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Vikes open up season at NAU
Football action returns to Williams Friday

Viking football players practice often at Williams High School, including Labor Day Weekend. They play Friday at home against Mogollon, beginning at 7 p.m.

Viking football players practice often at Williams High School, including Labor Day Weekend. They play Friday at home against Mogollon, beginning at 7 p.m.

The Vikes opened their football season at the NAU Skydome when they took on the scrappy Valley Lutheran team Aug. 25.

The Vikings had a lead at the half with a score of Williams 25, Valley Lutheran 16, though it wasn't enough to keep Valley Lutheran from getting ahead by the end of the game, however. Valley Lutheran won the NAU match-up with a final score of Williams 25, Valley Lutheran 29.

"Offensively we struggled throughout the entire game," said Vikings Head Coach Phillip Echeverria. "We didn't move the ball. I think we had two total first downs. We had 65 yards total offense that first game against Valley Lutheran and made a few mistakes that cost us. The kids played hard and we had a lot of good plays."

Enzo Clapper performed admirably for the Vikings in the Aug. 25 game, with an interception/return for a touchdown during the Valley Lutheran game. Adam Valdez was also credited with an interception/return to the one yard line. On the defensive side, Echeverria credited Alex Ruiz for his part in the game against Valley Lutheran. Ruiz is a middle line-backer for the Vikes.

"He does an outstanding job there for us," Echeverria said. "Defensively we were sound. They kept us in the football game. They set up our first three touchdowns. We were looking for big things there. Special teams played real well. Adam Valdez had a 79, 80 yard kick-off return for a touchdown. That was our first score of the game. We opened up down 16-0 and then he returned that next kick-off for a touchdown. On the other side, though, they put together a couple drives in the fourth quarter that scored two touchdowns to take the lead and win the football game."

The Vikes went on to play Orme Sept. 1 in conference action. Echeverria said it has been kind of tough on the Vikes to enter into the conference after only one regular game. The Vikings missed their season scrimmage game against San Pasquel in August. Despite this shortcoming the Vikes played a strong first half against Orme. Williams held a half-time lead of 23-12.

"We kicked off first and picked up a fumble they had and took it down and scored right away offensively. Defensively we were pretty sound pretty much that entire first half. They set up their first score on a fake punt that we didn't catch. The kid was standing over on the sidelines. Nobody saw him standing over there and they threw it down to him, kind of a trick play type of deal. That's one thing I can say is it seems, in the 1A, it's more trick plays that you see that, maybe, we're not quite prepared for. As we open up the third week here, I think we're a little more prepared for any trick things that come up."

Despite a strong attempt by the Vikings team, the game ended with a loss for Williams. Final score for the day was Williams 31, Orme 34.

"We came out and put a pretty good drive together and had, I think, three penalties on our opening drive where we were down at the one and dropped us all the way back," Echeverria said. "We turned it over on downs on about the 15-yard line. That kind of was the turning point of the football game. They put a drive together and scored late in the third quarter. In the fourth it was kind of back and forth. We had a grunt punt that put down on their four-yard line and the first play they ran something up the middle and no one was there and he went eight or nine yards for a touchdown. The big plays hurt us. We ended up getting the football back and put a drive together and we scored."

Echeverria said the coming games will depend on a number of factors, including learning the ins and outs of the 1A teams. In the past the Vikes have faced off against 2A teams. Their next game is scheduled at home against Mogollon beginning at 7 p.m.

"That's not a must win, but it's a win that we need to get under our belts. They'll be the same type of football team as Valley Lutheran and Orme. They'll be tough, just the same as we are. It's going to come down to who wants it a little more and who makes the fewest mistakes. We turned the ball over, I believe, five times against Orme. Turnovers really hurt us against Orim and it also hurt us against Valley Lutheran. We turned it over, I think, twice against them. Turnovers have hurt us (and) penalties have hurt us. We need to clean that part of the football game up."


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