Talk about a banner season for the Huntington North Vikings.
After winning just one game a season ago, second year head coach Mike Eshbach has his team two wins away from Lucas Oil Stadium.
A change in offense and believing they can get it done has proven to be vital to the Vikings (9-3) this fall, as Huntington North will take on a familiar foe in East Noble (11-1). The two teams played earlier this season with East Noble picking up a 28-16 victory.
“I have an amazing group of kids that give everything they have,” said Eshbach. “I am really proud of their resilience and toughness. No, I am not surprised.”
Eshbach said his team worked extremely hard in the offseason to turn things around, and the work is paying off.
“We worked tremendously hard in the weight room, worked at developing fundamentals and our guys learned a lot from last year’s seniors. I knew we had a core of talented guys that just wanted to win,” Eshbach said.
A week ago, the Vikings turned back Lebanon, 31-28, in an overtime thriller. The sectional was the first for Huntington North since 1993, something that wasn’t lost on Eshbach, who credited the pride of the parents and community that attended the game.
“It means a lot to them. Winning the sectional is a really big deal for our kids, our school and our program. To see our fans flood the field after the game was a really awesome moment,” Eshbach said.
The second-year head coach singled out the efforts of Jason Teusch, Tony Decker, Tatum Brooks, Marcus Linker, Jimmy Linker and Will Gradeless as key contributors to the success this season.
How does Eshbach feel about the opportunity his team has against East Noble with a possible semi-state appearance on the line?
“We played East Noble week three and scored late to get within five. I think we were ahead at the half. We are a much different team now. This will be a tough test, as they are a solid football team,” he said.
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