Vikings learn from Raiders in pre-season contest
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The Vincent Massey Vikings played their only pre-season game against the Oak Park Raiders on Thursday, and while the Raiders got the better of it, it’s an opportunity the Vikings hope they can build on.
“It was awesome,” said Vikings head coach Mike Steeves. “Great experience for the kids to get out in equipment. The stress and pressure of each play and the downs and distance, it’s just nice to get real-time reps.”
A group of 50-60 people gathered to watch the contest, a great turnout considering this was a preseason game with no bearing on the regular season. The lack of consequences gave both sides the opportunity to play a little riskier and try out some different plays.
Vincent Massey Vikings quarterback Charlie Gauthier throws the ball with pressure in his face during a preseason game against the Oak Park Raiders at Vincent Massey High School on Thursday. (Rowan McCarthy/The Brandon Sun)
The Vikings went for it on third and long multiple times in the opening half of the game in an effort to give their offence a few more reps.
“We were struggling. Little things just weren’t clicking so we wanted to get some plays,” said Steeves before adding that he loves going for it on third down during the season. He finds it to be a great way to spark the offence.
Oak Park is one of the best teams in the division, consistently competing for the top spot year after year, and it showed in the game against Massey.
The Raiders quickly took control in the first half, scoring on their first five drives. Their dynamic offence made heavy use of screen passes and the run game to control the field.
“It was good,” said Raiders head coach Chris Ollson. “Really appreciate Massey having us out here for the game.
“It was a good first step because now we know what to clean up and where to take the team from here.”
Their third score was particularly nice. Quarterback Blake Dagg made a long pass to the right that receiver Travis Irving caught with his fingertips before flipping into the endzone to seal the touchdown.
Pre-season games serve multiple purposes. They give teams the opportunity to try new plays, cut down their rosters and work on establishing what they will do for the regular season.
In this game, the teams didn’t keep score, and each quarter was 25-minutes of running time. The truth is that it was all about fine tuning for the upcoming season. For both teams, the goal was to get a taste of live action and assess their current position.
“It’s completely different compared to practice,” said Ollson. “You can try to replicate it as much as you can with speed and tempo and that, but until you get the game jerseys on the guys, that’s when they click in.”
As the game went on, the Viking started to find their rhythm. The defence cracked through the Raiders offensive line on several occasions, registering multiple sacks. In the second half, they forced multiple three and outs as they found success slowing down the potent Oak Park attack.
On offence, the Vikings showed a willingness to pass to ball in the first half. On their first few drives, Vikings quarterback Charlier Gauthier narrowly missed his receivers on multiple occasions. As time went on, he showcased his ability to scramble outside the pocket and throw on the run, leading to more completions.
Oak Park Raiders receiver Travis Irving catches a long ball thrown by quarterback Blake Dagg. The Raiders showcased their potent offence throughout the contest. (Rowan McCarthy/The Brandon Sun)
“We just want to get better, and I think we did a lot of that today,” said Gauthier. “Didn’t score, and that one is on me. I have to be a little better, be more accurate, be more on time.
“O-line held up well and I’m happy about that, so it’s exciting going into week one.”
Starting the season against a team like Oak Park has its advantages.
“You don’t have to worry about what a good team is anymore. You know what a good team looks like,” said Steeves. “For us to see one of the best teams in the province is to know that sure, they’re good, but with some work we can get there and we can compete.”
This is the hardest it may be all season. Not only is Oak Park a great team, but the Vikings are still working on coming together as a team. With more time at practice, players will be more confident in their roles and assignments, and the team will be a more cohesive unit.
Steeves and his team have a week to solidify what they learned before taking on the Vincent Massey Trojans in Winnipeg on Sept. 11. Then they’ll return home for a game against Steinbach a week later.
“It was an awesome challenge for us,” said Steeves. “It makes things looking forward a little less stressful in those games.”
» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com