(Niles, MI) — In 2020, Niles staggered through the COVID football season with a 1-6 record, scoring 54 points for the season.

Not even the biggest dreamer could have envisioned the Vikings would punch a ticket to the state finals four years later by scoring 62 points in the semistate game.

That’s a credit to Hall of Fame coach Scot Shaw and a talented senior class which has the Vikings playing in the MHSAA state finals Friday afternoon for the first time in the school’s history.

“For all the fans that came out when teams were 1-6 or 0-9, it means everything to me that I can be the one to lead this team to the state championship,” says Niles quarterback Talen Bennett.

“Our seniors were really disappointed after the St. Joe game,” recalls Coach Shaw of the Vikings’ only loss in the season opener. “From that Monday on, it was a renewed emphasis on our attitude of how we went to work. We became a very, very physical football team. The last half of the season, people have rolled up the sidewalks in the fourth quarter because we’re pretty relentless and we’re pretty physical.”

The attitude of success has been there for four years according to senior running back Paul Hess III

“I always loved football and we were good in middle school and always thought we were gonna change the program,” says Hess, who rambled for 217 yards in the semistate win over Grand Rapids South Christian. “As we got here, we realized it’s not going to happen just like that. We knew we had to work hard. Obviously, Coach Shaw coming in…that changed the whole thing, leading us and also changing the offense.”

Shaw’s Flexbone attack has led the Vikings to outscoring teams 528-135 this season.  Now Niles has to be ready for a strong Goodrich team in Friday’s championship game at Ford Field.

“Goodrich is kinda like us,” notes Shaw, who won a state title with Three Rivers in 2003. “They’re double tight ends. They line up in the power-I. They like to run the ball. They know who they are and what they can do. Defensively, they never run the same thing two games in a row, so were getting ready for odd fronts, even fronts, unusual fronts.”

“We just want to win for the community and the fans. The town has caught fire and is excited and we’re excited for them.”

Friday’s game at Ford Field in Detroit has kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m.