New coach, new QB, same winning tradition for Puyallup football
They feel in Puyallup as if the pieces are aligning in a positive way for the Vikings football team.
It began months ago when, after Covid-19 delayed and shortened the football season, coach Gary Jeffers stepped down. A few weeks later, assistant (and 2003 Puyallup alum) Brian Grout was named to replace him.
“When I was a kid, this was it,” Grout said of the Puyallup job. “A lot of the older guys, a lot of the older alumni, reached out to me. They all told me, ‘Ah, they got one of us.’ That meant a lot to me. It has meant something to me for a long time. It was a goal of mine.”
Grout already was familiar with the program as an assistant, of course. This will be his fifth year with the Vikings as a coach.
That fact helped because he already knew his players. He knew his leaders. He knew his talented senior class when they all went to team camp over the summer.
So setting the goals for this first full season in two years started to fall into place.
“Having a brand new head coach and all that, definitely we’re looking to show that we are that team that can still make it to the playoffs,” senior offensive lineman Tyler Lawrence said. “We’ll be giving everyone a good run for their money.”
The Vikings turned the concept of money into a rallying cry at that team camp. They chose a slogan for the season, “Get your money.”
“At first, as a team coach, it sounded really individualistic,” Grout said. “But then I watched the boys talk, I saw the passion, and I think you can see their enthusiasm and energy towards it. They can frame it right. It’s about us and it’s about each player putting in the work and the sacrifice and the dedication for the betterment of the team, which is the message we give our kids.”
Building a team chemistry is key, these Vikings say. They know they have talent.
In the backfield, senior Ziere Ford ran for 564 yards and nine touchdowns during the six-game spring campaign. With him will be Ryan Cramer, a junior, who contributed 318 yards as a sophomore.
“We have a great team bond,” Ford said. “We all hold a high standard for each other. Everybody has to play their role. And we like to run it, but we have a great receiving core, too.”
At the forefront of that passing attack is Jordan Dwyer, another senior. Dwyer hauled in 36 catches for 558 yards in his six spring contests as Puyallup went 5-1, with the Vikings’ only loss coming at the hands of the team everyone expects to be the SPSL favorite again this fall in Graham-Kapowsin.
The Vikings travel to face the Eagles on Sept. 24 in a Week 4 showdown. But Puyallup players are not focused there.
“We’ve got a real strong league,” Dwyer said. “But we’re not focused on that. We’re just focused on building a team chemistry this year and coming out strong. When it’s game time, the path will handle that.”
To a man, the Vikings say three things must happen on the field to capitalize on these team-building bonds that have been created.
“We’ve got to run the football,” Grout said. “Defensively, we’ve got to fight for every blade of grass. And we’ve got to dominate the third phase of the game (special teams). We have as many explosive weapons as anyone in all three phases. I’m confident as anyone in the state. We are inexperienced and we have some work to do on coming together. But our seniors have that vision and are willing to do that work to bring along our juniors and sophomores.”
By running the football, the Vikings understand they open up the passing game for their new quarterback, junior Micah Balzarini.
“Running the ball opens up the pass game,” Dwyer said. “That’s me. We’ve got the keys to do it. We’ve got the weapons to do it. We’ve got the defense to do it. We’ve just got to put it all together.”
PUYALLUP VIKINGS
Coach: Brian Grout, 1st year
Spring 2021 record: 5-1, second place in 4A SPSL
Offensive coordinator, base scheme: Brian McKechnie, Spread/Multiple
Defensive coordinator, base scheme: Spencer Boyes, 3-4
Top players: OL/DL Dave Iuli, 6-5, 320, sr.; WR Jordan Dwyer, 6-1, 180, sr.; RB Ziere Ford, 5-7, 200, sr.; OL Tyler Lawrence, 6-4, 300, sr.; QB Micah Balzarini, 6-2, 185, jr.; RB Ryan Cramer, 5-10, 170, jr.; CB Zion Jones, 6-3, 180, jr.; LB Garrett Farmer, 6-1, 220, jr.; DB Wyatt Gordon, 6-0, 180, jr.
Outlook: Building a team chemistry is key, these Vikings say. They know they have talent. In the backfield, senior Ziere Ford ran for 564 yards and nine touchdowns during the six-game spring campaign. With him will be Ryan Cramer, a junior, who contributed 318 yards as a sophomore. At the forefront of that passing attack is Jordan Dwyer, another senior. Dwyer hauled in 36 catches for 558 yards in his six spring contests. This fall, he will catch passes from new quarterback Micah Balzarini, a junior.
This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New coach, new QB, same winning tradition for Puyallup football."