BERRY
Last season: 0-9, 0-6 in Southern Athletic Association
Key returning players: The Vikings return three productive sophomores to their starting lineup from its first season of football: wide receiver Chris Lilly, punter Mitchell Blanchard and linebacker Anthony Batey. Lilly (6-foot, 166 pounds) finished the season having appeared in nine games, with six starts. He led the Vikings in all-purpose yards with 1,045 and caught 32 passes for 532 yards. Blanchard (6-1, 168) appeared in 10 games. He punted 66 times for 2,515 yards. Of his 66 kicks, 11 were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Blanchard scored Berry's first touchdown on a 47-yard run during a fake-punt play against Rhodes on Sept. 28. Batey (6-1, 177) appeared in 10 games and started seven. He finished third in the conference with 84 tackles.
Emerging players: Kunczewski said his offense is his largest concern for 2014. After rotating three quarterbacks in the starting lineup last season, he has narrowed the race to sophomores Dale Jackson and Adam Sandin. Jackson appeared in seven games and made one start last season. He completed 26 of 63 pass attempts for 272 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Sandin appeared in eight games and made six starts. He completed 56 of 114 pass attempts for a team-best 738 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
For the future: In his second recruiting class, coach Tony Kunczewski said he filled some of his team's needs on offense with freshmen such as running back Jalen Tuggle. Kunczewski expects sophomore Trey Ciresi to come back with a vengeance in 2014. The wide receiver did not make an appearance last season because he was sidelined with a high school knee injury, but coach said Ciresi is recovered and able to help take a load off Lilly. Kunczewski said the 2014 recruiting class also includes a good number of safeties and defensive linemen.
They'll have a winning season if: The Vikings are looking for the program's first victory and are a young team. Wins at home against conference opponents Rhodes, Washington and Millsaps would be Kunczewski's best bet for establishing momentum and support for his Vikings. But Kunczewski said his focus is more on building a significant team that improves from week to week versus a statistically successful team. "Rome wasn't built in a day," he joked.
They'll come up short if: After a losing inaugural season, Berry's young NCAA Division III program has a lot of work ahead of it. The Vikings need to improve on offense and defense. They scored an average of 10 points per game in 2013, while their opponents averaged about 37. Berry needs a boost of power on offense and a stronger defensive line.
Chatter: By the 2015 season the Vikings will play in a true home stadium, but until its completion, Berry will continue to host its home games at Barron Stadium in Rome.
Must-see games: The Vikings' Oct. 4 game against Washington (Mo.) will be Berry's 100th anniversary Mountain Day game, the college's version of homecoming.
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