DOWNS, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) – Recently, the Heart of Illinois Conference championship has been led by Tri-Valley High School.
And Tri-Valley runs through its line. And the Vikings believe that is the key to success this football season.
“We’re going to compete really well physically against bigger teams. We’re not always the biggest, we’re a smaller school, so I think we have a lot of guys that can go out there and tackle guys that are bigger than us,” Tri-Valley two-way lineman James Julian said.
The Vikings return seven starters on offense and defense. The team had a 10-1 record and reached the second round of the state playoffs in 2023. Returning quarterback Cole Klein could lead the way for Tri-Valley, but the coaching staff still believes the team’s success depends on the offensive line.
“We’ve focused on line play here,” Vikings head coach Josh Roop said. “We have some great guys, don’t get me wrong, but our offensive and defensive line is fundamentally solid year after year.”
Two years ago, Tri-Valley made it to the state championship game, and this group of players would love to go there again. The Vikings open the season on August 30 with a game against Peru’s St. Bede.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video visit CIProud.com.
