Kale Boomer
The 2009 Cook County High School football season has finally arrived! All summer the weather felt like a football game would break out at any moment, but instead we sports junkies huddled together watching baseball and softball in weather fitting for football or perhaps skiing! However, now that football season is here the weather has turned rather baseball like. Go figure…(Oh, by the way. I’m not complaining. Let it shine! Let it shine!)
This year’s Vikings return 11 seniors and five juniors who will have to fill the void from a heavily senior laden team of 2008. The Vikings lost a lot to graduation, including their starting backfield, from a team that went 8-2 last season and lost in the final seconds to East Central in the Section 7 semi-finals.
There will be quite a bit of inexperience at key positions this year, but Head Coach Mitch Dorr feels the team will be competitive, especially if the younger players step up.
Unfortunately the injury bug has already bitten the Vikings with three of their four fastest players out for the opener and possibly a few weeks beyond. Injured are senior halfback Kipp Sande, senior wide receiver James Groth and sophomore tight end Dylan Quaife. That leaves senior halfback Brock Hommerding as the lone remaining burner available to the Vikings.
Brock Hommerding
Coach Dorr said, “In high school football, speed kills! It’s difficult for any high school team to overcome the loss of three of its fastest players, but it just means Brock will have to carry a heavier load and the young players will have to step up.”
When asked about the team’s outlook, Coach Dorr said a lot will depend on how the Vikings handle all the injuries, “We prepare the kids for adversity. Theyjust have to step up and deal with it.”
Theloss of Sande at halfbackhas moved Hommerding from potentially the quarterback slot to halfback. That opened the door for freshman Kale Boomer to gain the starting spot at quarterback. Although young, Boomer showed his potential in the Vikings Blue and White intra-scrimmage on Wednesday, August 26 by completing seven of eight passes for 140 yards and managing the Vikings offense well.
Also during the Blue and White game Hommerding, playing at quarterback, hooked up with Groth for two touchdown passes.
The Viking starters for the season opener on offense will be: at LT senior Mike Austin; LG senior Skyler Johnson; C senior Darryl Hansen; RG senior Korey Thoreson; RT junior Nick Austin; TE senior Cody Anderson; WR sophomore Mike Sjogren; WR freshman Colin Everson; QB freshman Kale Boomer; FB senior Jacob Rude; HB senior Brock Hommerding.
Defensive starters will be: at LE Cody Anderson; LT Nick Austin; RT Korey Thoreson; RE Skyler Johnson; LLB junior Dylan Anderson; MLB Jacob Rude; RLB Mike Austin; CB Mike Sjogren; S Colin Everson; S Brock Hommerding; CB sophomore Bradley VanDoren.
TheViking opener is at home on Friday, Sept. 4, and the season starts with a bang against long-time rival and one of the conference favorites Chisholm. Other teams to watch in the conference will again be East Central and Barnum with the Vikings hopefully making some noise.
Due to the Nashwauk Spartans combining its football program with Greenway Coleraine, the Vikings have sadly lost another conference rival against whom were some epic battles.
With declining enrollments and money crunches, it seems the landscape in high school sports changes annually. I guess the times truly are a-changing, but I’ll be seeing you on the grid iron and in the paper.
Go Vikes!
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