VALE – Arguably one of the top four Class 3A gridiron teams last year and with a pack of returning starters, the goals of the Vale High School varsity football team are lofty for the 2024 season.
High expectations are part of the Vale Viking football DNA and for more than 60 years the program backed up its reputation with championships and other state playoff action.
“Our expectation is to win the league and make a deep run in the playoffs. That is exactly the same expectation every year,” said coach Jeff Aldred.
The Vikings are known for their ability to reload with football talent and Aldred said the 2024 edition of his team is already well prepared for success.
“Our experience and our depth are two pretty key advantages going into the season,” said Aldred.
Aldred, entering his 10th year as coach, said 48 youth are on the team this year.
He said he is excited about the returning starters.
The Vikings will field a team with hard-earned know-how at key positions such as running back, wide receiver, tight end and positions on the offensive and defensive line.
“This is a group, a lot of them, that have been starting since they were sophomores,” he said.
Aldred said he has 14 experienced seniors are on the squad and 10 “will be key players.”
That includes Damick Eddy (tight end), Kase Schaffeld (running back), Skyler Cade (wide receiver) and offensive and defensive line veterans Mark Saunders, Gino Longoni and Jake DeVos.
Last year, Longoni claimed Class 3A state offensive lineman of the year honors while DeVos was all-state defensive lineman of the year.
Senior Brooks Aldred will start at quarterback, replacing former prep standout Colton Stepleton, who graduated.
Aldred led the Vikings junior varsity team from over center for the past three years.
“We are going to be as balanced as we possibly can be in both the run and the pass,” said Aldred.
Aldred said he believes the Viking defensive squad will also be solid.
“We feel we can be extremely balanced. We’ve also got some good, young players eager to prove what they can do,” he said.
The 2023 season ended on a sour note for the Vikings. Cascade Christian defeated Vale 27-26 in a quarterfinal contest. The loss capped a 9-1 season mark for Vale. Last year’s team outscored opponents 357-43 and rolled through the Eastern Oregon League undefeated.
While expectations are sky high, the Viking’s early-season schedule is grueling.
Vale opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31, with a rematch of the quarterfinal game against Cascade Christian. They play at Summit High School in Bend.
The next week, Vale travels to La Grande for a Sept. 6 contest and then plays Ontario at home Sept. 13. On Sept. 20, Vale plays Baker at home. Absent from the Viking schedule are Idaho teams. This year, though, Aldred said he decided against such games because they usually impact Vale’s standing in Oregon School Activities Association rankings.
Last year, for example, the Vikings finished undefeated but were ranked seventh at the end of the season. The lower ranking, Aldred believes, was influenced by the Idaho teams Vale faced and defeated.
Aldred was hesitant to point to any one team in the league that will pose a challenge for the Vikings. He said every team has the potential to turn a routine game into a meatgrinder. Along with Vale, the Eastern Oregon League consists of prep teams from Burns, Milton-Freewater, Nyssa and Umatilla.
“Burns made the playoffs last year and they didn’t graduate a whole bunch. So, they will be better. But this year there is nobody on the schedule we can even think about overlooking. That’s because everyone gives us their best shot,” he said.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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