One year and six games. 
      That’s how long the Vikings have gone without a winning NorCal conference game, and the streak continued Saturday with their conference opener at home against Foothill. 
      DVC lost a heartbreaker when Foothill took the lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass with a little over a minute to go in the game, winning 31-24. 
      Quarterback Blake Wayne threw for more than 400 years and a touchdown and then ran for another, but it wasn’t enough to push the Vikings over the top. 
      Running back Ryan Nastor pitched in 99 rushing yards with a touchdown and added six catches for 59 yards. 
      “The team played very well and dominated our opponent statistically,” head coach Mike Darr said. “We gained over 150 more yards than Foothill, but just couldn’t finish the drives with a TD.”
      The turning point came when Foothill recorded a safety with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. 
      Though the safety only cut the DVC lead to 17-16, it provided Foothill with its first score in a little over 20 minutes and shifted the momentum in what had been a defensively dominated quarter and a half for the Vikings. 
      “The defense has played excellent for 3 ½ quarters for 3 games in a row,” coach Darr said. “With the caliber of opponents we face, not finishing drives or getting stops at the end of games just isn’t enough.”
      Both teams traded touchdowns to start the fourth quarter before Foothill pulled away with the score at the end. 
      The game started out quickly, with each team driving down the field for touchdowns only five minutes into the game. 
      Both teams added another score, and the quarter ended with DVC trailing 10-14. 
      The loss drops the Vikings to 2-4 on the year, although they retain their spot at No. 16 in the Northern California football rankings. 
      The Vikings remain winless in the NorCal conference, since moving there in 2008.  It is the premiere conference in Northern California, with the winner having a chance to play for the state title. 
      Next up on the Vikings grueling schedule is San Francisco City College, which consistently ranks in the top five of the state every year.  It is currently undefeated with a 6-0 record.
      “The players know we are about two minutes from being 5-1,” coach Darr said. “the players are excited to have the opportunity to walk out of [San Francisco’s] brand new $90 million athletics facility with our first NorCal victory against the no. 2 team in the nation.”   
      DVC travels to San Francisco on Friday.