From Coach Poynter:
On a very windy day the Vikings returned to LD Bell HS to compete in their final State Qualifying Tournament of the season. Even though we qualified several weeks ago, we still enter subsequent SQT's and use them as "high speed practices" to stay sharp for the state tournament 6/28-29. We are very fortunate to have First Rate, Inc. as our long-time primary sponsor and this allows us to enter multiple tournaments without too big of financial impact on our players and their families.
The Vikings finished the regular season 15-2, including winning the last 10 games played in a row. The two losses early in the season were by a combined 3 points and prior to our having some of our starters available from the track team. So by any measure it has been a successful regular season.
Although we won all 3 games Saturday, I think the players would tell you we did not play (or coach) to our capability. This team has a lot of talent and can win most of the games it plays at local tournaments. The challenge we face going forward is to play at the peak of our ability every time we step on the field. At the State Championship, every team has been "vetted" and qualified by beating other good teams. At our best we are capable of competing with anyone in the State. So the challenge to the players and the coaches is to practice the next two weeks at our peak performance level so that becomes our routine. As I tell the kids, it is all about us now; how we practice and play between now and the end of the month will define just how good we can be!
Last Saturday we gave the kids their uniforms to keep as acknowledgement of their hard work. We will practice Tuesday this week (6:30-8:30 pm at Cravens). Please note we will NOT be using the north parking lot any longer this month as it is being used for construction staging. We will park and enter Cravens from the baseball end (south). On Wednesday, my wife Peggy and I will host the players and coaches at our home for burgers/swim from 6-8pm a tradition before the state tournament we started many years ago! Peggy has let me spend from early March to early July the last 18 years coaching the Vikes. It does limit other things we can do together during this time period and she is so supportive as she knows how much I love the players and the game!
We will know by this Sunday evening who we will play against on 6/28 in Pool Play. At that time I will post that and various other items such as our team travel itinerary and a site map for the fields at Veteran's Park in College Station. We will have two very important practices that week on Monday and Tuesday evening before we leave Thursday for State. GO VIKES! VFND.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Saturday, June 8, 2019
VIKINGS SWEEP 3RD POOL IN A ROW
The Viking varsity 7 on 7 team traveled to Justin Northwest HS Friday and went 3-0 in pool play for the 3rd consecutive week. Keep in mind the other teams in each of these pools are trying to qualify for state so they are focused. Since we have already qualified we use the remaining tournaments as "high speed practices". Like any sports team the kids tire of playing intra squad games and they really look forward to playing other schools, with refs in a competitive environment. Because of our sponsorship from First Rate, Inc. we are able to pay the $300.00 entry fee to up to six tournaments per year prior to State. This gives the Vikes as much or more tournament experience than any other team in the area. That extra work and competitiveness helps us get ready for the high level of competition we face in every game at the state tournament.
For the 2nd week in a row our "D" turned in a great performance. We shut out two teams in the first half of the 3 games we played. 7 on 7 is designed to score; the rules favor the offense. So to pitch 4 shutout halves in the last two tournaments... We also had 5 interceptions in 3 games which is ball hawking! Our offense is really spreading the ball around. Some years we might have 1-2 "go to" receivers. But this group with Jack at QB, has 5 "go to" receivers on the field at a time! That really stresses any defense we go up against. We played well on offense but we can definitely be more consistent and we will get there!
Perhaps the hardest part of my job each year is reducing the squad down to the final 20 players that will compete for us at the state tournament. This year we have 23-24 players that could make most teams final 20. So telling 3-4 kids they are not going after putting in the work is really hard. All I can tell them is that 7 on 7 is not real football and that this in no way reflects on their ability in REAL FOOTBALL. All of these are great kids; which I think reflects on you as parents and Coach DeLay and his staff since they have them most of the year.
This week we will practice twice then travel to LD Bell for our last tournament before State.
VFND
Coach Poynter
For the 2nd week in a row our "D" turned in a great performance. We shut out two teams in the first half of the 3 games we played. 7 on 7 is designed to score; the rules favor the offense. So to pitch 4 shutout halves in the last two tournaments... We also had 5 interceptions in 3 games which is ball hawking! Our offense is really spreading the ball around. Some years we might have 1-2 "go to" receivers. But this group with Jack at QB, has 5 "go to" receivers on the field at a time! That really stresses any defense we go up against. We played well on offense but we can definitely be more consistent and we will get there!
Perhaps the hardest part of my job each year is reducing the squad down to the final 20 players that will compete for us at the state tournament. This year we have 23-24 players that could make most teams final 20. So telling 3-4 kids they are not going after putting in the work is really hard. All I can tell them is that 7 on 7 is not real football and that this in no way reflects on their ability in REAL FOOTBALL. All of these are great kids; which I think reflects on you as parents and Coach DeLay and his staff since they have them most of the year.
This week we will practice twice then travel to LD Bell for our last tournament before State.
VFND
Coach Poynter
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