marksville — Jeff Hancock and the Vidalia Vikings started a completely new project at the beginning of the season, and Friday night, they ran into a Marksville team, whose project had been going on for some time.

“They’re good,” said Hancock of the Tigers. “They are big and physical and kicked our butts. It showed that they are bigger and stronger. I told the team at the end of the game that they are a good team, and the bottom line is they’ve had three or four years of a good weight program. We haven’t had a chance to do that.”

With the loss, the Vikings fall to 0-7 on the year, while the Tigers improved to 5-2.

Antione Taylor and Julian Wilson led the way on the ground for the Vikings and Hancock said he was happy with their performance.

“Julian had some nice runs in the second half of the game,” he said. “Antoine did good, too, but they are much bigger and stronger and we weren’t able to get a whole lot of movement on the line.”

Hancock said he is also seeing his senior quarterback, Landon Seyfarth, developing nicely.

“He’s getting better,” Hancock said. “He has worked hard and made some leaps at quarterback. He is a senior that hasn’t really played, but he is becoming a good leader and executing the plays we are asking him to.”

The season has been a tough one for the Vikings, who are in their first year under Hancock. But the new head coach is confident his team will find their stride.

Hancock recently used a two-platoon approach with his team, which he believes may be the answer in getting the best players on the field for the Vikings at the right time.

Next up for Vidalia is a district road game against Avoyelles (4-3) who defeated Jena 36-28 Friday night.