(Submitted photo/Mark Kotchorek)

By Martin Martinson

Gridiron glory

NBCHS football team primed and ready for playoff surge

Oct 17, 2019 | 12:19 PM

There is no game more important than the next one for the North Battleford Comprehensive High School (NBCHS) Vikings football team.

After posting a 3-3 record through the regular season, the Vikings will shift their focus to the postseason, as the club embarks on the first step of their playoff journey Friday at SMF field in Saskatoon.

The Vikings enter postseason play as the third seed. Standing in their way, however, will be the number two seed, Marion Graham Falcons.

Due to their standings finish, the semi-finals matchup is inherently a close one. Marion Graham finished the season just a single win up on NBCHS with a 4-2 record, while just a breath back, the Vikings finished 3-3.

Adding to the intrigue, the two sides played each other two weeks ago in Saskatoon in a game that cut right down to the wire, ultimately being decided by just a single point.

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Falling 22-21 in that game, the contest was decided when the Vikings went for a two-point convert late in the game that was unsuccessful.

Head coach Mike Humenny said that loss only adds fuel to the team’s competitive fire, with the boys eager for retribution in the playoff showdown.

“I think our guys will be quite hungry in this game,” Humenny said. “We started slow in our first game against [the Falcons], but then we ramped things up in the second half. We’re going to look to build on that momentum we finished the game with against them last time.”

That one-point game was the only matchup between the two sides this season.

Now in his tenth season with the team, Humenny has led the Vikings to the city final on two separate occasions. In their most recent run in 2017, the team went on to win provincials, which is something the coach believes this year’s group can challenge for again.

That confidence stems largely from the team’s consistent improvement this year, and in particular, their growth on the offensive side of the ball.

“I think at the start of the year, our rushing game kind of led the way for us, but over the last couple of weeks our passing attack has gotten a lot better,” Humenny said. “We’re going to look to employ that facet of the game Friday, maybe come out throwing, rather than coming out running like we have been the last couple weeks.”

The coach said in addition to schemes, the the team will be ready to leave it all on the line effort-wise Friday.

“We’re looking forward to Friday night, and if we are successful, we will move on and just keep going one week at a time. I guess the ultimate goal would be that provincial final, but there are a lot of steps in place to get there.”

The first step in the Vikings’ journey to a second provincial title in three years will begin with kickoff Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1