Norland riding momentum as it braces for toughest foes
Miami Norland’s football team spent the offseason transforming its roster into one that could truly contend for a state championship in the state’s toughest class.
The first half of the season has given the Vikings time to fit all the pieces together.
Norland gave another demonstration on Wednesday night that it is ready to take its best shot at the crown after a 57-12 dismantling of Hialeah American at Traz Powell Stadium.
“This has formed into a team,” Vikings coach Daryle
Heidelburg said. “They’ve acclimated to what we like doing here at Norland and I love the enthusiasm and the way guys are fighting to make plays and playing team ball.”
The warmup is over for the Vikings (5-0), who entered the week ranked 27th nationally by MaxPreps.
After a bye next week, Norland will brace for the most important two games of its regular season as it takes on Miami Booker T. Washington and four-time reigning champion Miami Central in consecutive weeks.
“I feel like we’re in a good place right now and we have a lot of momentum,” Norland quarterback Ennio Yapoor said. “If we keep playing the way we are, I feel like the only team that can beat us is us. It’s amazing to see all these players come together and make plays.”
The Vikings, two-time state champions (2002, 2011), have had plenty of talent over the years, such as former NFL players Antonio Brown, Duke Johnson, Dwayne Bowe and Antwan Barnes.
But this year Norland has arguably its deepest, most versatile and physically strongest roster ever.
And on Wednesday that group imposed its will by scoring touchdowns in all three phases of the game.
Yapoor, a junior who won a state championship as an eighth-grader at Champagnat Catholic, threw three touchdown passes and ran for a 50yard score as the Vikings built a 42-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. Ivory Aikens caught a pair of those touchdown passes and Isaiah Scott the other. Juan Rodriguez also opened the scoring on a 19-yard scamper up the middle.
But it was more than just the Vikings’ passing game.
Scott also returned a punt 35 yards for a touchdown.
Norland’s stacked front four repeatedly broke through American’s offensive line and accounted for several sacks in the first half.
Larry Tarver took advantage of a rushed throw and picked off Patriots quarterback Santiago Villaman, returning it 30 yards for a touchdown.
“We’re blocking punts, we’re returning kicks,” Heidelburg said. ‘‘We had to change things a little bit and make sure we lift everyday and the kids have really bought in and are taking care of their bodies.”
Norland has scored 267 points in only five games (53.4 points per game) in wins over Lakeland, Miami Southridge, Miami Carol City, Miami Monsignor
Pace and American (2-2).
Its defense has allowed 11.8 points per game with most of that coming in its 48-34 win at Lakeland in the Vikings’ season opener.
Heidelburg, who coached Norland to its most recent state title, stressed the importance of his team maintaining its focus as it prepares to face two of its biggest obstacles on the potential road to another.
“We have to stay sharp,” he said. “Those teams we have coming up are going to want to beat us to validate their season as much as we want to beat them. We’re not taking any days off.”