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On October 6, the Vikings faced Bishop Watterson away in a non-conference matchup. From the first whistle, the game proved difficult for the Vikes as the Eagles dominated the field. Despite the Vikings efforts, their defense was overwhelmed, and the offense couldn’t gain control, falling 5-0.
On October 8, the Vikings played Whitehall at home in their final CBL of the year. Looking for its last boost in the conference’s ranks, the Vikes came out energized but even with a strong showing of defense, they could not finish the job on offense, falling again this time, 2-1.
As the season winds down and playoffs approach, this is one of the last times to reflect back and make changes.
Moving forward into the tournament, senior captain Brain A. says, “Even though these past two games did not go our way, we truly have grown as a team. Following a tough loss at Watterson, the team showed grit and resilience in a match that demonstrated heart and growth in preparation for post-season play. I think that next week will prepare us tremendously for our first tournament game against Johnstown”. This sort of leadership from a senior is key for a young team like ours. We hope Brian’s continuous growth mindset can fall down to the other players, so we can make this postseason memorable.
Fellow player, Alex W. also commented on such an uncharacteristic season, saying, “Overall. This whole season has been rough for us, but I think it is because our team is so young. As we get more experience, we will play better. This upcoming summer and into next season, we plan to train much harder than this season and come into our games with a different mindset and level of preparation. Also, even though it’s been rough, I’m still proud of every one of our guys for showing up and giving 100%, even on days when the odds were stacked against us. I think the true talent of this team hasn’t been revealed yet, and I hope we can come together and have an amazing tournament run, next season, and overall become a more electric, positive, and cohesive team.”
It is clear that many of the juniors want to make a change for next season and are hopeful they can turn this program around.
The Vikings first playoff game is on October 18, as they to Johnstown to take on the Johnnies.
