Pigskin Preview: West Columbus Vikings looking to turn lessons into playoff progress
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — West Columbus is looking to take the next step this season after a 3-8 campaign last year. The Vikings came within three points of advancing to the second round of the playoffs, a narrow loss the team says it has not forgotten as it prepares for 2026.
“Going three and eight was kind of like a disappointment,” senior quarterback DJ Graham said. “That was our record for the last two years, so we just trying to improve off that.”
Head coach La Mont Williamson said the Vikings are determined to make sure last season’s disappointment becomes motivation.
“Kind of bad taste in our mouth last season knowing that we didn’t finish the job,” Williamson said. “We wanna come this season and finish the job – advance to the second round.”
A big part of that push will come from Graham, who gives the Vikings an offensive threat both through the air and on the ground.
Junior wide receiver and defensive back Xavier Savage believes West Columbus has the pieces to be one of the more explosive offenses in the conference.
“I think we have one of the most explosive and athletic offenses in the conference,” Savage said. “As long as we give 100%, we gonna score.”
But for Graham, his senior season is about more than statistics and touchdowns. He wants to see the Vikings grow – both on and off the field.
“I just want them to say that they can see that we grew,” Graham said. “That’s all I want to see, is that we grew as people and as players.”
That growth will be especially important for a young West Columbus roster. The Vikings have just eight seniors, leaving plenty of opportunities for underclassmen to take on bigger roles. Williamson said he feels confident in the players stepping into those spots.
“There are guys that we have in spots that I feel real good about this year and they can make plays for us,” he said.
The Vikings’ formula for improvement comes down to three words: determined, dedicated and disciplined. Williamson calls it the team’s “3-D” mentality – and he wants it to become part of West Columbus’ identity every time the team takes the field.
The first opportunity to put that mindset to the test comes Friday, August 21, when the Vikings open the season against Whiteville.
