Coming off of a 1-9 record in the 2017 season, the Vikings had a lot of improving to do headed into the new season. Led by head coach Steve Hannan, the team had begun their season long before their first game.
“Every Sunday, we were in Seattle playing in 7 on 7 tournaments. I think those tournaments really helped the kids learn to compete, and learn about each other, their skills, and then our weight room attendance was way up so we are physically stronger,” Hannan said.
This was a big help not only for the team, but for the Viking’s sophomore quarterback Kolby Solomon. Going into his first year as a starter, Solomon said the tournaments and offseason training gave confidence in his teammates, and something he felt like he could build off of going into the 2018 season.
To open the year, Inglemoor hosted the Meadowdale Mavericks in Pop Keeney stadium, a game that would turn out to be a grand showcase of the Vikings’ intense offseason training.
Inglemoor opened the game up with a 14-6 lead, but when Solomon lost the football at the end of the half on an option pitch, the Mavs were able to cut the lead to one heading into the half.
As the game progressed, it was clear the Vikings were in for a narrow finish. With Inglemoor leading 21-20 at the beginning of the fourth, Meadowdale struck quickly on a long pass play, and with the two point conversion, Inglemoor looked up to the board to find themselves down 28-21 with less than ten minutes left in the game. Inglemoor was in need of a spark.
“We stopped Meadowdale with about two minutes left, and we did, and then they punted to us and it went all the way back to the 10-yard line, and so we had a little under two minutes and we had to go 90 yards, and we needed a touchdown,” Hannan said.
With the ball deep in their own territory, and the Viking offense facing a key fourth down, Solomon connected with senior Kincaid Schmitt on a simple sail route, however, Schmitt put a move on his defender and raced down the sideline finally caught nearly 40 yards later.
Suddenly the Vikings were in striking range, and Coach Hannan sensed it, “I told Coach Russo at that point to think of our best two point play cause we’re gonna go for the win,” Hannan said.
As time ticked away, Inglemoor faced a key third down, and Solomon knew what he was looking for. The young quarterback lofted the ball to senior Luke Millman in the back left corner of the endzone, and Millman delivered with a huge catch.
Seconds after the score, a flag was on the field, the referees ruling it an Offensive Pass Interference on Millman, hence taking the tying score off the board and leaving Inglemoor little time to get across the goal line again.
“After the pass interference call- which was not a pass interference- I was just kind of defeated to be honest because there were only like 20 seconds left. I knew anything could happen, and that I shouldn’t lose all hope, but it was really hard not to,” Millman said.
With the game on the line, the team held it together for one last play.
“I loved our kids, they just played the next play, their mindset was focused on what was next,” Hannan said.
Everyone on the field knew what was coming at this point, the Vikings had one chance for a miracle play.
“It was basically the last play of the game, and the corners were just dropped back all the way into the endzone. I thought, it’s gonna have to be a jump ball, something like that,” Millman said.
As the offense broke the huddle, Solomon said he analyzed the defense and knew what he had to do. The plan was to find the biggest player on the field, standout Tight End, Quentin Moore, but in football, things don’t always go accordingly.
“They were playing deep so I just knew I would have to throw a jump ball to someone. I looked right cause that’s where Quentin was, but then I got flushed, and no one was open,” Solomon said.
The protection broke down, and as Solomon sprinted towards his own sideline, he realized Moore was no longer an option.
“I looked left, and there was Luke, and I was like ‘Alright, you’re my last hope here buddy’. So I threw it up to him, pretty much as high as I could just for him to get position on them.”
Millman rushed up and leaped up snagging the ball in between two Meadowdale defenders, a Randy Moss-esque catch. As he came to the ground, Millman powered it in for the final three yards, and when Solomon found Moore on the two-point conversion, Inglemoor was victorious in a wild 29-28 contest.
Though it was only one victory, the win carried momentum into week two where the Vikings handled Roosevelt 21-14 giving them a 2-0 start.
“We’ve got really good players in some really important positions, and if they can step up and play to their potential I don’t know that we have a ceiling, I think we’re pretty good,” Hannan said.
Solomon said he agreed, giving his receivers, backs, and offensive lineman all sorts of praise for the level they’ve played at this year.
Even after a 28-21 loss to Juanita in game three, Inglemoor’s postseason chances are still very much alive, and with KingCo games starting next week, the playoff implications of each game are magnified.
The Vikings will kick off conference games this Friday in a battle with Redmond, and the games only become bigger from that point on, as three of the next four games are against rival schools.
“I think we have a great chance to make the playoffs this year, and that hasn’t been done in a long time. So, I have really high hopes to do that,” Solomon said.
