Sports

Viking football begins season

Ben Mack

Viking News Service

The Vikings are ready to get down to business but first they needed to get past the Marquette soap scrimmage without losing anyone else to injuries.

Losing tailback/linebacker Braden Krinhop in practice with a partial MCL tear didn't help, and then three others are day-to-day with injuries is not going help Head Coach Gary Sandbo sleep any better.

Smoky Valley is returning 21 lettermen, which includes four offensive starters and five defensive. The Vikes seems to be ready for their first game this Friday against Haven - a team they slaughtered 42-6 last year.

“We have very good senior leadership on our squad and they have worked and prepared with high individual and team expectations,” Coach Sandbo said.

This Viking team has some questions to answer with this first game after losing such a talented senior class. Their off-season regimen seemed to improve many of their weaknesses though.

“We lose a lot and everybody knows it. I think we will exceed expectations and surprise a lot of people,” Eric Hawk, senior, said. “I expect us to be very disciplined. I think that we are extremely hard workers and that will lead us to a successful season.”

Discipline is what this team needs after falling 14-13 in the state playoffs last year to Nickerson, after embarrassing the Panthers 45-0 five weeks prior.

“That loss just motivated a lot of us all summer to work hard,” Curtis Myers, senior, said. “I don't want to let that happen again.”