Page 57 - Flathead Beacon // 8.24.16

SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW
YOUNG VIKINGS READY TO KEEP PROUD TRADITION ALIVE
AFTER GRADUATING SEVERAL TALENTED SENIORS, BIGFORK IS LOOKING FOR NEW PLAYERS TO STEP UP
T he Bigfork Vikings may be young on paper, but on the eld this team is skilled
beyond its years.
Fourteen seniors gradu-
ated from last year’s Western B champi- onship team, including quarterback Jon Landon and receiver/cornerback Adam Jordt.
Head coach Todd Emslie is excited to see another crew of Vikings emerge as the torchbearers of a proud program that has won seven district titles in a row and become a perennial playo contender.
Bigfork kicks o the season on the road in Troy on Aug. 26.
“Obviously we lost a lot of seniors but there’s a lot of kids working to ll those starting roles,” Emslie said. “We had a lot of younger kids that played last year, too.”
Emslie’s son, Augie, will take over the starting role at quarterback after serving as JV starter a year ago and as the backup to Landon.
“He’s got some big shoes to ll. He knows. But he’s been around it his whole life,” Ems- lie said of his son. “There’s a lot of great tal- ent around him.”
Most notably, Bigfork will lean on senior running back Matthew Farrier, who tallied 1,550 yards and 13 touchdowns last year to lead the Vikes.
A season ago, Bigfork went 6-4 over- all and edged out the Western 7B champi- onship from Thompson Falls. The Vikes eked out a 37-36 victory over Roundup in the opening round of the playo s before falling to Missoula Loyola, 26-16. Farrier
had 198 yards rushing on 18 carries and 86 yards receiving on ve catches in the Loyolagame.
Eureka looks to be a force in the Western 7B mix, as well as Thompson Falls. Kody Ho man, a former standout football player at Troy and University of Montana-West- ern, is taking over as head coach of the Tro- jans, who went 2-6 overall a year ago.
Loyola looks like the preseason favorite in Class B. The Rams advanced to the semi- nal round of the state playo s a year ago before losing 21-14 to Huntley Project.
Emslie said the rst week of practice has been about reminding the young players to focus on every small detail, which will lead to big results. He is con dent that this latest team will answer the call.
“We got a really good group out this fall,” Emslie said of the 45 players out for foot- ball. “We just need to play within ourselves and try and play mistake-free football.” ■
Matthew Farrier sti -arms Malta’s Quintan Boos. BEACON FILE PHOTO
2016 SCHEDULE
BIGFORK
VIKINGS
AUG. 26 SEPT. 2 SEPT. 9 SEPT. 16 SEPT. 23 SEPT. 30 OCT. 7 OCT. 14
@TROY
RONAN
CONRAD
@ST. IGNATIUS THOMPSON FALLS MALTA
LIBBY
@LINCOLN COUNTY
7 P.M. 7 P.M. 7 P.M. 7 P.M. 7 P.M.* 7 P.M. 7 P.M. 7 P.M.
*HOMECOMING
“OBVIOUSLY WE LOST A LOT OF SENIORS BUT THERE’S A LOT OF KIDS WORKING TO FILL THOSE STARTING ROLES. WE HAD A LOT OF YOUNGER KIDS THAT PLAYED LAST YEAR, TOO.”
- TODD EMSLIE, VIKINGS HEAD COACH
HEAD COACH
Todd Emslie (8th season, 55-17)
2015 SEASON
6-4 overall (Western 7B champs, lost to Missoula Loyola 26-16 in second round of the Class B playo s)
RETURNING STANDOUTS
Matthew Farrier, Sr., LB/RB; Logan Taylor, Jr., DL; Anders Epperly, Soph., WR/DB; Ethan Ol- son, Sr., DB/WR; Trey McManaway, Sr., OL/DL
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AUGUST 24, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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