2023 Pigskin Preview: Hayfield making sure the small things get done right

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(ABC 6 News) — Hayfield Vikings Football enters 2023 with a very young roster and a decent chunk of veterans gone.

Seniors like Isaac Matti and Ethan Pack have graduated, while Zander Jacobson moved away for his final year of football. Coach Derrick Thompson noted that some of the current underclassmen will be playing varsity ball for the first time. If the young Vikings are to make progress, the key point will be doing the small things right according to Coach Thompson.

What some of the Vikings may lack in experience they do make up for in moxie as many players on the team are ready to get underway. For seniors like two-way lineman Gentry Johnson, it’s another opportunity to crush it on defense and be a leader for the younger Vikings. Junior quarterback Hunter Simonson doesn’t plan on wasting any time, aiming to be a contributor after missing 2022 due to surgery.

The Vikings’ first game of the year is against Fillmore Central at home on Friday, September 1 at 7 PM.