Let the Vikings loose.
Inglemoor High coach Frank Naish has said that he’s always got a stable full of ball carriers to power his team’s offense.
As a junior, Tanner Sellman got a solid taste of that experience by darting past and through a host of 4A Kingco defenders into the end zone six times last year.
Now a senior, Sellman shakes his head and smiles at leaving those defenders’ fists devoid of his black-and-gold jersey and their bodies lying on the turf in his wake.
“Last year, I was surprised to score that many touchdowns — this year, I’m excited for more,” he said after a grueling, three-hour practice last Thursday night.
Naish uses nearly all of his fingers to count up this year’s stable: Along with senior fullbacks Sellman and Steven Short, there’s a slew of halfbacks in seniors Carter Watkins, Connor Savage and brothers Sean and Shamus Mukai, junior J.R. Vi and Inglemoor newcomer Davis Walker.
With senior quarterbacks Mitchell Gonsolus and Alex Morrow running the offensive show, Naish said he’s ready for his team (5-4 last year) to battle with Snohomish in a nonleague opener at 7 p.m. Friday at Pop Keeney Field.
“We feel good and we play in a hell of a tough league,” Naish said of 4A Kingco after last Thursday’s workout. “The kids are working hard, the enthusiasm’s there. They ran 10 100s at the end of a three-hour practice and worked hard.
“When you work hard, you have a chance.”
Junior center and left defensive end Niko Tupou — the only sophomore on last year’s opening-game roster — said everything started to click for the Vikings in mid-July at football camp in Wenatchee.
“We really noticed at camp, that defense this year at least has started out way ahead of offense. I remember (seeing that in) our scrimmage against Archbishop Murphy: our defense has fire this year and we’re coming out to hit,” he said. “(Opponents aren’t) gonna enjoy it because we’re gonna come there and we’re gonna smack ’em in the mouth every time.”
On offense, there should be holes aplenty for Viking runners courtesy of main line guys like seniors Obadiah Taylor (6-foot-3, 235 pounds), Hayden Eriks (6-2, 240), Alex Carson (6-2, 260) and Tupuo (6-1, 227) and junior Derek Sharnbroich (6-0, 220), said line coach Dave Allemeier.
“They’re really really competitive, they really get after each other, they push each other,” he said. “The camaraderie’s there, they’re a really tight bunch — that’s key because we’re in the trenches, we don’t get a lot of press, don’t get your picture taken very often in the end zone. But we get the job done and have a good time with each other.”
Sellman echoed Allemeier’s comments, noting that there’s a family atmosphere around the Vikings’ program. The players enjoy mixing it up with each other in practice and can’t wait to unleash their strength and energy on opponents each week.
Tupou is looking forward to watching both first- and second-stringers making an impact this season.
“We’re all together here,” he said. “Talent-wise I think everybody’s pretty close — we have people that stand out, but if we need to pull somebody out from the pile, like second string, we won’t be hurt.”
