Look Who's Back
By Rudy Rodriguez-Chomat
October 27, 2003

Look who is back! 

It is the 2002 Class 6A state champion Norland Vikings. This is the same Norland that started this season 0-4 and looked like it was headed to the worst record in history the year after winning a state championship.

After four straight wins to even its record at 4-4 heading into the District 16-5A championship game next Thursday at Curtis Park against Edison, the Vikings look to pull off a big upset over the third ranked Red Raiders (7-1) to win the district after the horrific start.

What has brought the resurgence of the Vikings after they lost their first four games to Monsignor Pace, Carol City, Booker T. Washington, and Northwestern?

The answer is simple: Maturity and Defense.

Norland is a young team and took its lumps early in the season as it took on a very difficult schedule to open the season. Those lumps have helped Norland’s young players mature and coach Nigel Dunn definitely sees his team coming together, particularly after the beating the Vikings gave American.

This team has developed a family-like atmosphere and unity and it starts with Dunn who has his players attend church together every Sunday. That unity has certainly led to the field.

Since starting those four losses, Norland has defeated Jackson, American, Miami Beach and South Miami. The wins over Jackson and Miami Beach clinched at least the district runner-up position and a playoff berth, one that most people, including myself, thought simply was not going to happen after the Vikings lost their first four games.

A win over Edison will shut all the naysayers up and make the Vikings’ season and give Norland a totally unexpected district championship. It will also show that Norland is for real and a team to be reckoned with.

The defense is led by linebackers Jeffrey Martin and Phillip Brown. They have taken the role of leaders of the team. Chris Forbes has been the leader of the secondary that has limited opponents to only 48 yards passing per game and a defense that has only allowed 189 yards a game overall.

The defense has held the past four opponents to 0, 3, 6 and 7 points, while scoring 21 defensive points alone in their 34-3 win over American and have held opponents to 11.6 points per game.

The problem has been the offense.

The offense simply has to wake up only averaging 10 point per game. The running game is not the same as it was last season behind a much bigger offensive line together with All-Dade running back William Manley.

And the passing attack surely misses Robert Spence hitting big time playmakers Dwayne Bowe and Willie Pope.

What the Vikings do have is quarterback Martin Decembert who has to play the game of his life this Thursday to give Norland a legitimate chance to win. His offensive line has to give him time to hit Forbes and Terrance Williams, and has to find a way to keep Edison stud defensive tackle Richard Clebert out of the backfield to give them a chance to run the ball.

One thing is for sure about this team. They could have folded the tent after starting 0-4. They did not and that has shown the character of this team.

At the same time, this Thursday will be the true test when they battle Edison. 

Edison is coming off a huge win of its own, having knocked off top ranked Class 2A Chaminade 32-29 on a last second field goal by Rudy Bien-Aime, his second game winner of the year. The Red Raiders know that if they need a field goal to win it, they have plenty of confidence that Bien-Aime will deliver.

Edison had a ton of question marks floating around it, but answered them with the stunning come from behind win against Chaminade, a game the Red Raiders trailed 21-9 in the third quarter.

To win, Norland has to play practically perfect because talent-wise, the Vikings are overmatched, but win or lose, Norland has turned a disaster season into a success.