A young group of offensive linemen surprised one of Central Illinois' elite high school football coaches last year and because of that, there's a lot of excitement in a Heart of Illinois football program.

Tri-Valley football coach Josh Roop says he had a very young group of offensive linemen last year but they exceeded his expectations en route to an undefeated season and a quarterfinal loss to the eventual state champions in Class 2A Wilmington.

Coach Roop says his team lost some dynamic players off last year's team but he has a lot of confidence in the kids he has coming back for this year.

The Vikings have had some really good players go through their program over the years and Coach Roop says they can sometimes get reliant on one or two guys to be the primary playmakers but he feels this year he has really good depth at his skill positions.

The Vikings host Peru St. Bede to open the season on Friday, Aug. 30.