Valencia may not have the deepest freshman football team in the Foothill League, but they don't expect their opponents to show any sympathy.

With 50 players on the roster and eight sidelined with injuries, head coach Kevin Kornegay said he's dealing with the smallest freshman squad he's seen in his six years with the program. Typically, about 70 players turn out for the team.

"When you're already thin and you lose a couple key guys, it makes it tough," he said.

It doesn't get any easy for the Vikings, who open up the season against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks on Sept. 10.

In past years, Kornegay has seen Notre Dame line up nearly a hundred players on the sideline, so he doesn't expect depth to be a problem for the Knights.

The offensive line was hit hardest with preseason injuries, costing both starting tackles, Nick Cromidas and Mason Foster time on the practice field. Cromidas injured his foot and requires crutches, while Foster, who could also start at linebacker, sprained his knee. Both players could return to the field in time for the season-opener.

Another potential starting linebacker, Alex Tapia, has also missed time with injuries sustained in a scrimmage. Tapia will also compete for the starting running back job with Isaac Lara. Kornegay calls it a "wait and see" situation between the two.

Jake Wallace will take the helm at the No. 1 quarterback spot, which will fit well into the pass-heavy offense Kornegay hopes to incorporate.

"He's got a lot of experience and he's taken a lot of the reps this year," he said.

Like Wallace, many of the players have multiple years of experience in Pop Warner Youth Football leagues around the area. The kids with experience are usually given priority when it comes to playing time, but Kornegay mainly wants to focus on retaining as many players as possible for future varsity teams.

"We try to make the freshman practice a little more fun and less intense," he said. "You don't want to scare them off."

Slowly but surely, the coaching staff has turned up the intensity of the practices to get the team ready for a difficult pre-league schedule, including both Notre Dame and Loyola of Los Angeles.

From there, Kornegay hopes to have all his players healthy for the Foothill League schedule. Everyday at the end of practice, the team does one last 100-meter sprint, which coaches refer to as the "Foothill sprints." It's a quick reminder of what the Vikings are working toward.

"Our goal is always to win the league," Kornegay said. "We don't look past anybody and we prepare for everybody."