Niles clinches second straight district title, defeats Edwardsburg 21-0

NILES, Mich. -- It was a defensive showdown early on, as both teams fought to gain ground. Neither team managed to get on the scoreboard, and the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie.

Then, as the clock wound down toward the end of the first half, senior quarterback Talen Bennett handed off to senior running back Sam Ruckner, who shuffled left and found his way into the end zone, putting the first points on the board. Sophomore kicker Ben Bruckner followed up with the extra point, bringing the score to 7-0 at halftime.

In the second half, Niles kept up the pressure. Senior Paul Hess charged downfield, zigzagging through defenders and fighting his way into the end zone, adding to the Vikings' lead.

Another touchdown late in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Niles. The Vikings clinching their second straight district title with a 21-0 shutout victory.

Niles Head Coach Scot Shaw says there's still work ahead for the team, but he's happy they’ll have another week to keep their season alive.

"It's a great way. It means we're still playing. We got another piece of hardware, another medal. We get to play next week," Shaw said.

Niles will face off the winner of the Portland-Hastings game next week.