With the long, hot, summer days of the Santa Clarita Valley coming to a close, the Valencia junior varsity group is ready to play some football.

With the season opener against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks just a week away, things are starting to pick up at practice.

"The players are eager to get the season started," said JV head coach Curt White. "Fall camp is always kind of a grind because they're practicing all week with no games at the end."

This year's team feels pretty confident about its chances to compete for a Foothill League title given that the same unit finished 9-1 as freshmen in 2009.

Leading the way will be quarterback Sean Murphy, who has wide receivers Krishan Pierce, Cole Chadwell and Christian Berney as targets. Both Pierce and Chadwell will also start in the defensive backfield, White said, and Chadwell may serve as a triple threat and play running back as well.

While the offensive skill positions are pretty well set, the starting linemen have not yet been named on either side of the ball. Players are still competing for multiple offensive line spots and White called the competition for defensive end a "fierce" one.

The linebackers are also still competing, but the middle linebacker position is solidly filled by Branden Roelofson.

On the line, the Vikings have nose guard Grayson Largman and defensive tackle Jake Solley, who White calls a "smart player with good football instincts. He knows our system very well."

With just over 40 players on the roster, all sophomores, many of the more talented athletes will end up playing more than just one position.

"We don't have a lot of depth at certain positions, so we're going to be having guys playing both ways," White said.

Though a relatively small roster, the fifth-year head coach said it's one of the more cohesive groups he's seen. They're confident they can continue Valencia's tradition of winning at the varsity level.

"Each year, we seem to be right there competing for a league championship," White said. "When you have that, expectations are high and with that comes some pressure."

It's nothing the 2010 Vikings can't handle, he said, because this team is ready to start winning games. He fully expects this season to end in a Foothill League title for Valencia.