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VIDALIA — The Vikings will face a battle tested General Trass (4-0) when they square off under the lights Friday night. Vidalia missed the last two weeks because of a positive COVID test and had to forfeit their games. 

Head coach Michael Norris said they had to wait until Wednesday to return to practice because of district policy. With players in quarantine for the last 14 days they should be ready to play. 

“Our guys are hungry and one thing about when you take something away from someone they appreciate it more,” Norris said. “They are ready to get after it. I wish I could say we hadn’t dealt with this last year, but we did. Fortunately Hudl allows the guys to watch film. We have a digital platform for them to watch film on. When we get back it is just the physical stuff we have to work on.”

During their quarantine, several of the Vikings came back to work out on their own. A few players could be seen running on the football field Tuesday a day before practice resumed. 

Friday night’s matchup is against one of the better teams in the state. He said the Panthers are a big opponent and made it to the state semifinals last season. Their quarterback will pose a threat to the Vikings defense. 

“He is a good runner and a thrower,” Norris said. “I think he was all-district last year. They are well coached, so it will be a challenge for us.” 

This week is a challenge for another reason entirely. While the Vikings have dealt with quarantine and are preparing for the No. 9 ranked team in Louisiana 2A football, homecoming week is underway. 

Norris said he wants the players to enjoy their high school experience, but they need to focus on the task at hand. Homecoming could be a distraction from the game Friday night. 

“Focus is going to be the biggest challenge,” Norris said. “We have to focus on controlling what we can control. We want perfect effort on every play. At practice we are going to go hard for two and a half hours. We just have to stay focused on football.” 

Vidalia will need a perfect effort to beat General Trass Friday night. They also need to win a few battles on the field to win the football game. 

“We have to win the turnover battle,” Norris said. “We have to control the line of scrimmage. They are going to put seven or eight guys in the box and make us throw it. We have to have sustained drives to keep the ball out of their hands and keep our defense off of the field.”