Vikings reach playoff goal Anthony Gainey AURELIAN SPRINGS — At the beginning of football season the Northwest Halifax squad had only one goal set for themselves — make it to the playoffs. The Vikings will travel 150 miles to Siler City Friday night to play the Jordan Matthews Jets. For the second consecutive year Northwest Halifax had clinched a berth in the playoffs making it to the post season for the third time in four years. Under the leadership of Head coach Andre Stewart the football program is turning around. The Vikings have won 13 games in two seasons, but have won 16 in the last three. “Our program has turned the corner and we are successful in so many ways including the playoffs,” said Stewart. “I’m happy we have reached our goal, we have some seniors who are seeing their third time in the playoffs and that’s good for them to experience,” says Stewart. At the start of the season Stewart and his staff told their squad that it’s broken down into two seasons. One is the regular season and now the playoffs. They had to play one way to get there now it’s time to regroup and keep going forward to stay alive throughout the different rounds. The Vikings though, are just a little nicked up and bruised, but still are relatively healthy for another round of Friday night lights. Northwest has their usual weapons such as running back Brandon Daniels who rushed for 1,008 yards last season and collected 1,100 this season by rushing for 132 during the game against Roanoke Rapids. With quarterback Sydney Hilliard at the ready the Vikings will take on the Jets with only one thing in mind — play the game. |