Van Hoosen wraps up perfect season with a 28-6 win over Reuther!

There was a full moon out and it seemed to bring a bit of craziness and unpredictability to the only night-time contest for the Vikings this year; vs. their cross-town rivals, the Reuther Crusaders. The night got off to an unusual start as "Rochester's finest" gave the boys a police escort (lights flashing and all) across town. The traffic pulled aside and the red lights were ignored to make way for the defending league champs!

The Vikings tried to open the game with a bit of trickery, but it backfired as #12 for Reuther was the only Crusader who sniffed out the trick play. #12 would prove to be a formidable player all night, catching passes, running, and making many plays on defense. He, and the rest of the Crusaders definitely came to play on this night!

The Vikings got off to slow start, punting on their first two drives. Then on the third drive, Akemji Williams was able to juke a couple defenders and sprint about 30 yards to the end zone. The 2 point conversion was good on a Matt Sokol keeper around end, and the score was 8-0.

Spencer Ward kicked off and the Viking kickoff team did a great job preventing Reuther to run their "starburst" return. Reuther's quarterback attempted many passes, but put the ball on the ground and Matt Rogers recovered the fumble. A couple plays later, the Vikings caught the Reuther safety expecting a run and Matt Sokol threw a beautiful pass, behind some good protection from the line, to Williams. The Vikings were able to get down in the scoring zone one more time before the half, but stalled out at the 6 yard line. However, with the lead the Vikings a little breathing room, and they went into halftime up 14-0.

The third quarter opened with a stalled drive by the Vikings, but again Reuther turned the ball over. Van Hoosen was able to stop the Reuther offense time and time again. Great defensive efforts were turned in by Jack Addy, Andrew Lamkin, Rogers, and safeties Spencer Ward and Jordan Shive, who kept the receivers from Reuther in check all night.

The third quarter ended with a blocked punt by Justin Yoon (his third of the year), that set up a short field for the Vikings. Sokol was able to run a keeper in from 5 yards out and after a slant route completion to Shive for the 2-point conversion, Van Hoosen was comfortably ahead 22-0.  The Vikings were able to get a lot of the "White" and "silver" offense involved in the 4th quarter, and finally Justin Yoon was able to take a trap play the distance (with no flags!) and the White offense scored a touchdown. Nice blocking up front was put in by Michael Mazza, Nick Benavides, Nick Gierek, and Will Mullinex. Lamkin did a nice job orchestrating the offense as well.

After scoring, there was a bit of a bugaboo, as the opposing coaches had some complaints to the referees. Unfortunately, the game was called with 1 min, 20 sec. to go, but nothing could put a damper on the celebration that the Vikings enjoyed in the endzone! The team went undefeated and were crowned City and League Champs for the 2nd year in row! The Vikings ended the season outscoring their opponents 180-21.

 

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE COACHES, PARENTS, AND KIDS FOR A GREAT YEAR!

 

CHECK THE WEBSITE IN THE SPRING FOR UPDATES AND INFO ON NEXT SUMMER'S FOOTBALL CAMP. MORE THAN LIKELY IT WILL BE THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST ON THE ADAMS GAME FIELD. 

Van Hoosen 30- West 0

    The 3-1 West Warriors stormed into Highlander stadium with upset on their mind. For a while in the first half, there was some "tough sledding", but eventually the depth and talent of the Vikings were the difference and VH pulled away for a victory. 

    The game started with the Vikings a bit on their heals as the Warrior quarterback completed a nice pass on the very first play from scrimmage. It proved to be the longest play of the day for West. After settling in, the Vikings forced a punt.  Not much happened offensively for the first couple drives for VH. West was playing them tough, but a big momentum swing occurred when Justin Yoon came untouched and blocked a punt, giving the offense a short field to work with. A couple plays later, Matt Sokol was able to rumble in from 2 yards out. The 2-point conversion was good, and the Vikings were up 8-0.

