With a 42-35 loss to Sumner, the football team fell in the semifinals of the WIAA State Playoffs.  

After a valiant effort from Coach DJ Mims in his debut season with the team, he wrote out a message for the Viking families and fans on Instagram. 

“This one was tough. Our first loss of the season came at the wrong time, and I want to apologize to my players, my staff, and the entire Puyallup community for not getting the job done,” Mims said. “As the head coach, the responsibility falls on me. I will always shoulder that weight and I will always demand more of myself. I should have had us better prepared, and that’s something I’ll grow and learn from. Even in disappointment, I’m grateful for my family, our community, our coaches, and most importantly our players. The work, commitment, and heart they showed all year is something to be proud of.” 

With a team of new incoming players and coaches, there was a lot of speculation through the season from outside schools saying the team was “transfer warriors” or that the team was breaking the classic high school feeling with Coach Mims receiving shade as well.  

“This one stings. Not just because we lost, but because I’ve seen the shade, the false narratives, and the people who didn’t want to see a young, hungry coach succeed. Adversity reveals who you are, and through it all I stayed committed to leading with honesty, passion, and purpose,” Mims said. “I have never skipped steps or cut corners. I’ve stayed true to the process of building real culture, developing young men on and off the field, and creating a competitive fire that our players carried every time they stepped on the field.”