Inglemoor gives Sno-Valley Vikings some book learnin’
Published 10:11 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
Football is a game full of lessons.
Inglemoor visited Howard Miller Field last Saturday evening and
gave a crash course to the Sno-Valley JV Vikings. However, while the
teachers left the field with a 19-0 victory, the students showed a lot of heart,
spirit and fortitude. Upcoming games will test whether the lessons were
absorbed by the young gridders.
Lesson number 1: Be prepared to play hard when the clock starts
ticking.
Sno-Valley received the ball to start the game. A miscue on the
first play resulted in a sack which doomed the drive and resulted in a punt.
The Viking defense did not appear to be ready to take the field at the
start of the game. A physical Inglemoor busted loose for a quick one play
TD run. After an offsides penalty stopped the next Viking drive, Inglemoor
took two plays to score again. A muffed kickoff return put the defense back
on the field again. The Viking defense recovered their composure and
forced Inglemoor to work hard for their last score.
Defensive gems by rover Cody Hudson, linebacker James
McKiernan and tackle Brandon Reaves were instrumental in slowing the
Inglemoor attack.
The Vikings offense got the ball with eight minutes to go in the
first half. A promising drive, highlighted by several punishing runs by
quarterback Chet Schroeter, drove the ball to the Inglemoor’s 23. The drive
stalled on a near-miss pass aimed at the end zone.
Lesson number 2: Hit harder than you are hit.
Inglemoor came ready to play a very physical game. Several
Vikings players noted after the game that when they started hitting back,
the Inglemoor players were not nearly as enthusiastic.
Physical play by tight end Mitchell Dietz, including a jarring solo
tackle on a punt return, sent several Inglemoor players muttering to
the sideline. The lesson here was hit them harder than they hit you.
Lesson number 3: Never give up!
This lesson was learned quickly by the young Vikings. The defense
battled hard in the second half, keeping the Inglemoor offense out of the end
zone. An acrobatic interception by safety Dusty Hensley killed one
Inglemoor drive and another was snuffed by a great stop by Hudson. Also worthy
of note is the 40 yard kickoff by Hensley that started the
second half.
A focused week of homework and practice should prepare the Vikings
for their next test against Mercer Island, Saturday afternoon at Island
Crest Park.
