PARKERSBURG — Versatile Nick Yoho ran for three touchdowns, two coming on long dashes to paydirt Friday night to pace Parkersburg South to a 27-7 win over visiting Ripley as the Partiots posted a season-opening triumph over the Vikings for the first time in three years. In all, South piled up 291 yards on the ground, 227 of the stripes on 19 carries belonged to Yoho as the senior running back broke loose for a first-quarter 83-yard TD gallop after the Patriot defense halted a Ripley scoring threat. The Vikes’ Cyrus Casto had recovered a South fumble on the opening kickoff at the Patriot 46. Ripley banged away on the ground to the South 10 until the Patriots pushed the Vikings back on three straight plays before an incomplete pass in the end zone at 5:06 of the first quarter. Two plays later, Yoho got outside and then wriggled free and raced into clear space past the 40 and darted home with the ball for a 7-0 leaed at the 4:20 mark. Then in the second period, Yoho was back to punt, but kept the ball and ran for a first down and South went on to score on a 37-yard field goal by Ben Haught at 8:27 for a 10-0 advantage. Still in the second stanza, linebacker John Kinnaird intercepted for South at the Ripley 43 and ran it back 12 yards at 3:22 to set up another Patriot score. After quaterback Brayden Mooney scrambled 13 yards and Devin Gaines went for seven more, Yoho burst three yards up the middle and into the end zone at 2:57 for a TD and a 17-0 lead at halftime. Ripley, though, tallied a touchdown in the third quarter to finally get on the board as from the Patriots 26, quarterback Justin Wheeler aired out a 26-yard scoring strike to Evan King to narrow the gap to 17-7 at 4:49. However, a lengthy South drive covering 75 yards ended in the fourth quarter with 7:48 to play as Haught booted another three-point kick from 21 yards out to make the score 20-7. South staved off a potential Ripley score with just 6:11 left, halting the Vikings’ penetration at the Patriot 15. And Yoho again got loose and raced 39 yards for his third TD of the night at 1:26 to wrap up the victory. Next up for South is at home again next Friday at 7 p.m. at Erickson All-Sports Facility versus University.