13 years ago
Is Vikings’ Ship Coming in or Setting Sail?

BY JEFF FALK

In September, everyone is a contender. That’s because if you’re not trying to win it, you probably shouldn’t be in it.

In Fredericksburg, the Northern Lebanon football team has a lot more going for it than unsubstantiated optimism. What the Vikings have got is a good core group returning, momentum from last season and the energy and wisdom of head coach Roy Wall.

Not only does Wall, Northern Lebanon’s second-year mentor, say all the right things at all the right times, he genuinely seems to know what he’s talking about.

“We have a series of goals,” said Wall. “We started very realistic and then when we accomplish that goal, we move on to the next. The first goal is to play 48 minutes of football. Another goal is not to turn the ball over much. To me, that’s the hidden stat. And another goal is to definitely give up one less score per game.

“I tell our guys, if you take care of the details, the big things will take care of themselves,” continued Wall. “Our goal each day is to get better. If we continue to improve, the wins will come.”

Predictably, Northern Lebanon got off to a slow start last season, Wall’s first one at the helm. Before he could take a breath, Northern Lebanon was 0-3. Eventually, the Vikings’ righted their ship and finished strong, going 4-3 over their last seven.

2010 saw the Vikings go 4-6 overall and finish 4-2 and second to Lancaster Catholic in Section Three of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

“I remember being 0-3, giving up 120 points and scoring 28,” said Wall, a former head coach at Millersburg. “Then it started to click. We were three points away from being 6-1 in our last seven games.

“All of our coaches were first year coaaches, not just first year in the program,” Wall added. “We’ve talked about how much further along we are than last year.”

Northern Lebanon’s roster is filled with seniors and returning staters, most notably the backfield of quarterback Tanner Dresch, B-back Colton Ryan and slotback Ryan Daub. But the true strength of the Vikings may be an offensive line that features Jordan Seltzer, Lucas Quanbeck, Ryan Kelliher, Andrew Emrich and Matt Hodges.

All that firepower spells run, run, run, which the Vikings will do 85 percent of the time. When they do throw, it’ll be to split ends Oscar Maysonet and Pat Stevens.

 “I think one of our strengths is that we have athletes,” said Wall. “When I left Millersburg, one of the reasons I came here is that I thought this program had the best potential to win. I like our sophomore class. And I don’t have three captains, I have ten captains. Overall, our speed on defense is pretty good.

 “We have to learn how to win,” Wall continued. “Before I came here they didn’t know how to win. When you get a team down you’ve got to do things that don’t allow them to come back. You’ve got to put them away. That’s a shift in attitude.”

 Defensively, the Vikings play a hybrid 3-3-stack – three down linemen, three linebackers and five men in the backfield. The key to its success is the play of two strong safeties – Daub and Corey Wall.

 Joining Daub and Wall in the backfield are Stevens, junior Tito Rivera and junior Ian Betts. Doing the dirty work in the Viking trenches will be Aaron Beard, Tyler Weaver and Tony Pesta, while they will be backed up by Marcus Disbrow, Tyler Sellers and Ryan.

“I think we’re going to be much more competitive early on,” said Wall, “and be competitive in the section. We finished last year on a high note, and we seemed to pick it up offensively. Everybody is much more familiar with the offense, the defense, everything.”

 Wall tabbed perennial power Lancaster Catholic as the clear-cut favorite in the section. But he conceded little to the Crusaders.

 “We go into every game thinking we can win,” said Wall. “We take it one week at a time. We try to give everybody our ‘A’ game.”

 The Vikings scrimmaged Upper Dauphin and North Schuylkill. They will open their regular season schedule on Friday, September 2nd at home with Pine Grove.

 “In our opening scrimmage, we saw some positive things defensively,” Wall reported. “Offensively, we moved the ball, but we had some turnovers and mistakes. We left 21 points on the field and you just can’t do that.”

 2011 Northern Lebanon Viking Schedule