Vikings Poised to Bring Back 2007 Glory

It’s been said that high school sports success and championships run in cycles. Coach Scott Reed and his Vikings squad hope that is true as they gear up for the 2011 football season.

After a couple of seasons of “almost” and “could have, should have” the Vikings are hoping that all of the off-season workouts and time in the film and weight room will pay off as the Pioneer Athletic Conference season gets under way.

In 2007, was not on anybody’s preseason radar. Yet the Vikings emerged from out of nowhere to claim the PAC-10 championship for just the second time in school history. The scenario that led to that glory is eerily similar to the upcoming season.

The 2007 team was led by a quintet of players in Mike Boyd (WR/DE), whose younger brother Ryan will be an integral part of this season’s success or failure; Derek Jones (RB); Matt Catagnus (WR); Dave Echille (OL/DL); and record-setting quarterback Zach Zuilli, who will be leading the Raiders on the field at Shippensburg this season.

The blueprint for success was put in place then, and with a cast of players with similar abilities and mental composition as that championship-winning team, this year’s group of 22 seniors should prove to a formidable foe for any PAC-10 hopeful contender.

After years of watching Pottstgrove’s Terrell Chestnut torch PAC-10 defenses, Coach Reed has implemented a similar scheme for sophomore Raashan Stewart, who will be assuming the signal calling duties for Perk Valley.

Seniors Ryan D’Ambrosio (QB/LB), Ezra Lanco (TE/LB), Donte Golson-Goodman (WR/DB) and Ryan Boyd (WR/DB) are a quartet of players whose talent and work ethic could lead them to dominate PAC-10 "Player of the Week" honors all season long.

Offensively, fellow seniors Mike Lentz (RB/DB), Steve Giampa (FB/LB), Jason Ugwu and center Sean Leary should give the Vikings the ability to convert the big play, something missing in last year’s sub .500 season.

Lacking from the Vikings offensive repertoire since Matt Kline’s exploits from two years ago has been to ability to stretch the field.

As the 2011 campaign gets into full swing, Stewart’s arm strength and the speed and catching ability of Boyd, Chris Hall and Jack O’Brien, along with D’Ambrosio and Giampa out of the backfield, should help the Vikings improve on their “plays over 20 yards” stat chart.

Upper Perkiomen, Pope John Paul II, Phoenixville, Methacton and a Pottstown squad, which has some real team speed in the backfield, have all improved, and the teams will prove to be more of a test to Perk Valley when taking to the turf of Jack Keenan Stadium.

Perk Valley scrimmaged Saturday with state playoff contender Daniel Boone, and even though the Vikings dropped the full contact practice 14-0, Reed was impressed with the effort and hustle that was demonstrated on the field. The mantra of this year's training camp has been, “We run everywhere on a football field.”

As the season opener approaches against Lansdale Catholic, which ironically was the only PAC-10 team to defeat that 2007 Vikings championship team, all of the signs are there, and Perkiomen Valley is again “flying under the radar.”

This year, the Perkiomen Valley Football Association has plans in the works to honor the ’07 team with a banquet; it would only be fitting that the Vikings make some noise in the PAC-10 title hunt this season.

2011 Varsity football schedule

 8/26     Exeter (AAAA)                       7:00

9/02      Lansdale Catholic (AA)    7:00

9/09     @ Souderton (AAAA)            7:00

9/16     @ Owen J. Roberts (AAAA)            7:00

9/23    Pottstown (AAA)                    7:00

9/30    Boyertown (AAAA)               7:00

10/06   @ Phoenixville (AAA) 7:00

10/14   Pope John Paul (AAA) 7:00

10/21   @ Upper Perkiomen (AAA) 7:00

10/28   Pottsgrove (AAA)                   7:00

11/04   @ Spring Ford (AAAA)            7:00

11/10    Methacton (AAAA)                 7:00