The past few summers for Moriah high school football players are spent with 7 a.m. morning practices. These early practices lead to positive results. For the past five seasons the Vikings have won four sectional championships and two state championship appearances in 2019 and 2021. After a 2023 season which ended in a down to the wire contest against Stillwater high school in the Class D regional finals, Second-Year Head Coach Casey Nephew says he hopes this year’s team can use that loss as motivation to make a deeper run in the state playoffs. “We played a tough game against Stillwater last year where we fell just shot,” Nephew said. “A lot of those kids are back after that loss. They’ve experienced it. Hopefully they can use that and build on that. Hopefully, we can have some success.”The Vikings lose 13 seniors from that core, but still return a solid nucleus of players, including senior tight end Cooper Allen alongside senior quarterback Joe Pelkey and other returners such as senior running back Jacob Mascarenes and senior wideout Isaac White who will be involved in more plays this season. Allen added that to get the underclassmen and newer players up to speed it will take the right attitude from everyone on the roster. “Just discipline and working hard,” Allen said. “That’s what is going to get them there. If you work hard and you’re disciplined, the sky is the limit.” Pelkey and Allen were a part of a passing game which created an added element on the offensive end to the Vikings typical ground and pound rushing attack. Pelkey is confident to potentially throw more his senior season, but at the same time understands the importance of sticking with the staple Moriah ground game. “I’m confident to pass the ball, but you know how Moriah is,” Pelkey said. “We’re ground and pound, we are going to run the ball as much as we can, but we’ll mix in the pass definitely.” Moriah opens its season on the road in a Saturday, Sept. 13 matinee against Saranac Lake High School. Kickoff for that contest is at 1:30 p.m.
The past few summers for Moriah high school football players are spent with 7 a.m. morning practices. These early practices lead to positive results.
For the past five seasons the Vikings have won four sectional championships and two state championship appearances in 2019 and 2021. After a 2023 season which ended in a down to the wire contest against Stillwater high school in the Class D regional finals, Second-Year Head Coach Casey Nephew says he hopes this year’s team can use that loss as motivation to make a deeper run in the state playoffs.
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“We played a tough game against Stillwater last year where we fell just shot,” Nephew said. “A lot of those kids are back after that loss. They’ve experienced it. Hopefully they can use that and build on that. Hopefully, we can have some success.”
The Vikings lose 13 seniors from that core, but still return a solid nucleus of players, including senior tight end Cooper Allen alongside senior quarterback Joe Pelkey and other returners such as senior running back Jacob Mascarenes and senior wideout Isaac White who will be involved in more plays this season.
Allen added that to get the underclassmen and newer players up to speed it will take the right attitude from everyone on the roster.
“Just discipline and working hard,” Allen said. “That’s what is going to get them there. If you work hard and you’re disciplined, the sky is the limit.”
Pelkey and Allen were a part of a passing game which created an added element on the offensive end to the Vikings typical ground and pound rushing attack. Pelkey is confident to potentially throw more his senior season, but at the same time understands the importance of sticking with the staple Moriah ground game.
“I’m confident to pass the ball, but you know how Moriah is,” Pelkey said. “We’re ground and pound, we are going to run the ball as much as we can, but we’ll mix in the pass definitely.”
Moriah opens its season on the road in a Saturday, Sept. 13 matinee against Saranac Lake High School. Kickoff for that contest is at 1:30 p.m.
