Spotlight on: Valhalla Norsemen

Hometown: El Cajon, Ca.

Group: San Diego Section

By Jimmy Oliver

SportsPower Correspondent

Norsemen were true warriors of the 9th and 10th centuries, capable of conquering regions of the globe through their vast naval armory. 

Meanwhile, the Valhalla Norsemen (State PR: 81.25, Rank: 7), though not trying to conquer via warfare, are certainly looking to take over the San Diego section of California high school football.

Coming into this weekend, Valhalla sits comfortably at 6-1 overall after starting the season a perfect 5-0 before falling to a tough Helix team, 28-14. On the heels of that defeat, the Norsemen crushed Monte Vista, 31-7. By the looks of it, this is a team determined to find its winning ways again, and by the looks of it, may very well do so through the end of the campaign. 

The Norsemen are loaded with talent and football prowess and are equipped with the ability to dominate the field the rest of the way. The combined record for the squad’s remaining opponents currently stands at 10-12.

Leading the way through a stretch run that could very well see Valhalla at 9-1 when all said and done is junior quarterback Peter Thomas.  Thomas has thrown for nearly 1,600 yards this season while hitting receivers for a whopping 19 touchdowns.  And perhaps even more impressive is the fact that he has only two interceptions in 168 attempts so far this season. 

While dominant through the air, the Norsemen also find success on the ground. Junior running back Traivonne Brown has amassed 437 yards and four touchdowns to date, averaging a stellar seven yards per attempt. Brown’s success, merged with a dynamic passing attack, has made the play calling a rather easy task for coach Steve Sutton. It’s apparent that this diverse, speedy and athletic offense has caused opposing defenses to simply guess at what’s coming next.

Defensively, the Norsemen have been conquering opponents in a variety of ways. Valhalla’s unit is assembled of playmakers, as evidenced by the team’s 12 total sacks and eight interceptions. Defensive lineman Shane Pennix has been a standout for his squad, leading the way with five sacks and 27 tackles altogether.

Sutton knows that while “a great offense puts people in the seats, a great defense wins championships.” 

Just as the Norsemen of centuries ago, the Valhalla Norsemen are rolling through the San Diego section with a mission of dominating all foes that stand in their way.  And so far, Sutton’s team appears to have the tools and the players to be the team standing on top by season’s end.

Next up: 10/31 vs. Steele Canyon (State PR: 68.01, Rank: 20). 

If you have any suggestions for upcoming spotlight teams, send an e-mail to editor Adam Warner at adam.warner@activenetwork.com.