Our Village Vikings Football team earned an important 34-22 road win on Friday Night, at St. Joseph Catholic. The Vikings were in control throughout the game, but could not pull away from the Eagles. Junior Max P came up big in the final quarter, recording an interception, as well as forcing an Eagles fumble. Senior running back, Khalil M, was dominant. He carried the ball 28 times, for 220 yards, and 4 TDs. The Vikings offense had their best game of 2016, as Kaelin R also passed for 154 yards, including a long touchdown pass to Jeremy S. Below are some highlights from Friday Night’s win.

http://www.hudl.com/v/hTK1A

The Vikings are in action on Saturday, September 17th, at 6:00PM at Houston Christian High School. Come support your Village Viking football team!

The Village School is excited to have its first 6th/7th grade combined football team. Coaches Collin Wolfe and Doug Brotherton are looking forward to coaching this group of young men, many of whom are playing football for the first time. The Vikings return starters Chris C., Evan W., Kemdi E, and Simon V, who will all contribute on both sides of the ball this season. The team open its season on August 29th against Presbyterian and they have a full schedule of games that include contests against St. Francis, Lutheran South, and River Oaks Baptist. Come out and support these young men this season! Go Vikings!

On Thursday, August 25th, the Varsity Football team had our season opener at HBU Stadium against Legacy Prep. After experiencing a slight delay due to lightning in the area, the game was officially underway at 5:00PM. The Vikings won the coin toss and chose to receive. The first half saw little ball movement from either team. Both teams tried to establish their run games early and often, but it was the defensive side of the ball that made plays and big tackles. The Vikings defense was highlighted by the twin linebackers, Jeremy and Jon S. The twins showed great range from sideline to sideline, pursuing the ball and making tackles for losses. The Legacy passing attack was non existent. Max P was on an island all night against their physical 6’3" wide receiver. Max stuck with him stride for stride, had multiple pass breakups, and the physical Wide Receiver did not record a single catch.

The second half was more of the same. The defenses were digging in and winning the battle up front. It was a battle of field position, which is a battle the Vikings lost in the first half. After recording a few first downs, the field position swung in the Vikings favor, and RB, Khalil M, broke off a 31 yard run. The score remained tied entering the 4th after the drive stalled. The first score of the game came at the 7:00 mark in the 4th when Legacy Prep got their ground game going. The 2 point conversion failed, but the Vikings now trailed, 6-0. The Vikings were forced to punt on their next possession, but the defense stepped up, forcing a 3 and out from Legacy. With under 3 minutes remaining in the game, the Vikings went hurry up offense, and had a few quick hitters that Robinson connected on to Viking wide receivers. After 2 connections, the Vikings called another pass play, but this time, Max P got behind the defense. Robinson let it fly and connected with Palmer on a 70 yard score! The Vikings tied it up 6-6 with a big PAT coming. Kicker, Owen M, stepped up and split the uprights giving the Vikings the lead, 7-6, with 2:45 to play in the game. It was now Legacy ball at the 25 after a touchback kickoff. Legacy then ran an out-route, but sophomore cornerback, Cade B, jumped the route and took it to the house for a pick 6! The PAT was no good, but the Vikings now had a 13-6 lead. The very next possession, history repeated itself. Legacy ran an out-route to the short side of the field and Cade B read it perfectly. He jumped the pass and returned it for another Viking touchdown! The Vikings now led 19-6!

After 3.5 quarters of scoreless action, both teams combined for 25 points in the final 7 minutes of the game. All of the Vikings 19 game points were scored in the final 2 minutes and 45 seconds of the game. More than anything else, this game showed the resiliency and consistent effort from our young Viking team. It showed that lightning can strike at any point, and to keep playing until the final whistle. The team will enjoy their win and return to practice on Monday to prepare for next Friday’s visiting opponent and sister school, Windermere Prep, from Florida. Kick off for that game is at 7:00PM on Friday, September 2nd at HBU Stadium.

Kevon Bagot is entering his second year as Head Coach. When asked about the philosophy of his program, he responded by saying, “To inspire, lift, and change the face of Village Athletics. Increase athletic participation, build men of character, get every player feeling important and unified in purpose. Encourage open and honest communication between staff and players, as well as focus on solutions rather than problems.” As you can see, the values of this program extend well beyond the football field. Football is the tool that is used to teach our young players values such as honesty, determination, loyalty, and excellence. Excellence is a word that is commonly used in Coach KB’s program. Coach KB defines EXCELLENCE is a variety of ways:

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way
Excellence allows the ordinary person to reach extraordinary results
Excellence is striving to reach your full potential
Excellence is striving for success
Excellence is the habit of being the best you can be

When Coach KB was asked about his goals for the season, he said, “To commit to core values, build a brand, win 8 games, make the TAPPS Independent State Playoff, and make sure everyone understands their role in building success.” With outstanding leadership from his captains, Patrick S, Keagan T, Max P, and Jon S, the team will certainly stay focused and have excellent players to model a high level of focus and consistency that produces high results.

Coach KB was excited about this year’s team. They have been working hard the entire off-season and pre-season.. “Despite the weather, we are still able to accomplish a lot. Our focus has been on leadership the first two weeks, making sure student-athletes feel the importance of not only the coaches, but the captains as well.”

“It’s a great time to be a Village Viking! So far the football program is on the right path. I am truly comfortable with where the program is in relationship to the start of last season. Our first scrimmage, although pointed out a few flaws, showed how far we’ve come. We have added a new look this year with uniforms and players, the student-athletes will have something to fight for with newly set TAPPS Independent Playoffs. I am looking forward to the season, it is my hope to build camaraderie around the team and teach the kids my philosophy on leadership. We have a big task at hand and a few obstacles in our way however we are prepared and understand the quality of hard work. "

The Village Vikings start their season on Thursday, August 25th, at HBU Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:30PM. Come support your Varsity football team and GO VIKINGS!