New quarterback, line challenges for Vikings

Priorities, in no particular order. 1. Find a quarterback. 2. Build a new line. Both hold the keys to success for the Minneota Vikings football team in 2019. First, the quarterback issue.

Candidates, sophomore Kade Lozinski and freshman Isaac Pohlen. Both are a work in progress, both mainly inexperienced when it comes to leading a varsity football team. And both will operate behind a young, inexperienced line. “The two are battling for it,” said Coach Chad Johnston.

He indicated perhaps the older of the two, Lozinski, might have an upper hand. But going into last Saturday’s scrimmage at Tracy, the idea was to see them both in action before handing the job to one or the other. Because there’s a new quarterback, it’s easy to assume Minneota will call on their talented tailback Cole Sanow to carry the load.

But Johnston and his staff know defenses will be geared to stop Sanow and his running mates, so there has to be an alternative. “Right now we’ve got to simplify things. We’ve got to be able to throw the ball,” he said. The coach knows you have to have a way to pull defenders off your running backs — and the best way to do that is to throw the ball.

“We do have a group of talented receivers,” he said.

That group includes junior AJ Myhre, senior Alex Saltzer, senior Tate Walerius and junior Joey Rybinski — not to mention Sanow and Blake Reiss out of the backfield. And, “At times we’ll throw to Logan Sussner, the tight end,” said the coach. So the options there. The results depend on the execution. That brings us to the line.

Oh, yes, those boys who stand up front and block for the likes of Lozinski, Pohlen, Sanow, Reiss, Rybinski and others. Besides Sussner at tight end — the rest is being rebuilt. It looks something like this: Center — Sophomore Cole Myhre. Guards — Senior Grady Moorse and Sophomore Jackson Esping. Tackles — Junior Beau Banish and Junior Jacob Citterman. There are some interesting side stories in this line. For instance, Moorse hasn’t played a lot on the line and is coming from a running back position to the line.

Esping sat out last year recuperating from an operation on his surgically repaired shoulder. Myhre emerged as one of Minneota’s better golfers when he made it to the state tournament as a freshman — giving him some insight into athletic success. Banish started on defense last year and proved able, when his knees let him. He doctored off and on most of the season. Now he’s scheduled to go both ways and there are questions about his health and durability.

Citterman has little experience and is light for a tackle but shows a lot of versatility and athletic ability. “We’ll just have to deal with things as the season progresses,” said Coach Johnston.

Looking for backups, they’ve found players like Kaden Culver, who also is moving from a backfield position into the line. They know Sussner may have to help out the youngsters from time-to-time, and Coach Johnston calls him, “A key part in our system. We look for him to cover up for some of the others.

He looks very good.” Nice surprises emerged from the summer scrimmages in the form of Rybinski and Sophomore AJ Josephson.

Rybinski had a broken leg last summer and never really got much playing time. From what Coach Johnston has seen, he should help the running and the receiving games. Josephson, “Is going to be a wingback and a fullback,” meaning he may get his hands on the ball and also may be helping leading the way for other running backs. If Minneota got a break at all, it’s the fact the country of Austria is providing a kicker to the team.

Philip Jung is a soccer-style kicker whom Coach Johnston calls a, “Quiet, nice kid who kicks well.”

But the coach is quick to say, “He’s only been kicking a football for a week and a half,” so results may be erratic at first.

Saltzer will handle the punting. On the defensive side of the ball, Sussner and Citterman are the defensive ends, Esping and Banish the tackles and Sanow, Moorse the inside linebackers and Reiss, Josephson and Rybinski at outside linebackers.

Reiss will see some time at cornerback and so will Walerius. Myhre is the team’s safety. There are several others who may fit into the plans as well, including Jonah Gruenes, Jayden Gamrak, Cael Sorensen and others.

“We need some of these kids to step up — and we think they will,” said Coach Johnston.