Tippecanoe Valley quarterback Alec Craig

AKRON – It was a tough year in what some call ‘Death Valley’.

The Vikings were already adjusting to its third head coach in three years with Darin Holsopple taking over the football program. The community then had to adjust to the untimely death of one of its former coaches, Scott Bibler, passing away on Oct. 2. It was a season that only got tougher on and off the field.

The 53-0 loss to Jimtown in the sectional almost became a moot point, as Holsopple and his program didn’t want to hit ‘reset’, but more closer to ‘fast forward’.

When asked about what has transpired now ten months later, Holsopple still fumbles words trying to make sense of everything.

“That was just almost beyond explanation,” the second-year head coach, who came down from Fairfield in 2015, offered. “The way coach Bibler had affected this whole community and this team. It’s something that’s on everybody’s mind. We are all thinking about it pretty much constantly.

“When I look over and see the new press box that went up, it’s just a reminder of the lasting impact he made on this community. For me, it’s added some extra importance to this year.”

Valley wrapped up the 2015 campaign 3-7, one of those wins a forfeit by Northfield for an ineligible player that took the Norse from the penthouse to the basement of the Three Rivers Conference. Holsopple remarked his team showed much more fight than the record and scores on paper indicated, and it’s showing in preseason workouts heading into this season.

The Vikings weren’t a one-sided team on offense, mixing in both run and pass into its repertoire. Returning with much of the number production is senior quarterback Alec Craig. The mobile signal caller threw for 925 yards and eight touchdowns and ran for another 429 yards and six scores. Craig will be the focal point of the offense again, with his primary receiving target senior DeSean Heckman, who had just eight catches for 118 yards, but tied for the team lead in touchdowns with two.

Senior Shane Ellis should also factor into the downfield game for the Vikings.

Seniors Sam Bell and Jonathon Fields along with sophomore Wes Melanson should see plenty of touches in the backfield.

“The senior class, I have been very pleased with them in practice,” Holsopple said. “There are some good athletes in that class. Some of the guys who played ‘C’ team last year have made a lot of improvement and are looking ready to go on Friday nights. They look like they are ready to make plays and be counted on.

“I think there is going to be a lot of new names that you haven’t heard before that you’ll be hearing from on Friday nights.”

On the other side of the ball, Valley will need to find answers in its second wave as both Garrett Bell and Harrison Sponseller graduated from the linebacking corps. Bell was a monster in the middle and Sponseller was about as complimentary to the run defense as they came.

Holsopple noted his next-up aren’t quite ready to take over the nastiness of Bell, but there are athletes that can field the positions. Someone like senior Dalton Prater could immediately impact both sides of the line. Heckman returns to the secondary where he had three interceptions and a fumble recovery last season.

“It’s going to be one of those things where the leadership is going to have to come,” Holsopple said. “It is going to have to be something that develops and we’ll see who it’s going to be to step up and be that guy.”

The Vikings open its season Aug. 19 at home against Culver Academy.