Northridge football carrying shot of enthusiasm, confidence into 2023 season
JOHNSTOWN — The summer is a time of eternal optimism for high school football teams in Ohio, but Dustin Calhoun was tasked with instilling belief back into Northridge’s program.
The Vikings jumped up to 5-6 in 2021, but they slipped right back to 1-9 last season. Calhoun is the program’s third head coach in three seasons.
“The whole culture has changed. We have been pushed way more than last year and done a lot more conditioning,” senior linebacker Christian Ulrey said. “We will have a 50-50 record in my opinion this year, and I hope everybody else believes it, too. Last year, we had no discipline at all, and Calhoun has really changed us into a different kind of program.”
Northridge has a small senior class, but several juniors will be multi-year starters. The Vikings also have a talented sophomore class.
It is Calhoun’s job to not simply piece together lineups that will lead to success this season but add stability to the program. Jay Campbell left following the 2021 season for Mount Vernon, finishing a five-year stint at Northridge, and Tod King lasted just one season as his replacement.
“What we’ve talked about a lot with really the whole team is this is the start,” said Calhoun, a Heath graduate, who previously was a head coach at London. He most recently had a long stint as an assistant at rival Johnstown before stops at the collegiate level at Ohio Dominican and Otterbein.
“What I want the seniors to think and believe is 10 years from now they can look back and say this was the start of something special,” Calhoun added. “They are absolutely a part of the future.”
While Northridge will be far from a finished product in the early going, the fusion of energy and enthusiasm could be a boost for a team that needs a strong start.
The Vikings again will open with East Knox and Fredericktown, playing both on the road, before hosting Grandview Heights. The annual meat-grinder against Licking County League-Buckeye Division foes follows at mid-season.
“It’s a lot fast tempo. We are in a lot better shape,” senior linebacker Drew Bingham said. “He has really put in the work so far, and everybody can tell. We just have to believe as a team we can play well and win some games this year.”
Defense is Northridge’s focus after allowing 38 points or more in six games last season. Ulrey, Bingham and junior Cameron Brannigan form a core at linebacker.
Sophomore Gavin Wood and junior Jake Davis are athletic bookends. Senior Joshua Chestnut and junior Dylan Chambers are playmakers on the corners.
“Last year, I was a free safety, but I have played both positions my entire life so I know what I am doing at corner,” Chestnut said. “My best skill is probably seeing the field, so I am able to make those reads naturally.”
Northridge’s offense in an unknown both in style and production. The Vikings graduated do-everything quarterback Lane Hess, who threw for just shy of 900 yards and ran for more than 500, and all of his top weapons at the skill positions.
Drew Bingham and Brannigan both have the attributes to be physical runners. Sophomores Brayden Bingham and Ty Koehler, who moved down U.S. 62 from Johnstown, are candidates to start at quarterback when the Vikings visit the Bulldogs on Aug. 18, with junior Ben Aamodt and sophomore Charlie Kinkead targets outside.
Under the tutelage of accomplished line coach Bob German, Davis returns with experience at center, and senior Winton Arter, 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, and sophomore Landon Thompson, 6-2, 282, both have size at the tackle spots. Junior Antonio Theodoropoulos and sophomore Kam Lowry are candidates to play guard with Ulery able to rotate into the lineup.
“We put the grind in,” Ulrey said. “We are small, so you just have to have the best effort possible.”
The tenacity is what Calhoun is preaching. He has filled his staff with a mix of veterans and several recent graduates of Licking County schools. The common denominator is all have been successful as players and coaches.
The coaching staff has an air of confidence. The Vikings are feeding off it.
“It all flew by and just kind of hit us this year this is our last chance to make everybody realize what team we actually are. We have just been putting in the work and are ready to go,” Chestnut said. “(Calhoun) is definitely getting the whole team ready. We have all become a lot more united. The energy’s there, the positivity’s there. I am so excited for this season.”
740-973-4541
Twitter: @newark_sports
At a Glance
Coach: Dustin Calhoun
State Classification: Division VI, Region 23
In 2022: 1-9, 1-4
Key players: Christian Ulrey, Sr., OL/LB. Drew Bingham, Sr., RB/LB. Josh Chestnut, Sr., WR/DB. Cameron Brannigan, Jr., RB/LB. Jake Davis, Jr., OL/DL. Dylan Chambers, Jr., WR/DB. Winton Arter, Sr., OL/DL. Ben Aamodt, Jr., WR/DB.
What to expect: If Northridge's defensive line can hold its own, athletes in Bingham, Ulrey and Brannigan at linebacker and Chambers and Chestnut in the secondary should fly from sideline to sideline to disrupt opposing offenses. Bingham and Brannigan also will get their first opportunity to play significant time on the offensive side of the ball likely carrying the ball behind a line led by Davis at center.
Game to watch: Week 3 vs. Grandview Heights — The Vikings have played a barnburner with the Bobcats each of the last two seasons with the home team winning each game. The Vikings traditionally receive strong community support, and this will be their home opener after starting at East Knox and Fredericktown.
Postseason outlook: The Vikings are back in Division VI, where they reached the postseason in 2021. They were able to overcome an 0-2 start to finish the regular season 5-5 that year, but this season getting the best of their former Mid-Buckeye Conference foes the first two weeks would provide cushion before the schedule turns.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Northridge Vikings carrying shot of enthusiasm, confidence into 2023
