It isn’t often that a team graduates one of the best players in the state to a Division I college scholarship and has opposing coaches expecting virtually no drop-off the following year. But that is how much of the rest of the KVAC views the Vikings. Coach Scott Graffam doesn’t completely disagree.

“It’s hard to say when you lose a kid as talented as Andrew (Fleming) and you have to replace him. But we have all of the parts except that power center,” Graffam said.

After playing through Fleming on both ends for the last three years, the Vikings will be more of a perimeter-oriented team. Graffam said this is the best shooting team he’s had in a decade, since Matt McDonnell and the Kothe twins roamed the 3-point arc. Opposing defenses won’t be able to focus in on trying to contain one player.

But it is still a fairly young team, so there are questions about how they will defend, rebound and react to the more physical teams in the KVAC and AA North.

With some more seasoning, the Vikings should be one of the top teams in the region again.