COPYRIGHT 2025 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
The Holmen Vikings enter the 2025 season with renewed confidence after achieving one of their most successful seasons in recent memory.
The Vikings finished the 2024 season tied atop the Mississippi Valley Conference with four other teams and captured their first playoff victory since 2019, marking a significant milestone for the program under head coach Travis Kowalski.
Now entering his 10th year leading the Vikings, Kowalski maintains the same core philosophy that brought success last season. The team will continue to focus on winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball while centering their offensive attack around senior running back Jack Barth.
Barth, one of the top running backs in the state, believes the current group has developed the chemistry necessary to elevate the program to new levels.
“A lot of the time it’s the people that want to play coming together and lifting and doing extra football stuff, getting together and I think this year we just have a really good bond. There’s no like separation, everyone’s just a big team, a big family. We’re all lifting together while doing stuff, getting breakfast and whatnot and just hanging out outside of football,” Barth said.
The team chemistry Barth describes represents a significant factor in the Vikings’ recent success. Players have embraced additional training sessions and team-building activities beyond regular practice, creating a unified approach that extends beyond the football field.
Kowalski faced challenges during the 2024 season when several key players missed time due to injuries. The coach identifies staying healthy as one of the most critical factors for his team’s success in the upcoming season.
“Yeah, you got to protect the ball, you can’t have a bunch of turnovers. You got to be consistent week in and week out. You got to stay lucky with the injury bug. You lose guys during the season, it’s hard for any team to overcome that. So if we take care of the ball and we stay healthy, we’ll be in the fight at the end,” Kowalski said.
Kowalski’s decade-long tenure has brought stability to the program, allowing him to implement his system and develop players within a consistent framework. The coach’s experience navigating the challenges of high school football has prepared him to guide the team through the expectations that come with their recent success.
The Vikings’ 2024 season represented a breakthrough moment for the program. Sharing the MVC title with four other teams demonstrated the competitive balance within the conference while highlighting Holmen’s ability to compete at the highest level.
Holmen will begin their 2025 campaign on the road on Friday, August 22 against Medford.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.