TEAM OUTLOOK

Hopkins had a rare non-playoff season in 2023 for head coach Cody Francis, as they went 2-7 with a very young team and snapped a 5-year playoffs-made streak. The Vikings stay in the OK-Silver, which will shuffle in and out a few teams this year, but provide a schedule that could allow for the Viking to get back on top of the conference and back to their winning ways in ‘24.

The Vikings run the old-school flexbone veer triple option offense, and will have several options to choose from at QB as they look to replace last year’s option trigger man Colton Kennedy at QB, Christian Smigiel was an all-conference baseball standout last seasons and will be one of the guys in the race for that spot, along with playing in the defensive secondary.The team will have a deep mix of backs to look to in the backfield as well. Caleb Steingold will draw into a TE/WR spot, alternating between the roles when the team will occasionally shift up the offense out of the flexbone into a split back or even shotgun spread option look.

The defense will be led from a strength at linebacker and senior Aaron Arnsman, who was one of the team’s top tacklers in 2023 and will return to look to do that again in 2024. Caleb Steingold, as a hybrid SS/OLB will also be a leader returning from last year’s defense.

Their schedule will provide a chance to bounce back, with only 3 of 9 opponents being playoff qualifiers in 2023, and only Belding winning more than six games. The Vikings will play the Black Knights in week nine, in a possible conference-deciding clash, if both teams play to their traditional level in 2024.