Vikings have tall task tonight
Published 10:46 am Thursday, September 15, 2011
If the Lake Stevens football team scores tonight it’ll be something no other team has done this season.
That’s right, the Vikings’ opponent, Inglemoor, has yet to give up a crooked number through eight quarters of football this season, including a 10-0 season-opening victory over Lake Stevens
‘ rival, Snohomish.
Lake Stevens vs. Inglemoor, tonight, 7 p.m. at Pop Keeney Stadium
“They’re a fast and aggressive defense and they play great team defense,” Vikings head coach Tom Tri said Thursday morning. “Our defensive linemen are going to have to hold their ground.”
Not only do the Vikings face a tall task in going up against Inglemoor, but the game will be at Pop Keeney Stadium on a short week.
“It’s alway loud (at Pop Keeney),” Tri said, “and playing on a Thursday is always tough. But it’s one less practice for both teams.”
Inglemoor has plenty of size along the offensive and defensive lines, including players like Niko Tupuo (6-foot-2, 240), Titus Makasini (6-4, 285) and Mikey Tupuo (6-0, 225). Senior running back and defensive back Junior Vi, who missed some games due to an MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury last season, is back and leads the defense and offense.
To read more about Inglemoor, click here
Lake Stevens is coming off of a nail-biting 21-20 win over Kamiak, which missed a 40-yard field goal with less than 10 seconds in the game. The Vikings had to make a late-game drive for the eventual game-winning touchdown and Tri said he hopes his team learned some lessons from the win.
“The kids faced some adversity and were able to respond,” said Tri. “I hope we learned now that when we get down we can come back to win.”
Lake Stevens is still without senior, two-year starters TE/DE Colter Swords and WR/CB Kevin Lanto, who were both hurt before the season began. Swords, who was hurt in a waterskiing accident, could still be 7-8 weeks away from coming back, and Lanto, who was injured in a non-contact drill at practice, may be done for the season.
