WORCESTER—When the U13 Worcester Vikings captured the Super Bowl championship with a 28-8 win over Wachusett on Nov. 3, it was more than just a victory on the football field. It was a memorable life triumph for a community suffering through a two-year period marked by tragedy.
In the fall of 2022, the program lost beloved coach Ishan Birchett who passed away at just 36 years old due to an unexpected illness. Then this past April, the Vikings program again felt the sudden pain of loss when former player Sterling Baptiste Jr, a ninth grader at North High, was shot and killed in a Worcester apartment.
“We’ve been through a lot in the past two years,” said head coach Jonathan Roper. “We’ve been battling through adversity. It’s been a rough couple of years.”
Despite the pain and sorrow, the U13 Vikings came together this fall to win eight of nine regular season games and advance to the Division 2 Super Bowl in the Central Mass Youth Football and Cheer Conference (CMYFCC), an affiliate of American Youth Football (AYF).
“It was a blessing,” said Roper, reflecting on the championship win. “We had a solid group of kids that didn’t give up on each other. They were great role models on and off the field.”
After beating Wachusett in the Super Bowl at Grafton High School, the Vikings advanced to the regionals where they were defeated by a strong team from Rhode Island. Even despite ending the year with a loss, the season was a huge success for the program while overcoming some significant life challenges.
On the field, the offense was a particular bright spot for the Vikings, led by offensive coordinator Isaiah Birchett, Ishan’s son and a member of the Doherty High football team. Standout quarterback Ariella Robinson turned heads by throwing for a staggering 39 touchdowns over 11 games.
Robinson, a 13-year-old student at Sullivan Middle School, grabbed local headlines two years ago when she represented Team Massachusetts at the U.S. Army Bowl national middle school all-star championship in Frisco, Texas.
“She’s great. As far as I know, she’s the only girl quarterback in central Mass., or in the state actually,” said Roper.
The Vikings’ offense was further bolstered by impressive performances from the wide receiver duo of Tayden Weeks and Ramiel Minor. George Muniz Jr. solidified the offensive line at center and was also the team’s top defensive lineman.
Roper has coached the Vikings for four years with this fall marking his first stint as head coach. A former running back at Long Island University, the New York native has two sons that have been a part of the Vikings program—Jayden, now a sophomore on the football team at Worcester Tech, and Jo’vanny, a member of his U13 Vikings squad.
A diesel mechanic for the City of Worcester, Roper now sets his sites on getting another team ready for the upcoming season—a fleet of hundreds of sanders and loaders prepping for the winter snowfall. As with the Vikings, he stands ready to clear any obstacles in his way.
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
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