It rests on their big shoulders
Can they rebuild the line in time? That’s a frequent question being asked about the Minneota Vikings football team this year. It’s not an unfair question.
After all, center Ty Lipinski and tackle T.J. Esping are the only ones returning with significant playing time last year. And Esping is being asked to move around a bit to a tougher spot in the line.
Certainly, as they say, “The horses are in the barn.” But will they come out galloping or in a slow trot? That is the question. The easy answer for Coach Chad Johnston is, “We’re going in with high expectations.”
It’s a little more difficult to know exactly how this new line will perform. For them, they’ve got an ace in the hole — a running back with over 2,000 yards and a quarterback who has passed over 4,000 yards with 59 touchdowns. But even good backs are only as good as those blocking for them.
Certainly the Vikings feel confident with Lipinski, a center who Coach Johnston said is now, “Experienced. By the end of the year he was one of our better linemen.”
He calls Lipinski a leader who will likely play full time on defense at a linebacker position and perhaps even at defensive tackle at times.
“And, we definitely are giving him a shot at linebacker,” said the coach. Esping comes into the season between 260 and 270 pounds and with a state wrestling crown under his arm.
A wrestling heavyweight, he will now be expected to, “Play on both sides of the ball.” “We don’t have a lot of depth this year, so guys will have to figure it out,” he said.
By the same token, the coach is confident this is a group that will respond. Those with minimal experience now depended on to hoist the hopes of the Vikings on their shoulders include senior Ethan Krier, who got reserve time in the line last year.
Now, he may go both ways at tackle. Johnston says the team is pretty set at guard with juniors Cole VanOverbeke and Mitchell Rost. Rost is a 200-plus lineman, but VanOverbeke, a state tournament wrestler last year, is 170 with a lot of athleticism.
He lines up in the shadow of his big brother, Josh VanOverbeke, who was a top lineman and state wrestling champion.
Lipinski at center, VanOverbeke and Rost at guards and Esping, Krier and Lucas Bot at tackles seems to be the direction the team is heading. Throw tight end and defensive end Logan Sussner into the mix at 6-1, 205 pounds and you’ve got some nice-sized linemen.
Sussner, a former statistician when he was younger, grew into the center position in basketball and now will take aim at stopping and blocking opposing lineman.
VanOverbeke will get some time at defensive end. Linebacker Shawn Buysse will likely get some time in the Minneota line as well. On defense, Rost may also seem some time at linebacker. So this group may lack experience.
The “trenches” won’t be the same as last year — for sure.
But Coach Johnston warns, “Our cupboard is not bare.”