Stephen Slezak, Campus Carrier asst. sports editor
The 2024 Berry College football season is quickly approaching as the Vikings look to continue to build on the success achieved last year. During the 2023 season, the Vikings ended with a 9-1 record, finishing second in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA).
Tony Kunczewski is back for his 11th season as the head coach of the Vikings. Through the previous 10 seasons, Kunczewski has compiled an impressive record of 74-34, with a 36-4 record at home. During his tenure at Berry, the Vikings have won five SAA championships and made three appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) playoffs. Berry comes into the season ranked 25th in the country in the Division III preseason rankings.
“It gives nice recognition for our program our program, for our school,” Kunczewski said. “What matters is winning the
conference championship.”
To win a conference championship, the offseason is a priority for Berry in growing as a player. Coming into the 2024 season, Viking fans have a lot to be excited about from what the players have been doing in their offseason. Defensive coordinator Joel Elliott praised the makeup of the team coming into this year’s fall camp.
“They’ve done a great job of working hard this offseason; Guys came back to camp in shape,” Elliott said.
There are 16 returning players who received recognition from the SAA from the 2023 football season. Returning this much talent helps each player improve and provides crucial competition for the team.
Returning players include Senior linebacker Grady Bryant, who has a clear goal in mind when entering this season.
“The first thing that we always want to accomplish is winning that SAA championship,” Bryant said. “My senior class has not won one yet. It is all or nothing for us now. We’ve talked about that the whole spring, the whole summer leading up to this.”
Winning the SAA is an accomplishment, with other schools in the conference competing all year just to have the opportunity to be able to claim the conference championship. Walker Williams, a senior tight end at Berry, is already looking forward to playing Trinity University, winner of the SAA in 2023.
“Trinity every year, just because we have lost to them the past three years,” Williams said. “Last year we should have won that game.”
Berry plays two preseason nationally ranked teams this year. Trinity is ranked 13th in the country and hosts Berry on Oct. 26. Randolph-Macon is ranked 10th and hosts Berry on Sept. 21.
Seniors Brandon Cade and Jake Whitten were recognized nationally in the preseason All American awards. Cade earned second team All American, while Witten earned third team All American. Cade being a running back and Whitten a safety provides valuable experience and leadership on both sides of the ball for the Vikings. Cade has accumulated 2,872 rushing yards in his career at Berry, over a span of 29 games. Whitten has 96 total tackles through his three years at Berry.
“It makes it nice when one of your best players is probably one of your hardest workers,” Kunczewski said. “We’re expecting big things from Brandon.”
“Jake has been a big part of what we have done here the last two years, obviously going to be a big part of what we’re doing now,” Elliott said. “He provides a lot of leadership on the back end.” “He’s got a concept of what the whole defense should look like.”
With the departure of Blake Hembree at quarterback, the Vikings look to replace his skillset and leadership. The offense averaged 54 points per game with Hembree starting at quarterback, a number that is hard to believe.
“We have plenty of guys that are vying for that spot,” Kunczewski said. “We will probably have multiple capable guys.”
The goal in winning the SAA would mean a tremendous amount to this year’s senior class, a class that has not yet achieved that.
“It would mean everything,” Bryant said. “An SAA championship would be something that I know I have been trying to get and looking forward to for four years so I’m hoping we get there this year.”
Williams is confident in this year’s team in achieving that goal. “It would be awesome. It would mean everything,” Williams said. “That’s what we work for every year”.
The Vikings kick off their season Sept. 7 at Huntington College in their quest for their spot back at the top of the SAA.