VIDALIA — Facing the district favorite after two straight losses wasn’t an easy task for Vidalia, but behind the rampant rushing attack of Kevin Johnson the Vikings defeated the Bunkie Panthers 26-12 at home Friday night.

Vidalia (2-3, 1-0) took an early 8-0 lead on the first of Johnson’s four touchdown runs.

Johnson then broke free with 4:48 to go in the first and ran 24 yards for another score to put the Vikings up 14-0.

“Kevin did a great job for us,” Vidalia head coach Dee Faircloth said.

After a Caleb Vines interception, Bunkie scored on a seven-yard touchdown run and pulled within eight of Vidalia.

The Viking defense faltered again late in the second quarter and gave up a 23-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kendrick Leary, which pulled the Panthers within two.

After the half, Vidalia’s offensive line held up for an 11 play drive that resulted in a 36-yard run for a touchdown by Johnson to give the Vikings a 20-12 lead with 6:25 left in the third quarter.

Bunkie couldn’t gain any momentum against the Viking defense and continued to punt the ball throughout the second half.

The Panthers only totaled 162 total yards of offense in the game while allowing Vidalia to rack up 323 yards.

A three-play drive at the end of the fourth quarter that ended with a Johnson touchdown with 50 seconds left in the game put Vidalia up 26-12 and sealed the win for the Vikings.

“I am very proud of our kids,” Faircloth said. “Our offensive line did a tremendous job. We went back to our old way of doing things.”

Johnson ran for 244 yards on 30 carries; four of those were touchdowns for the Vikings.