By Bryan Bloodworth
Expectations are running high at Tri-Valley and LeRoy high schools this season where both Heart of Illinois Conference teams hope to carry on playoff traditions.
Tri-Valley will be seeking its eighth straight trip to the playoffs and, according to eighth-year coach Josh Roop, the Vikings have the firepower to get the job done.
“We return like eight starters on both sides of the ball,” said Roop. “The guys are hungry and we got a tough draw in the first-round of the playoffs last year, but we felt we were a better team than a first-round exit.”
Key returnees for the Vikings include all-Heart of Illinois Conference selections Payton Roop at quarterback and defensive back; running back Hayden Long; offensive lineman Matt Sorenson and defensive lineman Cam Elam.
“We are going to rely on our team speed,” added Roop. “We should be a pretty fast team. We have three-fourths of our backfield back and our entire secondary. We’re going to rely on that speed and experience to carry us. Not only that, but we only graduated one offensive lineman, so we’re excited about that.’
With the return of so many starters with experience, Vikings’ fans should expect them to battle for the conference championship, much like last season and in 2013 when Tri-Valley placed second in the Class 1A state finals.
How does this year’s team compare to the 2013 squad, Coach?
“Well, we had some pretty good players on that team, so that’s tough shoes to fill,” said Roop. “But we’re excited about the talent that we have. It’s a different comparison because it’s two different beasts. As far as speed and stuff, I’m excited about the speed we have on the field. It’s comparable to the speed we had in 2013.”
And what does Roop see as the key to the season?
“If we can stay healthy, you know that’s always the key staying healthy,” he concluded.
LeRoy made its return to the state playoffs last season and advanced to the second round after an atypical losing season the previous year. Veteran coach B.J. Zeleznik admits that was big for the program.
“There’s a lot of pride in our community and the football program is a very important part of our culture in the community, so having the kind of season we had, bouncing back and getting into the playoffs was a big deal,” said Zeleznik.
“Going down to Carrollton and playing that ball club was big for this group of kids. As sophomores this group of seniors played Tri-Valley that was a state finalist and then last year as juniors they played Carrollton that was a state finalist. Two years in a row they’ve played a state finalist, so they’ve experienced what it takes to play at that level.”
Zeleznik was pleased with the number of players, who greeted him when practice began last week.
“Our varsity numbers are solid,” said Zeleznik, who will carry a 32-man roster of seniors and juniors. “Now when you start talking about guys who are realistically varsity ready obviously that number goes down a little bit.
“Like any coach in America, we have to stay healthy. I don’t know that we are in a position to sustain any number of injuries. We have to stay healthy.”
The Panthers, who finished 8- 3 last year, return 17 lettermen, including seven on both sides of the ball, led by quarterback Bryce Dooley,
“He’s a three-year starter for us, a two-year starter at quarterback.” said Zeleznik. “He has a lot of speed and is a flashy player. We have some good speed on the offensive side of the ball, so we feel good about our ability to move the ball. The big key offensively will be the chemistry of our offensive line.”
The biggest question comes on the defensive side of the ball where the Panthers lost their three leading tacklers.
“We lost our three leading tacklers,” added Zeleznik. “We’re going to be long and active with good speed, but the question is going to be who’s going to have a nose for the ball. Who’s going to lead us on the defensive side?”
