Each Week following Spartanburg Viking Football games, I’m going to take a couple of days and think about the 3 most important things I saw on the field. Some good, some great, some not so good. I’ll try to break through what mattered, and what not to overreact to. So here’s 3 things from Week 3’s 21-19 loss to Grayson.
1-Let’s start positive – Man we got some fight in us. These boys were told all week you have no chance by everyone on the outside and even after Grayson scored in what felt like -8 seconds, these kids came to fight. Georgia has some stacked teams at the top level and Grayson brought a ton of D1 prospects to Spartanburg, and the Vikings went right at them. Demario Bookhart delivered some huge hits in his 11 tackles and Calvin Edwards Choice showed some real burst in a few runs against the fastest defense I’ve seen in a long time. He’ll add a LOT to this offense going forward as some of his runs would’ve gone for TDs against anyone else. Spartanburg led most of the game and with a few adjustments made, gave QB TJ Johnson more time to throw. This team has some real fight and will spend the next two weeks getting it all right before Region play begins.
2-Let’s stay positive – Justin Rice is a true #1 WR. 6 catches for 145 yards and drew a couple of Pass Interferences on some elite CBs. Rice and Johnson have a good feel for each other on the field and with Edwards Choice back in the lineup, this offense has some real weapons in space. Rice still have to be more consistent but remember he’s just a Junior. This kid is gonna be special. One more positive note – Wow the DL is so good. This group runs 9 deep and they all can play.
3-The blocking was better – but not where it needs to be. We still have a lot of work to do but I was encouraged by what I saw against a fantastic DL in Grayson. Special teams is all or nothing. Taylor Jeter had his 3rd block of the year, but snaps and holding continue to be an issue. Will Love continues to boom kicks for touchbacks, including one from the 20 yard line…think about that.
Yes this was more than 3 things. There’s a lot to like, there’s a lot to work on. But this team has some real players and a lot of fight. I can’t wait for Friday Nig
