The football team (0–1) was unable to hang with the reigning state champion Quince Orchard Cougars (1–0) in the season opener and took a 61–0 loss.

On a gorgeous Friday night with the stands packed to the brim, the Vikes were in for a rigorous challenge as they lined up against the uber-talented Cougars. However, that didn’t stop them from bringing energy right from the get-go. The Vikes stormed the field for the first time in 2022 with AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells” blaring over the speakers. Senior captains Rohin Dahiya, Max Goodman and Ben Tummonds led the charge and got the crowd roaring. In order to shock the world, the Vikes would need this energy to immediately transfer onto the field.

Unfortunately, the Cougars and their numerous Division I-caliber players were just too much for the Vikes to handle. The offense struggled to get going and only converted on a handful of first downs. Regardless, the team showed off a new offensive strategy with far more passing attempts than last year, which will without a doubt lead to more production in the coming games. The Vikes were also overpowered on defense due to Quince Orchard’s physical and talented offense. Notable, however, were the strong performances of sophomore defensive end Nate Sullivan and senior defensive tackle Ben Tummonds, who each had multiple stops that helped the Vikes force a turnover.

The Vikes look to shake off their week 1 performance as they travel to Walter Johnson (1–0) next Friday at 7 PM to take on the Wildcats and pick up their first win of the new season.

This story was updated at 10:30 pm on September 6, to include photos from the game.