R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Vikings looking for respect in 2023

Photo courtesy of Emerald Athletics.

Last season, the Emerald Vikings made the playoffs for the first time since 2018 under the guidance of third-year head coach Tad DuBose. DuBose, now entering his fourth season at the helm, looks to build on the success of the previous season.

The Vikings program has been steadily on the rise since DuBose stepped foot on campus in 2020, but they still aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve heading into the 2023 campaign.

“Nobody respects us” was the message Coach DuBose had for his Emerald squad in preparation for their first scrimmage of the year at Frank Hill Stadium. Emerald have made it no secret they are playing with a chip on their shoulder, adding to the fierce, competitive, and passionate culture that is being built on the purple side of Greenwood County.

In 2022, Emerald debuted the spread offense, straying away from the old-fashioned and proven Wing-T or I-Formation. The offense was led by then-sophomore QB Key Holloway, who showed flairs of brilliance, but also stages of youth.

Holloway returns as leader of the offense for his junior season, but will be without his top receiving target from last season after the graduation of Ean Ryans. Behind them was a boisterous running attack headed by 2022 AAA Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year and Georgia State signee Jaylen Foster and versatile speedster JT Turner. All are gaping holes the Vikings need to fill in order to have a successful season.

Emerald will use the spread offense as its primary formation again in 2023. They threw the ball 158 times last season, expect an uptick in that number this fall.

“The familiarity is huge for our guys. We are continuing to find a comfort level in the offense, constantly putting pressure on the defense,” said DuBose. “The key for us is to throw the ball when we want to, not when we need to. We have to stay balanced.”

Holloway was obviously going to be a focal point in the offseason for the Vikings. Polishing their QB for the spread offense will likely determine Emerald’s ceiling as an offense.

“(Holloway) grew up a lot last season and had to deal with a ton of pressure,” DuBose said. “He has made strides with his footwork over the summer and he’s throwing the ball better than ever.”

The Vikings ended last season with a 5-5 regular season record, notching one win in region play. They were a first half team. In 2022, Emerald were outscored 83-43 in the third quarters of games. Seemingly, the offense got stagnant and the defense folded coming out of the halftime break nearly each week. That is something DuBose looks to clean up before the season kicks off in a few short weeks.

“We struggled early on finding our identity out of the spread. We struggled when teams made adjustments,” DuBose said. “Too many times we became one-dimensional on that side of the ball.”

The Viking defense returns All-Region defensive lineman DonTravis Jackson, who will be the anchor of the line for his senior campaign.

The secondary for the Vikings will be totally revamped around senior Keenan Marshall, the lone returner in the secondary. Be on the lookout for the youngsters to roam the Emerald secondary. DuBose is seeking immediate impact from guys like Christian Samuels, Jadyn Wright, Kam Parks, Kendrick Morgan, and Tyqua Ryans.

The linebacker corps of the Vikings will be led by KD Abney, who impressed as a running back late last season. Malaki Thomas is another name to keep an eye on for the LB staff. The Vikings are tasked with replacing two star backers in Limestone signee KJ Morton and LeBorris Warren from last season.

How will the Vikings replace All-State running back Jaylen Foster?

The answer is  his younger brother, Christian.

“(Christian) Foster is really strong for a 10th grader,” DuBose said. “He has put in a lot of work over the summer to get bigger, faster, stronger.”

Foster, the sophomore, will be joined in the rushing attack by AJ Anderson. Anderson rushed for over 1,000 yards his freshman season in 2021, but was sidelined for the majority of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury. Anderson, who is a pure power back, is a huge addition to the RB room, finally being healthy from injury.

Anderson and Foster together create a thunder and lightning dynamic duo in the backfield.

Jordan Greene and Kyrie Shivers will both return as receivers in the passing attack and both are home run threats. Karson Wright will take on a similar role that we saw Ean Ryans excel in last year. Wright has the elusiveness, speed, and hands that make him a picturesque fit in a Key Holloway-led offense.

2023 Prediction: The Vikings have a ceiling of 6-4, but a floor of 4-6. The Vikings go 2-2 in region play to make the playoffs and upset a 2-seed first round, before getting knocked out by one of the perennial AAA powerhouses like Daniel or Powdersville in round two.

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