    That score continued on into the second quarter of play. The defense really tightened up. Good play from Linebackers Sokol and Austin Rogers, as well as safety Jordan Shive, kept West from really mounting any threat. Again, Yoon crashed into the line and blocked his second punt of the day. A first down by penalty helped to keep a Viking drive alive and get Van Hoosen in scoring position. This time, Sokol kept the ball on a bootlet and was able to punch it in from about 6 yards out. Akemji Williams made a nice cut on a counter play, and the Vikings were in control at the half, 16-0. West then mounted somewhat of a counter-attack and had some momentum of their own building, but a huge TD play was called back due to a penalty. This seemed to take some of the wind out of the Warrior sails.

    West would not go away quietly.  Williams opened the third quarter with a nice kick return, but the game saw possessions and punts exchanged a couple times from both teams.  Parker Monohan had a solid punt return and got the Vikings to midfield, which seemed to swing field position in the Vikings favor. The Vikings started to mount a drive. There was some nice blocking up front from Ryan Bernier, and Nicoli Benavides, as the Vikings seemed to start figuring out what the Warriors were doing defensively.  A big play occurred as Jordan Shive took an end-around play for about 25 yards.  Sokol was able to punch it in for the touchdown, and the 2 point conversion was good, making the score, Van Hoosen 24, West 0, and the game firmly in hand.

    Strong efforts continued by Yoon, and Ben Iadorosa on defense, and Andrew Lamkin and Jack Addy making big blocks on offense.

    The fourth quarter rolled past quickly. Williams added a long 55 yard touchdown. Ben Foor was able to stop a West drive by intercepting a pass. Getting into the mix were Ryan Asif, with some fine defensive stops from his defensive end position, and Dan Gustafson saw some action in the secondary.  Cody Janes also stepped in nicely on offense at the tackle position, and Tyler Durand and Justin Johnson were getting scrappy on the defensive line.

This game could really be chalked up to fine special teams play from the Vikings, and a belief in their system and more importantly, in one another. 

Next up are the Reuther Crusaders at Rochester Stadium on Wednesday evening. (note the date change).

 

The end of season banquet and equipment turn in will commence either Thursday or Friday of next week...all gear should be WASHED! We hope all players and families can attend the banquet! Special thanks to Mr./Mrs. Shive and Mr. Sokol for helping with the game clock/announcing, and Mr. Moceri and Mr. Rogers for their work on the chain gang.

Van Hoosen Beats Hart 16-0
It was a battle of unbeatens...it was the Vikings first home game...it was our cross-town rival...in other words....BIG GAME! 

    The Hart Eagles and the Van Hoosen Vikings battled in a well-played, hard-hitting contest, with the Vikings coming out on top 16-0.  Both squads brought a well-balanced offense and disciplined defenses to the game. It was obvious that there was a respect between the two programs that was evident. This is surely building up to be a great cross-town rivalry for years to come, and this year's contest only fueled the rivalry.

     The defense definitly brought their "A" game and really held the Hart offense, which featured multiple formations and styles, in check for the entire game.  Excellent defensive efforts were put forth from Andrew Lamkin, from his defensive end position, Parker Monohan and Akemji Williams, from their cornerback position, nice noseguard play from Jack Addy and Nick Geirek, and solid secondary and linebacker play as well.

    The Eagles were forced to punt on their first possesion and the Vikings actually thought they had a safety, but an "interesting" rule interpretation, left the ball in the Vikings hands deep in Eagle territory. Although the Vikings couldn't quite punch it in, it seemed to dictate a tempo that the Vikings were here to play!

   After another short possession by Hart, Van Hoosen was able to muster a drive, that chewed up some clock and a lot of yards. A key third down coversion occurred by Matt Sokol, and a fine run by Spencer Ward, with good blocking up front by Ryan Bernier and Zach Adams, helped to get the Vikings in scoring position. The Vikings used a bit of a surprise as Sokol lined up at receiver and caught a nicely thrown ball by Ward...the coversion was good on a nice grab by Jordan Shive and the score stood at: Vikings 8, Hart 0 at the half.

