By: Ty Carpenter
Posted on: Wednesday, August 12, 2026

< < Back to

WILLOW WOOD, Ohio (WOUB) — Just a year removed from a four-win season, Symmes Valley emerged as one of the SOC-I’s top teams. 

The 2025 Vikings won nine games, set a program record for points scored and earned their first playoff victory in more than five years. For fifth-year head coach Ben Ferguson, this success was a product of a young roster gaining experience. 

“The year before last really set the tone for last year’s season,” said Ferguson. “Then last year, I think was just a culmination of the work they’ve put in.” 

The Vikings, however, have not spent their offseason focused on their accomplishments.  

“I think if you would ask them about what they think about from last season, yeah great, we won nine games!” said Ferguson. “But the thing they think about is the three we lost.” 

That mindset is held by a roster that graduated just two seniors, returning nearly every key contributor from last season’s team.  

“It’s a huge advantage as a coach because at this point, some of these guys have seen two, three … four years of action. It’s like having a coach out there on the field,” said Ferguson. “Those growing pains really paid off.” 

The returning experience starts at quarterback, where junior Bronx Carpenter is back after completing a breakout sophomore season. Carpenter threw for 2,555 yards and 30 touchdowns and added on four more with his legs. He completed 68% of his passes and only turned the ball over eight times.  

“Just a dream to coach … He’s got a lot of arm talent. He can put the ball where it is, throw any route…” said Ferguson. “He’s a guy who never gets too high when things are going good. But also never gets too low. And I think that rubs off on the rest of players around him.” 

Carpenter will again have many of his top playmakers around him. Receiver Jackson Fields returns for his junior season after totaling 966 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in just nine games. Running back Asher Maynard returns beside him in the backfield after punching in 16 touchdowns on the ground in the pass-heavy offense.  

Carpenter said the offense has continued developing over the offseason.  

“We’ve built a lot of chemistry over spring break and over the summer. We’ve been throwing a lot extra, … staying after practice, throwing extra routes.” 

But the offensive side of the ball is not the only side with star power returning. Linebacker Caleb Mount also returns after recording 76 tackles, 25 of which were solo tackles, alongside 12 tackles for loss and five sacks.  

With these returners, the Vikings’ expectations now extend beyond just another playoff appearance. They also hope to win the SOC-I crown, which has been held by the Eastern Eagles for four straight seasons. The Eagles also handed the 6-0 Vikings their first loss of the 2025 season in a crushing 40-6 defeat, a game Symmes Valley has not forgotten.  

“Those are the guys right next to you in your backyard, right. It means a lot,” said Ferguson. “It’s a tough conference. It’s one of those where if you’re sleeping on a team from week to week, you might get caught.”  

“We all came into that game thinking we’re going to win,” said Carpenter. “And then they got us. So we have to come with a different mindset.” 

Ferguson said the loss offered a reminder of what it takes to compete for a conference championship.  

“I think our youngness showed a little bit … You never want to say a loss is a good thing, but you take the positive from it. …” said Ferguson. “You’re never invisible and there’s always the next guy up trying to knock you off.” 

With nearly every starter back from last season’s breakout team, the Vikings enter a new season believing they can contend for a conference crown. The Vikings open the season Aug. 21 at Chesapeake before beginning conference play Sept. 25 at Green.