After resurgent season, Treutlen shifting from hope to expectation in big games

The seeds for the Treutlen Vikings’ 2026 season actually began with a mindset head coach Alan Shurling began to plant towards the end of last year. 

“I just keep telling them, ‘Hey, guys, nobody’s going to come in and feel sorry for us,’” he said. “‘We’ve got to get out there and get the job done,’ and they kind of took hold of that towards the end of last year when we started making that a focus, kind of our saying.”

The Vikings walked away with a 6-5 overall record, going 4-2 in region games. It was their first winning season in 10 years, and first time reaching the postseason in over 15. 

But Shurling still went back over it all carefully, determined to weed out any missteps.

“A lot of those games were really close, and they could have gone either way,” he said. “So we really examined a lot of those games and kind of said, ‘All right, here’s where we’re struggling at, and that’s why the games were close,’ and so from there, we kind of got a game plan.”

Shurling’s focus for his players was the mental aspect, “Making them more mentally tough,” and aimed his offseason training at helping players fight through close games remembering that, because they are close, they are winnable. That has paid off in confidence the team didn’t have before. 

This season, the Vikings will no longer just be hoping to win, but instead expecting to win.

“When you’re around the kids now, they have a sense that they are going to win,” said Shurling. “They do expect to win football games, where, you know, in the past when I first got here three years ago, it’s kind of, ‘Ah, might win a couple.’”

Speed, and symmetry… 

Treutlen has not neglected physical training during the offseason. This year, the Vikings focused on improving their speed, as Shurling “felt like we had to get a little faster.”

“I told them I don’t like the whole ‘110 percent’ thing,” he said. “You can’t give 110 percent, you only give 100 percent, so anytime we’re doing something, just give me everything you got. And from there, if we keep stacking that on top of each other each day, we’re going to be pretty successful.”

Not much has changed since last season in terms of offensive and defensive strategy. 

The Vikings will still run a Wing-T offense, and a 3-3 defense, sticking with systems that will allow returning players to build on their previous experiences. 

“The kids are real comfortable,” Shurling said. “They know what’s expected. They know the offense, they know the defense, so it makes it easier on them… keeping them the same.”

But they will do some things differently. 

On the offensive side, Treutlen has moved from shoulder blocking to modern blocking, and is working to get more members of its backfield involved in running the ball. 

Though rushing leader Za’kian “Peanut” Tobler led the team with almost 850 yards and five touchdowns, he ended up accounting for a third of carries, and nearly half the team’s rushing yardage, creating a tendency that the Vikings needed to break. 

“That kind of hurt us, where only one guy could run the football and only one guy could block,” said Shurling. “Now we don’t have that issue. Everybody can do everything.” 

A more balanced backfield will mean an ability to go either direction that force defenses to defend more of the field. 

“We worked hard on getting that symmetry,” Shurling said. “Now, both wings can run the football, so that kind of opens up more to us offensively, because now we’re able to attack both sides of the defense instead of just one side.” 

Treutlen has also incorporated some spread packages into its offensive toolbelt.

On the defensive side, the Vikings have focused on aggression and gap control. Shurling said his players have begun to understand not just where to go, but why they need to be there.

“We spend a lot of time on them understanding how to fill the gaps,” said Shurling. “You know, make sure they’re in the right spot, how to not just know where to go, but now they’re starting to understand why they have to be where they’re at.”

A senior-led lineup… 

The Vikings lost two key players to graduation: Linemen Charvis Givens and Tyrone Jones. Both were major playmakers and team leaders last season. 

“Losing them hurts because that’s who we ran the ball behind, was those two, and on defense, we relied on them to make the plays,” said Shurling. “T.J. would make the calls for us, so losing them two hurt.”

But a large number of experienced players remain. The Vikings’ new lineup features over 10 seniors, with many of them having served as starters for three years.

Some players have had their positions rearranged to better support the team’s needs, such as Tobler, who was moved to defensive end from linebacker to help replace Givens and Jones up front. 

“He stepped up big time for us on that,” said Shurling.

Zaniel Stokes (6-1, 200) was also moved to outside linebacker after becoming “bigger and stronger” during the offseason. Stokes has also been helpful in positioning other players during plays.

“And, obviously, on offense he’s going to be a big threat for us as a wide receiver,” said Shurling.

Rounding out the team’s key players, Deverin Knowles (5-10, 160) has also stepped up as a blocking back on offense as well as a reliable ball-carrier. 

Dublin transfer Major Morton has stepped into the role of quarterback vacated by Kavion Peeples.

“Those are the main, key guys that are going to determine our success this year.” 

Be on time, and give the best you can… 

Shurling shares his team’s confidence that this can be another great year. 

The Vikings will be aiming to build on their 2025 success by earning a state playoff win. 

But his primary goal is not to win any specific game, but instead improve personally through being part of the program. 

“I’ve been holding them to the standard of just becoming better men and think about being better men, being everywhere you’re supposed to be on time, giving the best you can,” Shurling said.