    The second half opened with a drive by the Vikings that ended on downs, but again clock and yards were chewed up.  The Hart offense just couldn't get much going.  On one play that seemed to to look like a big opportunity, Justin Yoon was able to haul down a Hart running back for a moderate gain, and it seemed to breathe life into an already stout defense.  Eventually, the Vikings got the ball back. A key third down run by Williams and a nice TD run by Ward, 'sealed the deal' for the Vikings.  The two point conversion was good, as Sokol "checked down" to Williams on a pass play. The Eagles mounted one last surge to try and bring the game within a touchdown, but on a 4th down play, Lamkin knifed through the line to both force and recover a fumble.

   Once regulation ended, some more Vikings got in the act.  A 5th quarter ensued, and many Viking reserves got a chance to show their stuff. Ryan Asif made some fine plays, including two pass deflections, from his defensive end position, Michael Mazza recorded an interception, Nick Dessy had a couple of nice runs around the end, and there was some nice blocking up front from Will Sandefur and Josh Olejar. Also getting in the mix were Roman Ramsey, Jacob Winkelman, Will Mullinex, and Jimmy Newton on defense, to help keep the Eagles out of the endzone.

  It was a great win for the Vikings, and a huge step toward their quest to repeat as league champions. Next up is West middle school, next Thursday at Highlander Stadium.

Van Hoosen Vikings 22, Smith 0

It was a cold, windy, and drizzly fall afternoon....in other words...GREAT football weather! The Vikings faced an undefeated Troy Smith team for what was sure to be a dogfight. Smith came in a heavy running 'smash mouth' team, and Van Hoosen had been more of a 'finesse' team. Well, the Vikings proved they can play a physical style of football and excel as well, dismantling the Knights 28-0.

The tone of the game was really set from the first offensive drive by the Vikings. After only 3 plays of offense which included some nice gains on the keeper by Sokol, and dives by Austin Rogers, the Knights used a timeout to recollect themselves. It really didn't help a lot, and the Vikings punched it in soon after. The 2 point conversion was good for an 8-0 lead.

After that, the defense really took over the rest of the first half. Great defensive play by Ben Iadorosa, Spencer Ward, Akemji Williams, and Austin Rogers, as well as some big hits by Sokol and Andrew Lamkin, led to a whole lotta nothin from the Knight offense. The Knights only managed 1 first down in the first half, and that was by penalty. Before the 1st half ended, the Vikings were able to convert on a long pass from Sokol for Jordan Shive, who made a great catch and put the vistors up 14-0.

The third quarter saw a good opening defensive stand by the D, with nice play from Nick Gierek, and a big hit by Ward. The Viking offense struck quickly, and was able to march down the field with the help of two long pass receptions from Williams and Ward.  Halfway through the 3rd quarter, it was Vikings 22, Smith 0.

The White offense and defense got in the mix as the game progressed. Nick Dessy made a fine tackle from his cornerback position, there was a nice run on trap play from Justin Yoon, and some good linebacker play from Paul Moceri. The White D was able to preserve the shutout with a nice stand inside their own 10 yard line.  Overall a great team effort.

The Vikings traveled to Larson middle school for their 2nd contest of the year. A nice crowd was at hand to watch the Vikings do battle with the Troy Athens-bound squad.  Things got off to a good start as the Vikings drove down the field and chewed up some clock, with some nice runs by Matt Sokol and Austin Rogers, as well as fine blocking up front by Ben Iadorosa, Jack Addy, and Zack Adams...the drive ended in a quarterback sneak for a TD and a nice bootleg 2 point conversion.

The Vikings suprised Larson with an onside kick and were back in business, moving the ball quickly down the field, particularly on a nice run-after-catch by Akemji Williams, who left many defenders in his wake.  The drive was capped off nicely by a Sokol TD and a 2 point reception by Parker Monahan.

The defense looked good all afternoon.  Andrew Lamkin played a dominant defensive end with 2 sacks and a fumble recovery on the day. Others getting in on the action defensively were Will Tang, who earned a start at linebacker, and Nicoli Benavides from his Defensive Tackle position. Larson had trouble moving the ball all day.

On a late 2nd quarter long pass play, with fine pass blocking by Ryan Bernier and Adams, Sokol was able to hook up with Monahan and the route was on.

