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Published Saturday, November 07, 2009 in Sports

Vikings hope Saturday matinee won't be last

By Chris Goltermann

The Times-Herald

A Saturday afternoon matinee for high-school football may not provide as intense an atmosphere as a Friday night under the lights.

But for Northgate, today's trip to Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta to face Mays might be as good a scenario of the finality of the 2009 season.

While the majority of the state's GHSA teams played their final game of the regular season, the Vikings were left to watch. Unless the team finds a way to rebound from a two-game losing streak, future Friday nights this month are going to feel all too familiar.

Even through the struggles of a 3-6 season, however, Northgate is a victory away from the Class AAAA state playoffs for the second straight year. The Vikings are one of only five Region 5-AAAAA teams that for the past two seasons, been able to enter the final week of play knowing they have a shot of making the playoffs.

"If you had told every team at the beginning of the year that if the chance were to exist to play one game and if you win it, you'd make the playoffs, I think anybody's answer to that would be 'Absolutely,'" said Vikings head coach Bill Luckie. "We know it's a do or die situation. We win, we go on. We lose, we go home. It's as simple as that."

Mays, however, is also one of the above five teams to have another crack at the state playoffs. And the Raiders 2008 season didn't end nearly as well as Northgate's did. While the Vikings were upsetting second-place Banneker, Mays was eliminated in the region playoffs by Whitewater, falling 35-7.

Seeing Mays might have been a bit of surprise for the Northgate staff, which had expected to be playing Banneker for the fourth time in two seasons. But Villa Rica's 15-8 loss at Tri-Cities last week catapulted the Trojans into Friday's region title game against Sandy Creek and forced Villa Rica to travel to Starr's Mill.

It may be as big of a motivator for third-year head coach Dominic Calloway's team, which missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. A loss would end the Raiders 2009 season the same way as last year's 7-3 record, one win shy of the state playoffs.

Unlike 2008, Mays has peaked at the right time, winning four of its last five games highlighted by a 38-14 blowout win over then Region 5B-AAAA leader Villa Rica in the Georgia Dome. The effort was the largest margin of victory in what has been otherwise a week-to-week crusade to survive in the B-subregion. The Raiders barely held off Whitewater 19-13 in overtime and lost to an Alexander team that the Vikings dominated at home early in the year.

Last week, Mays beat winless Lithia Springs 28-21, giving up more points to the Lions than any other opponent did all season.

Northgate hasn't exactly been on the top of its game since winning back to back games, the latter of which a 23-14 victory over Whitewater. They've been outscored 62-16 in losses to McIntosh and Sandy Creek. Last week against A-subregion champion Sandy Creek, the Vikings were 0-for-9 on third-down conversions, including a double-reverse that forced Northgate to settle for its only points in a 37-3 loss, while trailing by 10 points early.

"We had some chances and we just couldn't take advantage. Last week we dropped a reverse that could have potentially been a first down," said Luckie. "When we've played well, we've gotten that big play somewhere to get us going."

Mays began the year with 13 starters back led by lineman Tim Wynn, who at 6-3, 270-pounds. Wynn, who plays offensive guard and has received offers from Indiana, East Carolina and Southern Miss, has helped lead the way for running back DeMario Turner (6-0, 240) and junior first-year quarterback Homer Causey (6-0, 180). Torrie Bowens has provided a 1-2 punch with Turner, scoring three times in a 28-25 win over Tri-Cities.

"We know Whitewater was our best game of the season," said Luckie. "The last two weeks, we've had people run the ball well against us. And that's what they like to do. Mays is predominantly a run team, so it doesn't get any easier."

One area where the Raiders have struggled is finishing victories. They led both Tri-Cities and Lithia Springs comfortably and watched each opponent close to within a score. Outside of last week's game against No. 3 state-ranked Sandy Creek, the Vikings have had a fourth-quarter lead in at least every game against a region opponent so far.

Northgate will have to muster more than the 44 total yards of offense it had through three periods of play against the Patriots last week. Field position played a major role for Sandy Creek, which had its first-six offensive drives start beyond its own 30-yard line.

While the rare Saturday game has offset some of Northgate's weekly routine, in addition to the switch from daylight savings time, Luckie sees the benefits of an extra day of practice. On Thursday, typically a day reserved for 'shells' or in some cases just helmets and shorts, the Vikings were in full pads.

"(Friday) we'll act like it's a typical Thursday for us," he said. "It'll be different for us on Saturday, more like a late college football game type atmosphere. We've been noticing the way the sun reflects on the field at that time and how that might be a factor."

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REGION 5-AAAA PLAYOFFS

Northgate (3-6) vs. Mays (7-2), 4 p.m., Lakewood Stadium, Atlanta

GETTING THERE: Take I-85 North 25 miles to Exit 77 at Langford Pkwy. (Old Lakewood Freeway).Follow Langford onto Lakewood Avenue. Make left onto Olive Street and Visitors parking should be 100 yards on left.

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