ROANOKE, Va. –  For the second time in three years the Vikings of Northside will play for the VHSL Class 3 title. The core of this year's team got the experience as sophomores.
And after surviving another VHSLÂ gauntlet, Coach Bill Pope says his team is used to the "go big or go home" mentality.Â
"We have a senior dominated team with minutes, but we also have some really good young players, so you can't think of all those things when you're going through it but I'm sure it was in the back of their minds. You know that we have to come out and play or it ends, that's how it works, so. We been in this situation a few times here over the last couple of weeks," Pope said.
 The 27-1 Vikings will face Phoebus Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Northside is led by 6-7 James Madision signee Julien Wooden, who scored 36 points in the Vikings' state semifinal win over Cave Spring.
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