Championship season

The Vikings seniors may not play this weekend, but there are still things happening. This weekend two national champions will be crowned, and the Vikings u17 team may steal one at Jordal. 

Coming into the game as underdogs, the Vikings have gone 4-2 this year facing some stiff competition against the Trolls. In six games, the young Vikings have grown a lot as a team and has made big strides, with each individual player getting better day to day. Some players like Angel and Erik have even stayed late to practice with the senior team, showing commitment to their craft. 

Defensive coordinator Carl Fredrik Mathisen had the following to say:

“We are incredibly proud of what the boys have accomplished as a group this year! We have a young and talented group that have shown that each and every one of them can step up and be a playmaker on both sides of the ball. We have been focusing on building a strong culture with this group, and made sure that they have been put in a position to become better teammates and footballplayers. Going into the finals we have a lot of confidence after a solid win against the Starfighters.”

With the Vikings squad being a little light on players, most of the boys play both offense and defense. In this article we are going by their offensive positions because scoring is more fun than playing defense (yes, this author does in fact play on the offensive side of the ball and may be slightly biased). 

The receiving corps consists of wide receivers Oskar Sebastian Ardø-West and August Kirshner playing the X position, and Joakim Burdal and Tobias Vetvik playing Z. On the inside Sebastian Mannerud Hoff and Oscar Achilles Andersen are manning the H, while Leander Rødshagen, Herman Auster-Langaard and Emil August Pytte play as the Y or tight end. The receiving corps will go up against a tough Trolls secondary that has been suffocating in their coverage this season. 

Slinging the ball to the receivers is quarterback William Løfv. Alongside the QB, running backs Ingmar Borge, Nicolai Olivares Aanensen, and Hunter Vaile Lundstrøm. These guys are going up against a tough front seven that have made it hard to run the ball. QB William Løvf will likely have to create some plays with his legs as well, and the running backs will have to get open quick in the pass game, or help the offensive line protect the QB. 

Speaking of the big boys up front, the players tasked with being the engine that makes the offense go is Samuel Mendonca Jakobsen, Ángel Javier Castillo Mancebo, Gabriel Tønnesen, Carl Gustav Anthony Nilsson and Erik Bistrup Rasmussen. These boys are key to the Vikings success and have a big task in front of them, but they have put in the work. In DC Mathisens words: 

“The players have also put in a lot of work to show up prepared and ready to give it everything they got this weekend.”

Not to be outdone by his DC, Head Coach Niklas Fengler also showered some praise on the lads:

“They boys have been taking great strides this year and then ending up in the NM is a result of all the work and dedication they have put in. We are not as many players as our opponent but we are scrappy and that’s the mentality which we are having and which makes me super proud to coach them.»

Come out to Jordal to support the future of the club as they play the biggest game of the season! The u17 Championship kicks off at 12.00, with the senior Championship kicking off at 17.00. For some of the boys, this is the last time suiting up at the junior level before moving up to the seniors, making this a special game for the boys and anyone watching. See you at Jordal!