PORTSMOUTH – The Symmes Valley Vikings let the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans in on a little secret.

The Titans really didn’t want to know.

The Vikings showed the Titans something the thought they could do – generate offense without turnovers – as they posted a 39-26 Southern Ohio Conference win Saturday night.

“We knew our offense was getting close. We knew the big thing was to hang onto the ball and we could put some points on the board. We finally did that,” Vikings coach Rusty Webb said.

Quarterback Chris Capper helped generate most of the offense as he accounted for 226 yards, scored three touchdowns and passed for two more.

Capper ran for 115 yards on just seven carries and completed 2 of 3 pass for 111 yards. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

“Chris did an outstanding job, but in order for him to have a game like that the guys up front did an outstanding job. We were banged up and had to move some guys around,” Webb said.

The makeshift offensive line was comprised of Kyle Meadows and Ethan Wilson at the tight ends, Billy Bloomfield and Cody Bland at the tackles, Howie Dempsey and Aaron Bolyard at the guards and Cory Hakes at center.

Notre Dame (3-6, 1-3 SOC) took a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard run by Brad Hoover and a conversion kick by Paul Wise.

But Capper and Meadows hooked up on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 1:49 left in the quarter and trailed 7-6.

The duo teamed up again on the second play of the second quarter for a 45-yard TD pass and the Vikings now led 12-7.

Kirt Shipley extended the lead with an 8-yard run and Chuck Mullins ran for the conversion to make it 20-7.

The Titans answered with a scoring drive of their own capped by an 11-yard run by Daniel Sand and it was 20-13.

But Capper got the points back quickly on a 56-yard jaunt with only 1:14 left in the half to make it 26-13.

“Even though we gave up some big plays on defense, we came up with the stops when we had to,” Webb said.

Notre Dame began the second half with a scoring drive that culminated on a 1-yard run by Sand and it was 26-20.

But Capper returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for the touchdown and Meadows’ kick pushed the lead to 33-20.

“Our kickoff return team has been getting close and we finally broke one,” Webb said.

The Vikings put the game away on a 14-yard run by Capper with 9:09 to play and it was 39-20.

Symmes Valley, 3-6 and 1-2 in the SOC, visits league-leading Portsmouth East Friday. The Tartans need a win over Symmes Valley in order to win the SOC outright.