Vikings’ Potratz reflects on memorable senior year

Despite playing bold and aggressive on the field, Potratz is quick to shed light on his team’s other contributions when asked about his performances.

“We’ve had a pretty strong core of seniors this year, and that starts with the O-line,” Potratz said.

“As a running back, running the ball isn’t really just a personal stat line. You’ve got five offensive linemen in front of you, so you kind of rely on the big boys up front to get a good push. That and our trainers who enable us to be successful week in and week out are the greatest.”

Potratz played a big part in a strong Vikings season. The team finished the regular season 4-2 before eventually losing to Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman in a heavyweight playoff showdown.

His senior year capped off a successful high school football career for Potratz, who won a championship with the pewee BMF Bucks in 2017 before conquering the mountain again for a bantam championship the following year with the NBCHS Junior Vikings.

That junior championship year was Potratz’s first running back, a position he would hold well into his years in the Vikings’ senior program, in addition to his added versatility, which he also held at a number of other positions during his senior year.

From fullback and a bit of linebacker on the defensive side of the ball, to receiver and his role as a fixture on special teams, there was no shortage of action for No. 33.

Potratz earned his stripes with the Vikings senior team as a support for the team’s attack from the backcourt during his 11th grade year. It’s an experience he attributes in part to taking his offseason training to the next level over the summer in preparation for his increasing role with the team this year.

“I think I’ve developed into a stronger and smarter player and my summer before 12th grade I just worked hard and tried to stay in as good shape as possible to prepare for this year of 12th grade to prepare,” he said. “That paid off for me because I was better utilized in many different positions.”

While the championships are memories Potratz can always cherish, he said perhaps the standout thing about his time playing high school football was the relationships that were formed.

“I think especially on those Thursday nights that you’re in there [locker]-room with the guys at home getting ready to perform in front of your home crowd,” he said after a moment’s thought. “I’ve played with these guys for many years and we’ve also had a lot of road trips with some great memories.

“You only get to play high school football once, so you just go out there and try to make the most of it every Thursday night.”

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