Tweet

Preview

This Saturday at Williams Stadium, the Grand View football team will host Marian University for the Quarterfinal round of the 2015 NAIA Football Championship Subdivision National Tournament. After losing to Baker University in the first week of the season the Vikings have rolled over the competition winning their last 11 games. Last year the Vikings played Marian in the same round and lost 34-6, but the Grand View team has changed a lot since then. Transfer students and freshman have brought new personnel to the team, and there’s a feeling of confidence in the locker room.

“I honestly don’t care how last season went, this is my first year here and there are plenty of people on this team playing this weekend that didn’t play in that game last year or were even here at Grand View,” said Davante White, defensive lineman for the Vikings.

“I think he’s exactly right; new team, new year, new faces,” said Austin Flynn, offensive coordinator. “They have familiar faces on defense, but they also have some new ones. I think we are 1-8 or 1-9 in history against them, and you know, eight years ago or last year is not going to mean anything or affect how we are going to play and prepare for Saturday.”

---

 

Since 1997 host teams of playoffs are 200-59, and host teams for the quarterfinals are 53-18. Marian University has lost two games this year. Their first loss of the season came in the third week against Robert Morris University, 30-21. Robert Morris was ranked at the time but faded and did not make the playoffs. Two weeks later Marian lost to the only undefeated team left in NAIA, Saint Francis, 45-42.

Marian University is starting to build a football legacy, much like Grand View. Marian won its first national title in 2012. The following year, Grand view won its first title. Last year Marian made it back to the finals and lost to Southern Oregon.

Looking back on what went wrong last year, Brandon Johnson, starting defensive end for the Vikings, said: “Honestly, we beat ourselves, especially the first go round. Stupid mistakes. You can only make so many errors and still expect to win. It will be different this year. We’re a better team.”

Johnson said it’s difficult to prepare yourself for victory if you are worried about what happened last time, especially with football. What happened last year was last year. The players don’t want to hear about last year but instead live in the moment. For the seniors such as Johnson, the hope is simply that the Marian game isn’t their last moment in a Viking uniform.