Moriarty Hopes To Right Vikings' Ship
August 16, 2017 at 3:52 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
The Vikings haven’t had a winning season since going 8-3 in 2012. Valley has won just 11 games since, and also gone through a number of coaching changes.
Moriarty, a 1995 TVHS grad and former player himself, believes righting the ship is about getting back to the basics.
“In the summer we started with a strength and conditioning program, a weight program that started with our strength and condition coach Danny Thompson, who holds two world records in bench press,” said Moriarty. “Our emphasis in the offseason was ‘we’re gonna get strong, and we’re gonna be conditioned.’
“I think in the past, we haven’t finished games in the last couple years, from what I’ve seen. We’re gonna out-hit people, and we’re gonna be in better condition. That’s our thing, we’re gonna get back to Valley football – learning how to hit, being in better condition, and playing the old smash-mouth style.”
Valley endured an up-and-down season a year ago. Head coach Darrin Holsopple stepped down after the third game – his career at Valley ending after just 13 games and with a 3-10 record.
Jeff Shriver, a former head coach for the Vikings, and Aaron Norris split the coaching duties after Holsopple’s departure and led the team to a 3-4 record.
The Vikings lost 30-28 to West Noble in the opening round of sectional play.
Moriarty believes getting back to the basics also means simplifying things.
“Repetition. I think you make things basic enough, and you master them,” said Moriarty, who has also been an assistant coach at Seeger and Lafayette Central Catholic high schools, along with Valley.
“You don’t over-do it. You do what the kids can handle. I think we’ve done that. We’ve tried to master the plays against different fronts. Timing is a lot ... play timing, being conditioned, being in condition to take a hit. Your bodies, they’re not always conditioned to take a hit. They might be conditioned physically, but not to take a shot. So, we’re getting them in that mode where they can hit again, and go the duration of the game. We do those things, and then we practice. We’re doing things when they’re tired to make sure they’re mentally tough.”
Moriarty described Valley’s offensive scheme as a “straight forward attack” with not as much pitching the ball to the outside. It’s the type of offense Seeger used en route to the Class 1A state championship in 2004.
Three-year starting quarterback Alec Craig was lost to graduation, and Moriarty said he’s seen good competition for that job.
“We have kind of a dog fight for that right now between (Noah) Miller and (Tanner) Trippiedi,” said Moriarty. “One of them is gonna get the snaps ... not sure which one yet. Both of them have good traits. One can throw, and one runs real well. We’ll have to see how it plays out.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Moriarty described his team as athletic.
“We’ve got a very athletic group,” said Moriarty. “We’re not a big group, so we are gonna change our defense up a little bit to where it best suits our team. We’re gonna put some more athletic kids out there, and maybe not see the box-in, to defend both the pass and the run. To best suit our team is what we’re doing, and we’re just more athletic than we are big and strong up front.”
Valley opens the season Friday at Bremen.
The Vikings host Culver Academies on Aug. 25 and will honor the 25th anniversary of its last sectional championship team.
Fitting for a program trying to return to its glory days.
The Vikings haven’t had a winning season since going 8-3 in 2012. Valley has won just 11 games since, and also gone through a number of coaching changes.
Moriarty, a 1995 TVHS grad and former player himself, believes righting the ship is about getting back to the basics.
“In the summer we started with a strength and conditioning program, a weight program that started with our strength and condition coach Danny Thompson, who holds two world records in bench press,” said Moriarty. “Our emphasis in the offseason was ‘we’re gonna get strong, and we’re gonna be conditioned.’
“I think in the past, we haven’t finished games in the last couple years, from what I’ve seen. We’re gonna out-hit people, and we’re gonna be in better condition. That’s our thing, we’re gonna get back to Valley football – learning how to hit, being in better condition, and playing the old smash-mouth style.”
Valley endured an up-and-down season a year ago. Head coach Darrin Holsopple stepped down after the third game – his career at Valley ending after just 13 games and with a 3-10 record.
Jeff Shriver, a former head coach for the Vikings, and Aaron Norris split the coaching duties after Holsopple’s departure and led the team to a 3-4 record.
The Vikings lost 30-28 to West Noble in the opening round of sectional play.
Moriarty believes getting back to the basics also means simplifying things.
“Repetition. I think you make things basic enough, and you master them,” said Moriarty, who has also been an assistant coach at Seeger and Lafayette Central Catholic high schools, along with Valley.
“You don’t over-do it. You do what the kids can handle. I think we’ve done that. We’ve tried to master the plays against different fronts. Timing is a lot ... play timing, being conditioned, being in condition to take a hit. Your bodies, they’re not always conditioned to take a hit. They might be conditioned physically, but not to take a shot. So, we’re getting them in that mode where they can hit again, and go the duration of the game. We do those things, and then we practice. We’re doing things when they’re tired to make sure they’re mentally tough.”
Moriarty described Valley’s offensive scheme as a “straight forward attack” with not as much pitching the ball to the outside. It’s the type of offense Seeger used en route to the Class 1A state championship in 2004.
Three-year starting quarterback Alec Craig was lost to graduation, and Moriarty said he’s seen good competition for that job.
“We have kind of a dog fight for that right now between (Noah) Miller and (Tanner) Trippiedi,” said Moriarty. “One of them is gonna get the snaps ... not sure which one yet. Both of them have good traits. One can throw, and one runs real well. We’ll have to see how it plays out.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Moriarty described his team as athletic.
“We’ve got a very athletic group,” said Moriarty. “We’re not a big group, so we are gonna change our defense up a little bit to where it best suits our team. We’re gonna put some more athletic kids out there, and maybe not see the box-in, to defend both the pass and the run. To best suit our team is what we’re doing, and we’re just more athletic than we are big and strong up front.”
Valley opens the season Friday at Bremen.
The Vikings host Culver Academies on Aug. 25 and will honor the 25th anniversary of its last sectional championship team.
Fitting for a program trying to return to its glory days.
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