Valley Returns Offensive Standouts
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Potential is interesting. Performance is everything.
These may be the very words Shriver chooses to use in the pre-game speech before his Tippecanoe Valley Vikings open the season Friday when they host Culver Military Academy at 7:30 p.m.
The potential is certainly there, as Valley returns a number of its skill position players from last year’s team that went 6-1 in the Three Rivers Conference.
The performance part, as the coach was quick to point out in a phone conversation earlier this week, is up to the players.
“With our skill position people, we’ve got a lot of talent and depth,” said Jeff Shriver. “If you look at the guys we have coming back on offense, particularly at the skill positions, we’ve got varsity experience.”
Returning offensive standouts include junior quarterback Ben Shriver, junior receiver Tanner Andrews and senior running backs Justin Gunter and Dan Miller, among others.
Andrews was named Class 3A all-state and the Times-Union Offensive Player of the Year after he caught 32 passes for a school-record 821 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder averaged nearly 26 yards per catch last year.
Ben Shriver passed for nearly 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Gunter racked up 850 yards on the ground.
The Vikings scored 34 points or more in five games last year.
In three games, they scored at least 55 points.
If a new group of linemen can protect Valley’s standout skill players, the Vikings’ offense could be very exciting to watch, and a nightmare to prepare for.
“We were depleted on the offensive line,” said Jeff Shriver. “We basically have one starter returning from the six spots. We have people who can fill those holes, it’s just a matter of getting them experience and finding the right combination.”
Juniors Cameron Castle and Nick Gamble are Valley’s most experienced linemen returning.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebackers Dayton Cohagen and Jacob Ritchey, as well as cornerback Andrews, are the most experienced among the players returning.
“I’m excited about our potential on defense, but we’re youthful in the defensive front eight,” said Jeff Shriver. “We really need our linebackers to step up. We graduated our front four, so we need our experienced linebackers to lead the way for us.”
Following Friday’s season opener, the Vikings will play Bremen at Lucas Oil Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 as part of the Horseshoe Classic.
Valley will open TRC play Aug. 31 when it hosts Manchester.[[In-content Ad]]
Potential is interesting. Performance is everything.
These may be the very words Shriver chooses to use in the pre-game speech before his Tippecanoe Valley Vikings open the season Friday when they host Culver Military Academy at 7:30 p.m.
The potential is certainly there, as Valley returns a number of its skill position players from last year’s team that went 6-1 in the Three Rivers Conference.
The performance part, as the coach was quick to point out in a phone conversation earlier this week, is up to the players.
“With our skill position people, we’ve got a lot of talent and depth,” said Jeff Shriver. “If you look at the guys we have coming back on offense, particularly at the skill positions, we’ve got varsity experience.”
Returning offensive standouts include junior quarterback Ben Shriver, junior receiver Tanner Andrews and senior running backs Justin Gunter and Dan Miller, among others.
Andrews was named Class 3A all-state and the Times-Union Offensive Player of the Year after he caught 32 passes for a school-record 821 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder averaged nearly 26 yards per catch last year.
Ben Shriver passed for nearly 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Gunter racked up 850 yards on the ground.
The Vikings scored 34 points or more in five games last year.
In three games, they scored at least 55 points.
If a new group of linemen can protect Valley’s standout skill players, the Vikings’ offense could be very exciting to watch, and a nightmare to prepare for.
“We were depleted on the offensive line,” said Jeff Shriver. “We basically have one starter returning from the six spots. We have people who can fill those holes, it’s just a matter of getting them experience and finding the right combination.”
Juniors Cameron Castle and Nick Gamble are Valley’s most experienced linemen returning.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebackers Dayton Cohagen and Jacob Ritchey, as well as cornerback Andrews, are the most experienced among the players returning.
“I’m excited about our potential on defense, but we’re youthful in the defensive front eight,” said Jeff Shriver. “We really need our linebackers to step up. We graduated our front four, so we need our experienced linebackers to lead the way for us.”
Following Friday’s season opener, the Vikings will play Bremen at Lucas Oil Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 as part of the Horseshoe Classic.
Valley will open TRC play Aug. 31 when it hosts Manchester.[[In-content Ad]]
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