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With last week’s defeat of No. 2 ranked Benedictine College, the Grand View University Football team has likely cleared their biggest hurdle of the regular season. After losing to Benedictine’s Ravens last year, both teams entered the match up undefeated. Grand View emerged victorious and claimed its biggest win of the season. Players, coaches and fans are officially excited about how far this team can go. Based on the schedule remaining, it appears it can go far indeed. 

“(Benedictine) had the No. 1 scoring offense with 52 points and the No. 2 rushing offense,” said Austin Cuicchi, a senior defensive specialist. ”We held them to 54 rushing yards, and they didn’t even score on us, so that should be a statement right there.”

After owning the ball all game and locking down defensively, the Vikings have beaten the final ranked team on their regular season schedule. This led to Grand View being ranked No. 4 in the nation in the October 14 poll. 

The competition the team has coming up in the next few weeks will determine their seeding at the national tournament. Within the next few weeks the team will face Culver Stockton (2-4), William Penn (2-3-1), Graceland (0-6), Peru State (0-6) and Clarke University (0-6). Of these teams, the team’s biggest competitor is set to be William Penn University. Beating these teams is important for the team to keep the undefeated record intact and be seeded well when it comes time for the playoffs.

The team is in good stead and looking to go into the playoffs undefeated. Dom Wright-Walton, sophomore wide receiver says “All together we are doing great…we’re on pace to do what we all dream of doing and that’s winning a national championship. We just have to finish.”

The Vikings have proved they can win against these top ranked teams. The struggle they will now face is to keep themselves to the high standards they set for each other, continue to buy in and “own it.”

“Own it” is the team’s motto Head Coach Joe Woodley preaches to his players. Not only does it apply on the field but in the classroom as well. “When facing adversity together we try to stay together and not lose hope. We don’t give up because we are losing, we just keep fighting until the whistle is blown or the time runs out on the clock,” said Jerry Lowe, senior running back.

The team has faced a lot of adversity thus far and will continue to face more as the season goes on. Even though the Vikings have faced the more challenging teams earlier in the season, the test for them now is to continue to perform to the best of their ability as a team and staying together when faced with those obstacles.