Lower Richland quarterback Collis Martin tries to avoid the rush of Spring Valley’s Marcus Bullard (56), Josh Benjamin (65), and Derrick Taylor. Senior offensive lineman Zach Kibler was talking about differences in the team’s blocking philosophy.

Yet, he may have hit upon the imagery that captures what he and his Spring Valley High School teammates hope will be the football program’s turnaround.

“We’ve switched from falling back to firing off the ball,” Kibler said.

Against Lower Richland, Kibler and his line mates fired off the ball well enough to lead the Vikings (1–1) to a 42–12 victory in their home– opener on Aug. 27 at the newly renovated Harry Parone Stadium.

Spring Valley rushed for 331 yards on 57 carries to consume 31:24 of the clock thanks to the wingbone offense installed by Miles Aldridge and staff, who are in their first season.

Spring Valley’s Craig Steedley “This year we’ve had to change almost everything,” Kibler said of the lineman. “We’ve switched from pass blocking to a three–point stance. I like this style. It forces us to work harder.”

The linemen understand that the Vikings’ hopes for success this year rest on their shoulders, not on the skill position players.

“We had to step up,” senior lineman Edward Kim said. “Last year it was step back, and it was about the backs. This year it’s about the line. If we do our jobs—if we do a good job every play—the backs are going to succeed.”

Against Lower Richland, ten backs found success. Dwayne Duckett found the most, rushing for 93 yards on seven carries; 62 of those came on a second–quarter carry that set up Spring Valley’s third touchdown (in as many possessions) of the first half. Michael Isreal rushed for 55 yards on 11 carries and scored the Vikings’ first two touchdowns. Also finding the end zone twice was Tobias Young. Rounding out the scoring was quarterback Austin Hill and Duckett.

Despite the balance and the stats, no one is ready to claim success.

“We’re a long way off from where I want to see us,” Miles said. “We’re two games into an 11 game season. But our linemen are starting to understand the system, what they need to do, how to recognize defensive fronts and the different looks, and how to get on the right people.”

That need for development underscored why the line was on the field well into the second half.

“Games like this give us the chance to keep growing together,” Kibler said. “We have to keep working together and coming together as a group on the line. If we can keep doing that, we’ll be able to succeed against any defensive line in our region.”