Gaby Harris, assist. sports editor
The Berry football team suffered their first loss of the season against the Trinity Tigers on Oct. 3 with a score of 23-6. The team had a quick turnaround as they immediately prepared to face the Rhodes Lynx the following Friday. The Vikings put up a dominant score of 50-7 to place themselves back in the win column following their previous loss.
Junior wide receiver Cameron Coleman reflected on the loss against Trinity and said the team made a lot of mental mistakes they don’t usually make. While giving the Tigers credit as a great team, Coleman felt like the game would’ve been winnable if the Vikings had not made those uncharacteristic errors.
“We’re still a very young team,” Coleman said. “The game showed our inexperience.”
The team didn’t let the loss alter their confidence as they acknowledged the mistakes made during their film session and moved on in preparation for the next week. While the outcome of the Trinity game wasn’t what the team had hoped for, junior defensive end Malaki Knight knew that losing was a part of the sport.
“Somebody had to lose on Saturday,” Knight said. “Not everybody wins and it just happened to be us.”
Head Football Coach Tony Kunczewski has emphasized to the team not to be results driven but instead to focus on the process. It’s a part of the mindset the football team maintains and has helped them with their success over the years. Kunczewski makes it a focal point to mention the culture the staff has built and makes sure the team is abiding by that while being disciplined and selfless.
“You learn more from the losses than you do the wins,” Kunczewski said. “We can’t turn back time and get this game over again, but what we can do is learn from the mistakes that we made and get better from it in the future.”
The preparation going into the Trinity game didn’t change from what the team had done all season. The players and coaches knew it was a big game as the conference championship usually came down to the two teams.
Senior quarterback Andrew Hunter said the team felt prepared for the game, but the outcome didn’t reflect the team’s hard work.
“I thought we prepared well all week, but some things didn’t go our way,” Hunter said. “We just had too many big mistakes in big moments.”
While it never feels good to lose, the Vikings learned resilience and how to avoid repeating the mistakes they made.
“The loss showed we’re resilient and I think that comes from our coaches who built a great culture to where we know how to bounce back and shake that Trinity game off,” Hunter said. “Every week is a new week, that’s our mindset, and we proved it.”
The game was important because Berry and Trinity were fighting for the number one spot in the conference. However, the Vikings didn’t let the defeat drag them down and didn’t take time to dwell on what they could’ve done better. Instead, they used it as fuel to improve as they prepared for the Rhodes game and the rest of the season.
“I feel like it revealed our true nature of what we’re supposed to be, I feel like the Trinity game was a waking up point for us,” Coleman said. “We had played some close games before then, and sometimes you need a loss to wake you up.”
The team’s mentality is something that hasn’t faltered after a win or loss. Hunter believes the team has a great mindset going into every game and does a good job of not letting the moment get too big. Going into the games level headed has made the team successful this season.
“We’re focused on ourselves, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” Hunter said.
The difference in the team’s approach became more noticeable heading into the Rhodes matchup. After feeling the pressure of the Trinity game, the Vikings entered the following week with a different mindset. Coleman said the team was able to focus more on playing the game rather than worrying about the outcome.
“We were very tense going into the Trinity game,” Coleman said. “I feel like going into Rhodes, we were more focused and were able to play more freely. You’re not having to think as much and feel the pressure, so we were just able to go out and have fun.”
Although the team kept their mentality, the team adjusted its approach to preparation for the Rhodes game. The coaching staff simplified aspects of the game plan, allowing players to focus on execution rather than overthinking their responsibilities. Coleman said the adjustments helped the Vikings play more efficiently and maintain control throughout the game.
“We simplified a lot of our game plan things going into Rhodes, which allowed us to play cleaner, faster and it allowed us to get a lead on them and maintain it,” Coleman said.
The week following the Trinity loss gave the Vikings an opportunity to address the issues that had affected their performance. Rather than allowing the result to carry over into another game, the team focused on correcting those mistakes and improving their execution. Hunter said the experience provided a lesson the team carried into its next matchup.
“You just can’t have those mistakes,” Hunter said. “It was a good learning experience for us and we’ve really buttoned everything up since then.”
The Vikings are currently on a three game win streak after the loss to Trinity and a big part of that is the closeness of the players. The team has found success in working together as a unit while being vocal about the areas of the game where they can improve. Hunter has been a part of many changes to the team during his four years at Berry but he thinks the camaraderie on this year’s team is special.
“This is the closest team I’ve played on here at Berry,” Hunter said.
Hunter’s main target throughout the season has been Coleman, and the teammates connected for a touchdown despite the loss against Trinity. The quarterback and wide receiver duo have remained a consistent connection throughout the season. However, the connection didn’t form overnight. It took a lot of practice and reps for them to get their timing right.
“I think both of us trusting each other is the biggest thing,” Hunter said. “Knowing I can always go to him and trust him to make a play is what makes our connection so strong.”
Coach Kunczewski knew that Trinity was a tough opponent and unfortunately the Vikings made costly mistakes that the Tigers capitalized on. Kunczewski acknowledged that the team lost early on last season to Carnegie Mellon and won nine straight games after that. He hopes this year’s team will do the same but the loss didn’t define their season and his message to the team stayed the same.
“I think I’m way harder after wins than I am after losses,” Kunczewski said.
The team prepared to face Rhodes on Oct. 9. The team was excited to get back on the field after coming off the loss to Trinity. The players were pleased as the game was moved to a Friday night due to the weather, allowing the teams to play a day earlier than usual. As a result, the Vikings made the most of the opportunity as they won the game 50-7 and scored four touchdowns in the second quarter alone.
“I don’t think the Rhodes game was our limit, we can definitely surpass that,” Knight said. “That game was just a peek of what we can be.”
The victory provided an opportunity for Berry to demonstrate what the team could accomplish when its preparation translated into execution. After struggling to find its rhythm against Trinity, the Vikings delivered a more complete performance against Rhodes. Hunter viewed the win as an important step forward and an indication of the team’s potential moving into the remainder of the season.
“It was our most complete game going against Rhodes, so I think it was good getting that momentum back,” Hunter said. “Seeing what we can do, and if we play clean, how good we can really be.”
While football is a game based on wins and losses, Coach Kunczewski hopes his team takes away more than that when it’s all said and done. He wants his players to learn lessons beyond football and hopes they will take his advice with them in the future.
“I understand the goal is to keep scoring to win, but at the same time, we’re also building lasting relationships,” Kunczewski said.
The Vikings are currently tied with the Trinity Tigers for second place in the conference. The Vikings are 3-1 in conference play with three games remaining as they prepare to play Centre College at Valhalla Stadium this Saturday. The Colonels are fifth in the conference with a record of 2-2.
The Vikings would need to win their last three games and hope for Trinity to lose at least one more game in order to win the conference out right. The Tigers currently hold the head-to-head win over the Vikings while Berry has the head-to-head advantage over Maryville. The conference champion could come down to the very last game which makes the remaining games important for the Vikings.