Aug. 24, 2012 — There will be no Saturday affair this week Viking fans.
The 2012 high school football season is underway and the Rowan County Vikings are once again hitting the road, this time headed to Somerset for a battle with one of 5A’s strongest programs, Pulaski County.
Saturday’s loss to Montgomery was a tough one for the boys in green, but what happened Saturday night must be ejected from recent memory for another formidable opponent awaits.
Let’s take a look at this week’s challenge, the Pulaski County Maroons.
Picked by the Lexington Herald Leader as on of the top teams to compete for a 5A State Championship, the Maroons are team with speed and lots of it.
Pulaski County has yet to play a regular season game, as its buy week came in the opening week of the season.
As far as weapons, a dangerous one in particular is in the form of Ryan Goins, who tallie 1,273 yards last season, including 12 touchdowns, while the Maroons were in unfamiliar territory with a 3-8 season.
So that brings us to what it will take for the Vikings to come out of the Ray Correll Bowl with a victory tonight, and it can be summarized in one word…defense.
We will have to see a strong performance from Rowan County’s defensive front, in addition to aggressive play at the linebacker positions.
The defensive backs may find themselves collapsing to help with the running game, but must also remember to contain any attempts to break the big one on the outside.
Last Saturday, Rowan’s defense had moments of strong play, but tonight there can be no defensive breakdowns, or Goins will certainly have no trouble getting into the end zone.
Another important factor will be to keep the game low scoring. With an offense that is still evolving, the Vikings must keep Pulaski County’s point total low in order to give itself a chance at victory.
The final key to success for the boys in green comes in the form of senior fullback Keontae Moore. After a solid performance last week with 83 rushing yards and two touchdowns, Moore’s involvement in the offense could become vital to Rowan’s fortune this coming Friday.
For a complete wrap up of how the Vikings fared in Somerset, be sure to pick up next Tuesday’s edition of the Morehead News.
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.
