Vernon football rebounds from early loss, posts winning record

The season didn’t exactly begin on a positive note for the Vernon High School football program when the Vikings lost by 31 points to Warren Hills in August.

But, instead of dwelling on the setback, the Vikings reeled off three straight victories to get their season back and ultimately finish with a winning record.

“When reflecting on the season, I think every contest after the first game stood out in some way, shape, or form,’’ Vernon coach Joseph Down said. “It was no secret that we got blown out in our first game on our home field, and the season could have gone one of two ways. We could have felt sorry for ourselves or fixed our mistakes and gotten back to work. I think that’s a testament to our players and assistant coaches, who were able to right the ship, get this team back on track and put together a three-game win streak on the road after that first loss.”

Down said the Vikings’ most impressive win was their 35-28 victory over High Point Regional High School on Oct. 3. The Falcons were 5-0 at the time, and he knew it would be a difficult matchup.

“It was really impressive to see the growth and progress throughout the year,” he said.

Leadership was in strong supply for the Vikings this year.

“I think when we talk about leaders, we always have to start with our seniors,’’ Down said. “We had 16 seniors who finished the year with us and all played valuable roles on our team. Gavin Bruno and Gavin Wilczewski led our defense.

Wilczewski broke the Vikings’ single-season record for sacks with 15. Dean Grundy led the team in receiving, while Junior Troche was a key contributor on special teams.

“James Curry did a great job at cornerback all year, and Denzell Welling was outstanding at inside linebacker and tight end,” Down said. “Madden Lewis made an incredible comeback from a serious injury and provided emotional leadership for the team. Quinn DiGiovanni and Michael VanBenschoten were consistent performers on the offensive line throughout the season. Thomas Benson ran the ball hard every game and gave great effort all year long.

Sophomore quarterback Nate Kimkowski finished the season with 25 total touchdowns and was the Vikings’ leading passer and rusher.

“Nate is a special player at Vernon and has so much more to prove in the years ahead,” Down said. “Connor Pych and Andrew Geisen were also solid contributors at the linebacker position.’’

The Vikings finished with an overall record of 5-4, 3-2 in the Super Football Conference Patriot Red Division.

“Our program has tremendous optimism heading into next season,’’ Down said. “We return a strong core group after starting numerous juniors and sophomores this year, giving us valuable experience moving forward.”