The Vidalia Vikings knew they were in for a tough test with Buckeye coming to town, but the Vikings were able to hold their own during the game, falling 56-24.

“All year long, the effort has never been a question,” Vidalia head coach Jeff Hancock said. “I’m really proud of our kids.”

Vidalia (0-10) stood toe-to-toe with Buckeye (9-1) in the first quarter, putting up 12 points to the Panthers’ 20.

“Early on, the passing game was working,” Hancock said. “Landon (Seyfarth) was playing phenomenal. Curtis McNulty caught a touchdown pass and Errick Genous caught one, too.”

But Buckeye was able to catch on, and began to give the Vikings some trouble.

“They started giving us a lot of pressure, and we had some trouble with that,” Hancock said. “But we were able to get things going again later in the second half.”

The Vikings scored on a Seyfarth run and also scored a defensive touchdown with Antione Taylor scooping up a fumble and returning it 40 yards for a score.

Hancock said he was able to take some positives away from the game, though, noting that his young team was playing primarily against an upperclassmen heavy team.

“(Buckeye) put in their two’s about halfway through the game, but after we scored, they put the ones back in,” Hancock said. “I told our guys, the two’s on their team are the same age as our guys that have been playing all year.”

Despite having a winless first year, Hancock is pleased with what he and his team were able to accomplish this year as far as beginning a program.

“We laid the foundation, now it should be easier to get things done,” Hancock said. “I knew it was going to be a tough job to get things turned around, and I was hoping it would happen quicker. But the kids worked their butts off, and I’m proud of them.”