Marchman, Vikings ready for second half of season

RABBITTOWN - East Hall football coach Tim Marchman says he can finally move on with the rest of the season.

His Vikings are coming off an emotional win over West Hall last week - Marchman's old team - and Marchman said the closer it got, the more attention it took up.

"A lot of people were making a big deal about it so it's hard not to hear things or think things," he said. "I'm just glad it's over. There were a lot of mixed feelings and that always makes it tough to enjoy things."

Despite the distractions, East Hall (3-2, 3-2 in Region 7-AAA) is rolling, having won two straight games for the first time in over three years. The Vikings, however, will travel to Jasper to play another hot team in Pickens County (2-3, 2-3) which also has two straight after a slow start.

"They're playing very well and have a lot of returning players from last year," Marchman said. "They had some bad luck that went their way early or they could have won those other two games. This will be a big, big challenge for us, especially playing on the road."

Pickens just missed out on the playoffs last year, finishing in a tie with Johnson, who won the head-to-head meeting.

The Vikings are led by sophomore quarterback Lee Coleman, who is having an outstanding season, even as he continues to learn the position. Coleman has thrown for 561 yards and 7 touchdowns, which leads the county, but also thrown 7 interceptions.

"Lee is really improving with each game," Marchman said. "He's making better decisions and fewer mistakes every time out."

Running backs Todd Goss (66-275, 3 TDs) and Keith McClary (25-239, 3TDs) give the Vikings a solid backfield. Marquez Jackson leads the team in receiving with 17 catches for 225 yards and 3 TDs.

"I like where we're headed. We still have a lot of work to do but the kids are working hard and making progress. It should be a fun second half of the year," Marchman said.