Berry athletics photo by Anna La

By Brian Lester
D3sports.com

It’s been a handful of years since the Berry Vikings have competed on the national stage in the postseason even though they have maintained a track record of winning seasons.

Yet even before this season kicked off, before a meaningful down of football was played, there was a belief going into the year among the coaching staff and players that 2023 was going to be a really good one.

So far, so good for the Vikings (4-1), who are ranked No. 24 and whose only loss is to Trinity (Texas), the No. 5 team in the D3football.com poll.

“We’ve been out of the national spotlight a couple of years after winning the conference five straight years and going to the national playoffs. It’s good to be back in the mix,” head coach Tony Kunczewski said.

“You hate to compare teams, but this is one of the better teams we’ve had,” Kunczewski continued. “I’m pleased with the way things are going. Even in the spring, we thought this team could be pretty special.”

It was two weeks ago that Berry battled SAA foe Trinity at home at Valhalla Stadium and gave the Tigers all they could handle in a 46-37 loss. Berry led 14-7 after one quarter and was up 29-13 in the second before taking a 29-20 lead into halftime.

Though the second half didn’t quite go the way the Vikings had hoped, their upset bid dashed, they came out of the game feeling good about themselves and their hopes of potentially being a playoff team this season.

“We had a lot of fun playing that game,” senior captain and standout defensive lineman Kuannes Walker said. “We were really competitive. One thing we learned is Trinity is a pretty dang good team, but we are a pretty dang good team as well. It gave us a lot of confidence.”

Senior quarterback Blake Hembree, also a captain, spoke about that confidence factor as well amid the defeat.

“That week, I thought we had good preparation and a good mindset, and we believed we could go out and compete,” Hembree said. “There were a handful of plays where the execution wasn’t really there, but it showed us we can hang in there with the top teams.”

That game, much like the ones against UW-Whitewater the last two seasons, was an example of the demanding schedule the Vikings embrace.

“In order to gain some national attention, you want to play a tough schedule, and a lot of teams in our conference have upgraded their schedules. It’s a good thing for our conference overall,” Kunczewski said.

“The floor of our conference is rising,” Kunczewski continued. “Teams are getting it done. Sewanee is having a great year so far and Rhodes has turned things around with my good friend Rich Duncan (Berry’s former offensive coordinator) as the head coach. It’s going to be a challenge our last five games. We feel like we will have a good résumé if we hold up our end of the bargain come playoff time. We’ll see.”

What is evident already is the Vikings have the pieces in place to succeed. They are averaging 55 points per game and allowing just under 22 per outing.

Hembree has thrown for more than 1,000 yards (1,056) and 14 touchdowns while being picked off just twice.

Brandon Cade and Josh Rogers anchor a ground attack that is averaging nearly 300 yards (289.6) per contest, with the two combining for 14 scores, while four receivers have 13 or more catches and have all scored at least two touchdowns.

A veteran offensive line and defensive line haven’t hurt either, while the defense features 11 guys with 12 or more tackles.

“We have two of the top backs in the conference, a veteran offensive and defensive line, a veteran quarterback and receivers that stretch the field. We have everything you need to be successful in football in 2023,” Kunczewski said.

Hembree said his growing confidence and comfort as a quarterback has allowed him to help the offense charge ahead.

“There is comfort for me in the pocket, whereas last year at this time there was some indecision and I wasn’t as sound on my progression and reads,” Hembree said. “This year, each game I get more and more crisp. I have a great line, and great teammates, and I’m playing at a confident level.”

Walker said the defense is playing with a lot of confidence as well, allowing it to get its job done.

“We’ve gotten more comfortable with this being our second year in this defense,” Walker said. “We’re generating more pressure as a D-line, our run stop is good and we have great players in the secondary. I also think we’re getting great play calls from our defensive coordinator (Joel Elliott). He is putting us in a good place to succeed. We’re all out there doing our jobs.”

Walker and Hembree also talk about how everyone has bought in and believes they can play at a high level week in and week out.

They’ve laid a good foundation for 2023. The mission now is to keep the momentum rolling.

“We have to play our brand of football,” Hembree said. “We know in order to remove all doubt about us we have to win and win big. That’s the goal each week. We have to control what we can control. If we execute and play at a high level, we hope things will bounce our way.”

Continuing to believe in each other is also key.

“You have to believe in the guy standing next to you and know they have your back,” Walker said. “You have to have full confidence everyone is going to do their job and not try to do too much.”

It was 2019 when Berry last made the playoffs, capping a four-year stretch where they went 39-6 and won four consecutive SAA crowns. The Vikings are hopeful to make a postseason return later this fall.

What has helped this program become what it is since its inaugural season in 2013 is the culture that has been created, as well as the talent. Being in Rome, Georgia, the recruiting area is well-stocked.

“You draw a three-hour radius around Rome and you hit some of the best football in the country. It certainly works in our favor,” Kunczewski said.

As Kunczewski reflects on where this program is now after going winless in 2013 (0-9) and winning just two games in year two (2-8), he notes that if you had asked him then what he expected to see a decade later he might have sold the program a little short on where it would be at this point in program history.

What he knows for sure is his team will continue to put in the work as it strives to achieve its goals.

“We respect all of our opponents and take nothing for granted,” Kunczewski said. “So much hard work goes into each week, and whether you are playing a top five team or anyone else, the preparation has to be the same. Our guys work hard every week.”