TRIN TOTAL MEDIA • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 • 69
VALLEY • ALLEGHENY
COACH MUZZY COLOSIMO AND HIS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
ELIJAH MURRAY
SCHEDULE
Coach: Muzzy Colosimo
2019 record: 1-9, 0-6
All-time record: 262-248-9
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Burrell* 7
9.18 at North Catholic*# 7
9.25 Deer Lakes* 7
10.2 at Freeport* 7
10.9 Derry* 7
10.16 at Yough 7
10.23 at East Allegheny* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
#AT MARS ATHLETIC COMPLEX
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Cayden Quinn
Receiving Vaun Ross*
Rushing Justin Hooper
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• The Vikings haven’t had a
winning season since 2016
when they went 6-3 and haven’t
made the playoffs since
2013.
• Valley lost two games last
year by a touchdown or less
and led Freedom, 10-7, in the
third quarter of their Sept. 27
matchup.
• Valley scored 13 offensive
touchdowns last season.
• Since taking over in 2014,
Muzzy Colosimo has gone
21-35 with the Vikings but
hasn’t made the playoffs.
VALLEY WILL RELY ON
NEWFOUND EXPERIENCE
The Valley Vikings lacked experience last
season, and it showed early.
They had a first-year starting quarterback,
one returning starter on offense and four on
defense, and they lacked strong line play. Despite
their 1-9 record, the young team started
to develop and learn from their mistakes as the
season progressed.
They earned their win Sept. 13 over Imani
Christian, 22-6, then they scored a season-high
28 points against Apollo-Ridge three weeks
later, which was the third-highest total Apollo
Ridge allowed all season. The Vikings also
scored two touchdowns in each of their final
two games.
Senior running back Justin Hooper believes
what they accomplished toward the end of last
season will be a major factor in how they play
this season.
“That will be very big for us this year,”
Hooper said. “We pretty much have the same
line this year, and they are just getting bigger
and faster this season, so I think we’ll be able
to score more touchdowns than last season.”
Unlike last year, the Vikings will have plenty
of seniors. Venerable coach Muzzy Colosimo
said he has 10 seniors, and they played a big
role in offseason workouts.
Like always, teams can expect the Vikings
to run the ball.
With Hooper returning to the backfield and
senior Richard Miller and juniors Dario Wolfe
and Tyreese Swindler returning up front, the
Vikings could find success on the ground. But
Colosimo believes they might be able to stretch
the field, as well.
“We should be able to run the ball; we have
three returning linemen, with Hooper and
three fullbacks back,” Colosimo said. “Anybody
that knows me knows that I want to run the ball,
but we also have some nice outside receivers.”
Colosimo said senior tight end Elijah Murray
will be a big piece of the passing game, and a
few new athletes such as Addison Jackson and
Thomas Albert will help stretch the field. The
success of the passing game will fall on senior
quarterback Cayden Quinn.
The 5-foot-8, 160-pounder struggled with turnovers
in his first year as a starter, but Colosimo
said Quinn has taken a few steps forward.
“It looks like his arm is stronger, and he realizes
that he doesn’t need to throw if he doesn’t
have to,” Colosimo said.
With a new sense of enthusiasm heading
into this year and a wealth of experience from
a year ago, the Vikings are hoping to move
forward as a program.
“We’re pretty positive this year, after last
year,” Murray said. “We were pretty young and
had a few seniors, but everyone is feeling more
experienced this year so we’re really looking
forward to it.”
by GREG MACAFEE “Anybody that knows me knows that I
want to run the ball, but we also have
some nice outside receivers.”
MUZZY COLOSIMO
VALLEY COACH