The Vikings made a leap to second place last year after struggling with three league wins and a fifth-place finish in 2021. Now, head coach Spencer Keddington is hoping his squad can take another step forward. 

Last season, Viewmont finished 5-5 in Region 5, tied with Bountiful and Woods Cross behind region winner Bonneville, which didn’t lose a league game. The Vikings did reach the Class 5A state tournament’s second round by beating Uintah at home in round one. The season came to an end with a 4-2 loss at Stansbury. Viewmont had an overall mark of 10-8.

Keddington, entering his ninth season as head coach, has some key players to replace. 

The top three scorers from last season are gone, so Viewmont will have to retool its offense. A year ago, Katie Garlick paced the squad with five goals, but she graduated. Megg Harrison and Brynn Rees, who both scored three goals, also graduated. Rees tallied a team-best eight assists. 

So who steps up for Viewmont this season?

Keddington has a few players to turn to, some of whom saw time on the field last season. One player to look out for is Annie Layton, a forward who scored a pair of goals last season as a freshman. Now, in her sophomore campaign, Layton should have a much bigger role in the offensive attack. Senior Katie Wersland, a fellow forward, had two goals and two assists in 2022. Junior defenders Sienna Allen and Brooklyn Jones will be important players for the Vikings this year. Senior midfielder Madi Bartholomew had a goal and an assist a season ago. Keddington said she is a team leader. 

“[Bartholomew] is the glue and heart of the team,” he said. “She’s always doing the right thing. I am excited to see who steps up and to see what role on the team the players will play.”

At the goalkeeper position, Keddington will need to sort out who replaces the departed Addi Welsh. She posted four shutouts last season. 

For the past few seasons, Viewmont has had 10 league games, as Region 5 has been a six-team region. It expands to eight teams this season with the arrival of Clearfield and Roy from Class 6A. That means the Vikings will have 14 region games and face a schedule that should challenge the players’ mettle. 

To be successful, Keddington said the team needs to commit to giving it their all – not just in games but in practice too. 

“We need everyone to come to practice every day with the goal of getting better,” he said. “If we do that and put egos aside, we can be pretty good.”

Viewmont, like many teams around the state, had an early start to the schedule. The first game was Aug. 1, a few weeks before classes began. The Vikings faced defending 6A champion Davis on the road before playing at Taylorsville Aug. 3. Clearfield will play a visit to Viewmont on Aug. 8 for the region opener. After facing Roy on the road on Sept. 26, the 5A state tournament begins. 

“Our team goals are to come together and be clicking by the end of the season so that we can make a playoff run,” Keddington said. “The girls are excited to get back at it and compete for opportunities to play.”