive was aided by four penalties against the Vikings accounting for 30 yards.

“Our defense played an outstanding first quarter and deserved better than to be down when it ended,” Community coach Johnnie Frost said. “I am not exactly sure how to correct some of the penalties that were called until I see the game tapes, but it seems like we just beat a dead horse every week when it comes to having those things take us out of games.”

Community quarterback Justin Stallings rushed for over 100 yards against the Cougars. (T-G Photo by Jimmy Jones) [Click to enlarge]

Viking quarterback Justin Stallings moved his team up and down the field with relative ease for the most part via passes. Several drives were halted due to dropped passes, three which would have resulted in touchdowns.

Add those potential catches to another touchdown called back by a penalty, and the Vikings would have won even with all the yellow laundry littering the field.

MTC added two more scores, on a 12-yard pass from Chris Beasley in the third quarter and 36-yard Dillon Wade run in the fourth, plus three extra point kicks by Sammie Harris.

All told, 27 penalties were called. Seventeen, for 155 yards, went against the Vikings.

The game was so out of hand that the Cougar announcer began announcing the rare occasion when there were no penalties called on a given play, resulting in loud ovations by fans and cheerleaders from both sides of the field.

Community hosts Forrest on Friday night.