As someone once said, all good things must come to an end.

After winning the league title and its first-round playoff game, the Burns football team saw its season end with a 36-14 loss to Vale on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Corbett Memorial Field.

The Vikings’ Colton Kesey completed 18 of 25 passes for 250 yards and five touchdowns to lead Vale to the win, and a trip to the Class 3A semifinals.

Tanner Hamilton had a big game receiving for Vale, catching 10 passes for 159 yards and three scores.

The Vikings got out to an early 7-0 lead, as Kesey connected with Kade Haueter on a 38-yard touchdown pass on their second play from scrimmage.

The Hilanders sputtered at the outset, picking up just one first down on their first four possessions.

Midway through the second quarter, the Hilanders readied to punt once again, but the snap sailed over Zane Taylor’s head and into the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 9-0 Vale lead.

Following the free kick, Vale started at their own 45. On first down, Kesey found Hamilton open for a 45-yard TD pass, and the extra point made it 16-0.

On Vale’s next possession, the Hilanders’ recovered a fumble at their own 21, but then Burns fumbled the ball away on first down, giving the Vikings a first down at the Burns 7-yard line.

Kesey threw to Haueter for the 7-yard score, and Vale went into halftime with a 23-0 advantage.

Vale scored again with 7:12 to play in the third quarter on a 15-yard pass from Kesey to Hamilton, making it 30-0.

Burns then turned the ball over on an interception, giving the Vikings a first down at the Burns 22. On third down, Kesey threw his fifth touchdown of the afternoon, a 17-yarder to Hamilton, to put Vale up 36-0.

Burns got on the scoreboard early in the final quarter when Jaden Tiller punched the ball in from the 1-yard line. Taylor added the extra point kick, cutting the lead to 36-7.

Wyatt Epling of Burns scored the final touchdown of the contest on a 1-yard run with just 17 seconds left to play.

With the victory, Vale advanced to the semifinal game against Rainier, the top-ranked 3A team.

The Hilanders’ Mick Winn completed three of 11 passes for 32 yards and two interceptions, and Tiller finished with two completions in three attempts for 32 yards.

Dakota Ceja led the Burns rushing attack with 85 yards on 20 carries. Tiller ran 11 times for 44 yards and one score.

Brock McKinney caught two passes for 46 yards for the Hilanders.

Burns finished the season with a 9-2 overall record.