In its season opener, last Friday, August 24th, the Viking football team fell to Maysville, 19-22, at the Panthers’ stadium.

Coach Jim Collis, who has been with the Academy program since 1993, comments on moving forward from the defeat: “Even though we lost on Friday, the players gave great effort, and I expect the same the rest of the season. We have a lot of inexperienced players, so we will continue to coach fundamentals and work to get better every practice and every game.”

Despite its small numbers and tough start to the season, the team is full of senior and junior leadership as well as much rapport from within. With Jared Harris’13, Hart Wise’13, Jacob Hill’13, and Charlie Watters’14 as captains, the Academy football squad hopes to bounce back and to face opponent, Bishop Hartley, this Friday, August 31st at Marsh Field.

The Hawks, currently ranked sixth in the state, will be a difficult rival, as they crushed Amanda Clearcreek 42-0 last Friday. Yet with spirit and student support, Academy stands a chance.

Collis notes, “I like the chemistry on this team. I wish that we had more players so that many of the people who play both offense and defense could get a much needed rest. Hopefully we can get better week in and week out.”

Written by Margaret Sutton’14