The Seaford Vikings are on another journey to Valhalla.
Nassau County’s defending football champions are gearing up for what will ideally be another title run — this time finishing the job in the Long Island Championship, where the Norsemen heartbreakingly fell 20-19 to Bayport-Blue Point on a record-setting 47-yard walk-off field goal last November.
“It was some run we had — this year, they knew it, and they want to try and repeat it,” Vikings head coach Mike McHugh told The Post.
“I see a lot of commitment off the field, and a lot of personal commitment. Working out on their own … doing all the extra stuff … knowing their plays.”
Seaford is a 5-3 No. 3 seed, whose losses all came by three points or fewer this season heading into the Conference IV playoffs, where they face 6-2, 6-seed North Shore on Friday night.
Junior quarterback Finn Curry, who’s impressed McHugh and his air-it-out offense, likes their chances.
“I would honestly say our defense has stepped up every week. Our offense has been getting better every week — and just playing as a team,” he said.
Skol of hard knocks
The Vikings lost a dozen players to injuries throughout the season and used a next-man-up mentality to navigate the rough waters.
“Everything from dislocated elbows to concussions to shoulder injuries, knee injuries,” McHugh said. “But this is Seaford … as soon as somebody went down, there was somebody else to fill that slot.”
Seaford’s tight-knit squad got even closer by relying on its depth to stay in the playoff chase, and the green machine put up some impressive figures along the way.
“We’ve been getting shutouts a lot more than last year — three more than last year,” junior linebacker Brock Conway said. “Even with a bunch of guys hurt and new guys playing in position.”
Co-captain and senior left tackle Anthony Foglia said it’s been an easy task to “lead everyone to go the right way, to push everyone to get better every day.”
Blond bond
The team has a long-standing tradition of bleaching their hair Viking yellow every August as a symbol of unity that stays throughout the season — and typically doesn’t wash out until midwinter.
“It brings us all together,” said Foglia, who laughed that his parents would “rather not have it.”
Little things off the field turned into bigger ones on the gridiron, as senior running back Mikey Kofod wants to finish the job with a Long Island title in his last dance.
“Anything can happen, and every possession matters,” he said. “Having the ball, not turning it over, is definitely going to be a big factor.”
Conway is also looking forward to settling a few scores along the way — notably with a potential round two rematch against second-seeded Lynbrook (5-3), who beat the Vikings 24-21 in week one.
He’d also love another crack at top-seeded Floral Park (7-1), which narrowly won 14-13 in October.
“I like our chances, and I think this is a great group,” McHugh said.
“I think they’re all in, and we all believe.”
