There's no decline at Decorah

DECORAH -- From a distance, it seemed Bill Post had a reconstruction project on his hands after the Decorah Vikings won last year's Class 3A state football championship."We lost a good group last year," Post said. "They left big shoes to fill."But they also left behind a group that wanted to make their own name for themselves. I think, statewide, we've flown under the radar a little bit. But we haven't been under the radar around here."Third-ranked Decorah (4-0 overall, 1-0 Class 3A District 5) hosts West Delaware (4-0, 2-0) Friday in a game that will be televised by KCRG Channel 9.2.The Vikings take an 18-game winning streak into the game. They ran the table last year, finishing with an exclamation point, devouring Sioux City Heelan 49-21 in the 3A championship game.This year? Well, it's business as usual with a new cast."You grow up in Decorah, and football is part of your life," said Holt Johansen, who has rushed for 366 yards and has collected 22 tackles."You start playing at a young age. It's a big part of you as you grow up."Johansen embodies Decorah football. He likes contact."I think our identity is that we're a hard-hitting team," he said. "We're really physical."Post said, "Holt, he wants to hit people so bad, instead of going to an open area, he'll look for somebody to run over."Johansen was a key member of last year's title run. A lot of these seniors -- 31 on this year's roster -- played behind last year's starters, practiced against them and bided their time."Practicing against those guys, it made these guys better," Post said.Decorah had to grind out a win in its opener, outlasting Waverly-Shell Rock, 17-14, in a game that was delayed by lightning.Since then, the Vikings have dominated. They handled Marion, Independence and Charles City by a combined margin of 118-15."The thing I'm most impressed with is our special teams," Post said. "They've made good plays, big plays that have changed the complexion of the game. Special teams have really turned the tide for us."Mikhail Suvorov has added 218 rushing yards. Suvorov is the son of a Luther College professor. The family moved from Russia to Decorah several years ago, and Mikhail became an American citizen in August.Austin Ashbacher leads the defense with 34 tackles, including six sacks.Friday's game is the most important to date for the Vikings. Johansen is hopeful of bigger things to come, in November."Everybody has been so focused, and has been since the summer lifting program," he said. "We want to repeat. It's in the back of everybody's mind. It's what we're striving for."