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Published Thursday, November 13, 2008

Luckie, Viking staff deserve credit

Following last week's 24-21 Region 5-AAAA playoff win over Banneker, a Trojan football assistant grabbed me after the game and pointed to Northgate head coach Bill Luckie. In emphatic fashion he said, "That man is the slam dunk region coach of the year."

Win or lose tonight at Marist, the days of a 1-9 Northgate season seem more like a distant memory.

I've been covering Northgate football for 10 seasons. I've seen a great number of kids come and go. Northgate has transitioned in this time from Class A to AA, now AAAA.

I can't recall a time I was more proud to be associated with the Vikings than on a Friday night two weeks ago in Tyrone.

The Northgate coaching staff implemented a masterful game plan. The players bought into it, carried it out, and nearly pulled off the biggest upset in school history. They lost the game 7-0 to Sandy Creek but the players won over the respect of every single person in the stands.

Coaching certainly is a thankless job, at all levels. Pro coaches answer to the owner, college coaches to their athletic director and moreover to the mass voices of school boosters and alumni -- namely the folks who write the checks.

Even when high school coaches lose, they occasionally wake up and find a "For Sale" sign sticking in their front lawn. Think it doesn't happen. Read H.G. Bissinger's "Friday Night Lights," the book that came before the TV series. At times, the prep level can be more brutal when set in more quaint settings, where you see fans, parents and boosters every day at the grocery store, the gas station or just picking up the daily mail.

Some football fans probably couldn't tell you the difference between a b-gap and a c-gap. They are sitting beside you in the stands, yelling at the coaches. They know everything about the sport, the team, and the opponent.

I have learned one thing through the years. When high school teams win, fans typically point to the players. When they lose, it's typically someone else's fault.

But the Viking coaching staff need to be congratulated on what has been an exceptional turnaround. Not many believed a state playoff berth would be possible, especially after watching Woodward Academy, Northgate's former region rival, run up and down the field during the Vikings' preseason scrimmage.

But Northgate improved game in and game out and has earned an unlikely state playoff berth. What the Northgate coaching staff has done this year is nothing short of amazing. They have had their team ready to play every single night. The missed tackles from earlier in the season have been corrected and imperative blocking assignments are now being executed by the Vikings.

Winning games is nice, but it's not even the most vital thing Northgate players gain from their high school playing experience.

In this world, now more so than ever, character still counts. There's no greater honor than when a parent turns their son or daughter over to you. And when that time comes, a parent needs a child to be in good hands.

It's impossible for me to explain how fortunate these kids are to be placed with Luckie and his capable staff. I look at these men and I see honesty, integrity, values, and leadership.

The Northgate High School administration also deserves credit for standing behind their man.

They interviewed some prominent applicants for the head coaching position, but when it came time to make a hire, they chose Luckie as the best candidate to lead the Vikings.

Northgate is a good football team, led by the man that is indeed the slam-dunk choice to be selected as Region 5-AAAA coach of the year. The team has a plethora of underclassmen, so things are only going to get better.

I completely agree. The same man, the same staff that many Northgate faithful had questions about a year ago.

This coaching staff, with the exception of Northgate announcer Marty Webb's awareness, still had not been congratulated on a fine season.

No matter the outcome tonight, one thing has to be said. Congratulations to the Vikings and their coaches on a tremendous football season.

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