The 2nd half featured a lot of playing time for the reserves. The offense moved the ball well, with fine blocking up front by Tyler Durand, and Will Sandefur, as well as some outstanding option running by the quarterback, Lamkin, who punched it in two more times.

Ben Foor was all over the field on defense and special teams, making one big hit after another. And it should be noted that Spencer Ward's kickoffs and the rest of the kickoff team, especially Tang, and reserve Hutto, kept the Larson offense in trouble all afternoon, causing them to have to go 80+ yards almost every drive. Also playing well were Ryan Werner and Jimmy Newton, who both wreaked havoc on the Larson quarterback for most of the 2nd half.  The Vikings played hard all the way to the final whistle, as shown by a fine open-field tackle to end the game by Roman Ramsey.

Final score: Van Hoosen 44, Larson 8

Van Hoosen beats Boulan 40 - 7

It was a picture perfect day as the Vikings traveled to Boulan Park Middle School on the south side of Troy for their opening game. The Vikings got off to a quick start forcing a 3 and out from the Broncos and then striking quickly on offense with a drive that ended in a Quarterback sneak for a TD by Captain Matt Sokol.  After Spencer Ward boomed one of his many kickoffs, the Viking defense was at it again with fine defensive stops by Co-Captains Andrew Lamkin and Austin Rogers. Another Bronco punt gave the Vikings good field position, and after a few tough running plays, and a key 3rd down conversion run by Ward,  Akemji Williams was able to outrun the Bronco defense to the endzone for a score.  The defense again rose to the occasion, with an outstanding "PICK- 6" by safety and co-captain Jordan Shive.  Jordan weaved his way through the Broncos on his way to the first defensive score of the year.  After a fumble return for a TD by the Broncos, the Vikings were able to put together a nice drive in response to what seemed a slight momentom swing for Boulan. The drive was capped with a pitch and catch TD from Sokol to Ward for about 30 yards. A final Bronco drive was stalled, as Parker Monohan intercepted a pass deep in Viking territory to preserve the halftime lead. The halftime score was Vikings 28, Boulan 7.

The Vikings wasted no time in the second half as they opened with a nice opening sequence that saw good blocking up front from the offensive line, especially from Zach Adams, Lamkin, and Ben Iadorosa. It appeared that the boys had made a few halftime adjustments in the pass protection scheme. The passing game got clicking and on a 1st down play, Sokol bought some time in the pocket and found Monohan, who had escaped behind the Bronco secondary and was off to the races for a 57 yard touchdown. The defense was not done yet and some fine defensive plays were made by Will Tang, Iadorosa, Micheal Mazza, and Jack Addy, to keep the Boulon squad in check.

The 'White Offense' got in on the action, and Lamkin orchestrated some nice drives and with good blocking up front from Tyler Durand and Gannon Hutto, the running of the option attack seemed to not skip a beat.  There was also some notable inside running shown by Justin Yoon. Lamkin was able to punch it in from about 25 yards out for the final Viking score. Everyone got in the game and there were some nice defensive efforts from the reserves to secure the win, especially Nick Gierek and Maruice McClain. Final score was Van Hoosen 40, Boulan 7.

Announcements from the Coaches:

Sept 8th will be our first practice...PLAYERS HAVE TO HAVE THEIR PHYSICALS DONE BEFORE THEY CAN PRACTICE!!! Now is a good time to get your physical!

There will also be a scrimmage on Sept. 16th against Brandon and Oxford Middle Schools @ Brandon M. S.
Information to follow; a bus will be provided.

Over 50 campers and were really able to get through a lot of fundamentals, and the "basics" of our football program, our plays and formations, and our approach to this upcoming season. The boys worked hard and got a lot out of it.  We plan to have the camp the first week in August every year from now on.

Special Recognition to the "Black" and "White" teams for making the finals of the 7 on 7 tournament, with the Black winning 36-33.

Also, special acknowledgment of Akemji Williams for winning the obstacle course, and for Spencer Ward winning the Punt, Pass, Kick, and Snap contest.