Niles Football Preview
Niles has had one of the more intriguing offseasons in a long time. They hired a new head coach and thought they had their guy until he left for another job. The Vikings then had to turn around and do…
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Continue ReadingNiles has had one of the more intriguing offseasons in a long time. They hired a new head coach and thought they had their guy until he left for another job. The Vikings then had to turn around and do another coaching search. They landed on Scot Shaw to be their new head coach. Now that they finally have a head coach they can get back to work. Niles hasn’t had a winning season since 2014 and the Vikings are hoping Shaw is the right guy for the job.
Last year, the 2020 season was rough on the Vikings. They only managed 54 total points on the entire season. They went 1-6 and had some tough losses to swallow. They were shut out back-to-back weeks at home. They finished their season with an embarrassing loss to Lakeshore 44-6. Shaw has an uphill battle but he has some talent to work with.
Niles very well could be turning to Conner Pickens to be their starting QB. Pickens is 5’10 and has the ability to run. He’s a decent athlete and has the ability to extend plays. We haven’t seen him play much QB so it’s hard to give an evaluation. He does have experience playing Safety and is a sure tackle when needed. He’s a solid athlete and has the ability to grow into something special if he gets into the weight room.
Kimoni Mcclean is the leader for the Vikings on defense. He’s their starting FS and likes to be known for his work ethic. He’s 6’0″ and 165 lbs. He doesn’t give up on any play closes in a hurry. He’s gritty and likes to be an energy source for the team. He has good ball skills and will lay out and make a diving INT if given a chance. He’s a key piece to their success this season and I think he understands that.
Niles begins their new era on the 26th at home against Sturgis. We just did a preview of Sturgis if you want to go look and have an understanding of both sides heading into that game. Niles then hits the road before coming back home against Edwardsburg. The Vikings finish their regular season on the road against Dowagiac on October 22nd at 7 PM. There’s a bunch of excitement in the air as we get closer to the season.