GARDINER – If you ask an offensive lineman if he’d rather have his team run or throw the ball to score, he’ll always want to run it. Gardiner offensive tackle Nick Baron takes it one step further.

With Oxford Hills on the ropes late in the third quarter, Baron turned to the sidelines and yelled to the coaching staff to run the ball to his side.

Halfback Tom Colby immediately got the call behind the left tackle and barreled his way into the end zone from four yards out. Baron then turned to the sideline with his arms outstretched and palms facing skyward as if to say “I told you so”.

The top-seeded Tigers used that type of confidence with their power running game to rack up 302 yards on the ground in defeating the No. 8 Vikings 35-6 in an Eastern A quarterfinal Friday night.

“I took my guy far back and destroyed him,” said a confident Baron of the play before the touchdown.

“We’re really starting to come into our own and we’ve been working at it the last couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ve been blocking for the seven seconds (each play).”

Gardiner coach Matt Brown knows the importance of an effective offensive line.

“He’s been the anchor for the offensive line,” said Brown of Baron. “If we run behind the big fella, he’s gonna cash in for us.”

Colby and fullback Craig Toulouse did most of the damage behind the offensive line. Colby rushed for the two clinching second-half scores and finished with 179 yards on 24 carries. Toulouse ran for touchdowns on the first two Gardiner (8-1) drives of the game and ran for 60 yards.

“Gardiner played like a No. 1 seed,” said Vikings coach Paul Bickford. “They dominated the first half and they dominated the second half. Physically, they played very good football and they just ran the ball right at us.”

The Tigers scored each time on their first three drives. The first was an eight-play, 67-yard march. The second was even more impressive. That one was a 15-play, 64-yard drive.

“We came out and took control right away,” said Brown. “That was important.”

Gardiner used a blocked punt by Randy Irish to ignite the third touchdown midway through the second quarter. A quick four-play drive culminated with freshman quarterback hitting wideout Kerry Ramsay down the left side for a 24-yard score.

The Vikings (3-6) got on the board after quarterback Ben Ryerson hit Dan Magoon for 32 yards to the Tiger 13. Three plays later, Jim Bower scored from two yards out.

The Vikings threatened again in the late stages of the half after Jake Cash blocked a punt deep in Tiger territory with 10 seconds left. Three passes from the 7, however, all fell incomplete.

While the Tigers were successful running the ball, the Vikings struggled. Bower was kept in check for just 23 yards while Mason Olmstead was held to 68.

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