Ricks College football has no where to go but down. But ideally, they would like to finish the season where they have started it -- ranked first in the nation.
"It is like having a bulls-eye printed on your back," said Viking coach Ron Haun who holds the best winning percentage in the nation at .811. "Starting the year ranked number one is a nice compliment, but we want to finish the year as the number one team."The Vikes have never won a NJCAA football championship in in Haun's 17 previous seasons as Ricks' skipper, but while compiling a glossy 150-35-2 record, he has come close a number of times.
Last season Ricks had but one loss, dropping a 22-18 decision to national champion Butler Community College in the Real Dairy Bowl. The loss was the only one for Ricks who finished third nationally for the second consecutive season. His teams have also notched three second-place finishes and a number of top-ten appearances in his stint with the Vikings.
With all this success, it is still the national title that eludes Haun and Ricks.
Playing in the Western States Football League gives Ricks some stiff competition in the form of two Utah schools, Snow and Dixie College and Mesa Community College in Arizona.
Dixie boasts a coach with a record almost as solid as Haun's and shows up in the national rankings almost as often while Snow has built its program's reputation enough in the last few years that they still make an appearance in the top 25 despite losing head coach Keith Uperesa.
Dixie was down in '98 going only 4-3 in the WSFL but they are solid contenders every year and showed up in 10th place in the national rankings.
Greg Croshaw has the fifth best current winning percentage in juco football and always factors into the championship picture with a traditionally strong running game.
Current Cincinnati Bengal running back Corey Dillon is the most famous Dixie alumni, but he is only one in a series of All-Americans and All-Region runners.
This season's candidate for greatness is Tony Jones, a smallish 150 lb. speedster from Las Vegas who returns from last season.
Among those opening holes for Jones will be -- and this is not a typo -- will be 6'8" 320 lb. Jeremy Shufelt from Ogden. The Rebel backfield also includes solid Bingham High quarterback Jake Schroeder while Springville product Cody Weight returns to anchor the defense.
Dixie will know how good it is right away when they face Tyler Texas Junior College to open their season September 4th.
Still, it's likely Dixie and Snow that stand in Ricks way of a WSFL title and a shot at the national championship.
The Vikings likely have the dates with those two schools marked on their calendars already.
Dixie, in all the heat of their campus in St. George, travel to sometimes cold Rexburg for Ricks' homecoming September 25th. The Vikings must travel to Snow, but not until October 30th which could effectively be for the league title if they can handle the Rebels.
Leading the Vikings will be pre-season All-American quarterback Ryan Harris who took over the starting job midway through last season and led the Vikes to their impressive season. Behind Harris on the depth chart is Brigham City's Marc Dunn who recently returned from an LDS mission.
"Ryan has really improved. Marc is an outstanding prospect. We think, before he gets through, he'll be as good as any we've ever had," Haun said. The good news for all the quarterbacks is that the center position is handled by Bart Teuscher, the Viking's other pre-season All-American.
"The offensive line could be a real strength for us. They are a talented group. There just aren't as many of them as we would like."
Depth is one of the challenges that Ricks is facing this year. League rules have mandated that the college carry only 65 players this year and only 30 players can be from out of the state of Idaho. Injuries are a real threat to weaken the team, especially on a national championship level.
The Vikings defense will not be a weak spot at all but Arizona State recruited Kurt Wallin from the defensive line leaving trench duties to Asi Vaioleti fresh from a mission and Sefo Raas, who brothers launched from Ricks to solid careers at BYU.
Mesa also appears to be on the upswing. Ranked 18th spot in the national polls, Croshaw feels that Arizona Western had an excellent recruiting year.