Vikings’ aim: rule North side
Olson builds program that aspires to dominate
Amundsen is no longer content with being one of the top North Side football teams. The Vikings want to be the best Public League program on that side of the city.
They shut out Clark 44-0 on Friday at Rockne Stadium behind the running of sophomore Reggie Mitchell to clinch their fifth consecutive IHSA playoff berth.
But with one regular-season game left next Friday at Lane, they’re far from satisfied.
“The job’s not done,” Vikings coach Nick Olson said. “We’re not happy just to be here. We want to go up there and we want to have a great game with Lane Tech and we want to take it to them.
“We want to claim the North Side of the city and say we are the best team on the North Side. We want to be the North Side powerhouse. So kids on the North Side, when they want to go play football, they’re going to think Amundsen Vikings.”
It has been quite a rise for Amundsen (6-2, 5-1 Public Red). In 2015, 12 players showed up for the first day of practice when Olson took over the program, then in the Public League’s lowest tier. The Vikings went 1-7 that season but haven’t had a losing record since as they have steadily risen through the Public League ranks.
They began this weekend tied for second in the Red, CPS’ 16-team superconference. Their only league loss was to Red leader Morgan Park, and last week they beat fellow North Side power Taft.
All this while retooling on the fly after graduating 22 seniors, including standouts such as Adam Muench and Chris Clark. Amundsen’s offensive skills group has almost entirely turned over.
“It’s a machine,” Olson said. “It’s just plug and go. I’m a firm believer that if you coach these kids up, they will do the job for you. But it all starts with the coaching staff, and I’ve got a pretty great coaching staff.”
Stars such as Mitchell, fellow running back Ryan McMunn and quarterback Elmir Gjeka have emerged. Mitchell ran 10 times for 188 yards and a touchdown, while McMunn had eight carries for 83 yards and a TD. Gejka
passed for 82 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score.
“Reggie grew up this season,” Olson said. “The Taft game was the coming-out party for him. We always knew he was going to be special. His football IQ is just going through the roof now. He’s seeing the holes, and he’s really doing a phenomenal job.”
Mitchell deflected the credit for his big game, saying, “The line did great. They were the ones who really did all the work.”
“He’s been like that all year,” Gjeka said. “We expected it, too. He’s a secret weapon.”
Though the Lane game is circled on the Vikings’ calendar, they also have bigger goals. Amundsen is 0-4 all-time in the IHSA playoffs but was competitive in a 35-21 loss to Harlem last season.
“Now we’ve got so much momentum that we’re going to go and hopefully win that first playoff game,” Mitchell said.