GUTHRIE AND VIKINGS UNDETERRED BY GRADUATION LOSSES, LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE PROMISE LAND WITH NEW CORE GROUP

 

The good news for Hazel Park's football team and its fans is that the Vikings will be returning to the gridiron this Autumn with the same offensive scheme in tact that allowed them to score a rotund 394 points behind a viciously-effective rushing attack last year. The bad news for HP Nation is that head coach Scott Guthrie and the Vikings don't return a single starter from an '09 squad that claimed an OAA Blue conference championship with an 8-3 overall record.

 

Don't fret too much for Guthrie and the boys in Maroon and Silver though, because the team still has some dangerous ammunition in its arsenal. The Vikes' D brings back six starters and the offense has some potential primetime talents in its midst. Making a return trip to the playoffs and competing for a repeat conference crown is not out of the question.

 

"We have a lot to build on from last season around here and that by itself is a nice thing to have in our back pockets," said Guthrie, entering his 7^th season on the sidelines for Hazel Park, at a recent practice. "Our inexperience will certainly be a factor, probably most evident early on, but I'm sure we'll adapt as we go forward each week."

 

The coach knows his defense, run by his close friend and defensive coordinator, Mike Gordon will be the key.

 

"What we got coming back on defense is encouraging and they're going to have to carry us a little right off the bat until we get all the rough edges smoothed over on the other side of the ball."

 

The offense on the other hand will be in transition mode.

 

Replacing last season's dynamic running back tandem of Dominic Wiggins and Dustin O'Malley will be a tall task, but senior Dakota Ogles, a starter on defense in '09 as a junior, is looking super in practice and could easily be in for a big year toting the rock as the team's featured ball carrier. Ogles is a bruising back and a master of forcing the pigskin down the throats of the opposing defense - he had a number of 100 yd rushing performances as HP's third option last fall. In the winter, Ogles is practically a walking double-double on the basketball court and one of the most prolific post players in the county.

 

Fellow seniors Shelby Mullens, Ralph Hopkins and Todd Mullens will all get their fair share of chances running the ball, while letting Ogles (a down and dirty pass rush specialist on defense) guide their way as a tenacious lead blocker.

 

Sophomore quarterback Andrew McCllellen, last season's starter on the junior varsity, will take over as the team's starting signal caller from the graduated Taylor Marshall. Junior Damon Hannon and senior Mark Jarnol will be McCllellen's top targets at the receiver positions, although the squad will most-likely throw the ball less than a dozen times a game if all things go as planned by Guthrie, moonlighting as the team's offensive coordinator. Da'kwan Dillard and Andrew Haegedus will anchor the Vikings O and D lines in the trenches.

 

"I think the offense will start to gel after a little while and we'll be back where we want to be," Guthrie said. "The system works and we love to run it."

 

One of the coolest aspects of the Vikings football program is that virtually the entire coaching staff played and graduated at the school. Guthrie and Gordon were co-captains of the 1988 Hazel Park team that went 7-2 and won a league title. An all-conference linebacker, Guthrie continued his playing career in college at Central Michigan for a year as a preferred walk-on.

 

Hazel Park opens up its season on the road for its first two contests, playing at BH Andover and AH Avondale, respectively, to start things off with.