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There is another Vikings quarterback turning heads this season who's not sporting a No. 4 on his chest.

Minneota Viking quarterback Sam Derynck has been one of the most productive passers in the area, helping lead his team to an 8-0 regular-season record and a Section 5A Championship to lift the Vikings to the Class A State Tournament.

"Sam's obviously been a kid that's been put into this position as a three-year starter. He's been playing since his sophomore year," said Minneota head coach Chad Johnston. "What he really brings is a lot of experience at a very key position, offensively, for you. Obviously, the quarterback spot is the main spot as far as making adjustments and making calls and doing all those things, so that experience has been very helpful for us."

Derynck threw for 1,177 yards, 18 touchdowns and just three picks in his regular season campaign but his success didn't end there. He then had a three-touchdown pass performance against Lakeview in the opening round of the playoffs, followed with two touchdowns against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in the semifinals and one touchdown against Dawson-Boyd in the Section 5A Championship.

"He's got a very good work ethic and has worked hard to become a very good passer," said Johnston. "Obviously, that is very, very crucial, especially to a team like us, that prides themselves on balance. We're able to throw the ball fairly effectively and we're able to run the ball fairly effectively, which is a key to our success."

Above all the statistics, however, Derynck helped the Vikings reach a feat that they came so close to reaching last season a state tournament berth.

"We knew what our goals were at the beginning of the year," he said. "We wanted to get back to where we were at last year, and we did. I think the experience from last year helped us win that game last Friday (in the Section 5A Championship)."

Derynck and the Vikings reached the section championship last season and met up with Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, but the Fighting Saints scored with 11.7 seconds to end the Vikings' season and their hopes of reaching a state tournament. KMS went on to win the Class A state title.

"It was a motivational factor," Derynck said. "We knew how close we were. Losing to the state champions in the final 11 seconds, we knew how good of a team we could be and it just made us work harder all year."

The lasting feeling of a close defeat helped spark the Minneota football team for this season, and the spark eventually grew into a fire as the Vikings torched opponents all season long, including two 71-0 victories and one 77-0 victory in the opening round of the playoffs.

But the offense didn't become what it is over night.

"Me, Tony Noyes and Will Kurka have a pretty good chemistry," Derynck said of his receiving core. "We've been together for the past three years and we just worked in the off-season on our timing and all of our routes."

Noyes and Kurka caught a combined 13 touchdowns in the regular season seven for Kurka and six for Noyes so the work paid off for the senior trio.

"I know what Tony or Will will do," Derynck said. "I trust that even if I throw it bad, they will make the catch. I just have a lot of faith in them."

Derynck has been able to put up some of his statistics throughout the season as a result of having the luxury to hand the ball off to one of the best backs in the area.

Brandon Anderson found the end zone 19 times in the regular season and totaled over 1,000 yards on the ground.

"I think the running game compliments the passing game from the point of view that it's difficult for teams just to pin their ears back and try to speed rush you all the time, because we're fairly good at running draws and fairly good at running other types of run plays," Johnston said. "It keeps a lot of teams a little more honest."

"Brandon has been doing an excellent job this year, along with our offensive line," said Derynck. "It has defenses focusing on more than one thing - they have to focus on the run and the pass. It keeps the defense on their heels a little bit and it makes my job a whole lot easier."

But Derynck will now suit up for a situation that he has yet to encounter as a high school quarterback - a state tournament game.

"We just take every game like it's any other game," he said. "We're not to our goal yet and we always tell ourselves that we want to be state champions and we just focus on that goal."

The first step towards that goal will come tonight when the Vikings take to the field opposite Barnesville at 6 p.m. in Morris to open the Class A State Tournament.