Football season ends in a loss
The Hudson Valley football team fell to East Coast Prep 38-13 in their last game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9.
“I don’t think we executed the way we are capable of,” said Head Coach Mike Muehling. “It wasn’t a very good game for us.”
The Vikings finished with a 2-7 record in their first season as an independent program.
“Despite the score board, I really think our guys kept their composure and showed strong character as men,” said Muehling.
Hudson Valley lead the opposition 7-3 early in the second quarter and was still in the game at halftime, down 17-7.
“We felt like we were right in it, but in the second half they didn’t make any mistakes and we did,” said freshman running back Tyler Gagnon.
The Vikings wouldn’t score again until late in the fourth quarter. Both touchdowns they scored were 39 and 4 yard rushes by Gagnon.
“I would’ve rather had a win than the two touchdowns,” Gagnon said.
Turnovers would be the downfall of the Vikings in this game.
“You can’t win football games when you turn the football over,” Gagnon said.
“That’s on me. We’ll address it and get it fixed,” said Muehling. “Fortunately for us, we have some time before our next game to do so.”
Not only did the defense have to defend extra possessions, but they couldn’t get off of the field and allowed four rushing touchdowns.
Last season the Vikings lost by more than 20 points in six of nine games and lost by more than 40 in three.
This year, Hudson Valley’s only loss by 40 was to No. 5 ranked Nassau, who only lost four games by twenty. They also lost three games by only ten points combined.
“We were three plays away from being a five win team,” Muehling said.
“We were in a lot of games that we just couldn’t finish. There was some bad luck and it was rough,” Gagnon said.
The Vikings showed strengths running the ball throughout the season with Tyler Gagnon and Elijah Udoh as well as receiving games from wide receivers Varney Dassin, Brandon Egan-Thorpe and Mikel Demonte and tight end Jarrid Wilkinson.
Muehling and the rest of the coaching staff believe that the future of the program can keep improving and be successful.
“We’re proud of the strong culture that we are developing and we hope that we can have the right pieces in order to keep getting better,” Muehling said.
As winter sports begin, the football team rounds out the regular season for fall sports.
“I’m gonna miss it in a week,” Gagnon said.
Gagnon is unsure of whether or not he will be a Viking next season.
“It’s undecided. It depends on what goes on in the off season,” said Gagnon.
The Vikings two wins this season were a 23-13 win at Erie and a 20-10 second half comeback win at Ithaca JV.