A whole new ball game for young Viking squad

With a new coach, a new offense and a new stable of young players, Garfield/Palouse looks to repeat its strong finish in last years debut season as an 11-man team. The Vikings finished third in an SE race which included Asotin, DeSales power clubs.

The Vikes will travel to Springdale Friday for their opener.

The challenge to repeat will be tougher, as new coach Scott Thompson puts together a Viking youth movement. The Vikings lost five seniors from last year’s team that went 6-4 and advanced to the playoffs.

Seven freshmen have joined the club this year.

“It’s definitely going to be a learning curve for some of them,” said Thompson. “That’s a lot of time on the field for freshmen and sophomores. But it’ll make them better in the future.”

Thompson lost a big piece of veteran experience in the preseason when Senior Nick Cocking tore his ACL in a non-contact drill in the fifth practice of the year. The injury ended the season for Cocking, who starred at linebacker, offensive line and fullback last year.

“It really hurts to lose a kid like that,” said Thompson. “He really played his heart out, and we looked to use him as a key this year.”

Thompson takes over the helm of the Vikings from Mike Burt, who led the squad the past three years. Thompson brought with him a new offense that he expects will better suit his squad.

Gone is Burt’s free-wheeling A-11 offense. Thompson plans to use a control style designed to eat up the clock.

The A-11 featured players all over the field in random formations, often using two quarterbacks on the same play. Thompson said the offense was banned by high school football officials during the offseason.

Senior Gavin Burt, one of the quarterbacks used last year, returns to pilot the Viking attack this year.

“Gavin’s really looked good so far,” said Thompson.

Burt will also join Junior Ben Weagraff to lead the secondary on defense.

A solid linebacking corps, led by Seniors Ben Lynch and Taylor Christopher and Junior J.B. Lange, is expected to pick up a lot of tackles.

On offense, Thompson’s Vikes will look to control the game with a running back committee of Lange, Weagraff, Steven Griffin and Riley Hodges. Thompson said the platoon will keep fresh legs on the field and will keep the Vikes in games against bigger, deeper, more experienced competition.

“If we can run the ball, eat up the clock and keep the ball out of their hands, we should have a shot against anyone,” said Thompson.

The Vikings’ will be back in a SE 2B grid campaign which again will have DeSales and Asotin as strong contenders. The Panthers, who battled to the final minutes before bowing to Napavine in the state title round at Tacoma, graduated 12 seniors last year, but they are expected to reload.

“It’s one of those leagues where you’re always up against somebody that could play in the state championship,” Coach Thompson said. “I think it was Asotin last year, DeSales the year before that and Asotin the year before that.”

Thompson brings his own post-season record with him the Viking football program. For the past three years, he coached at Troy, where he posted a 26-7 record and advanced the Trojans to the 2007 Idaho championship game.