It could have spiraled out of control quickly. Failing to hold a lead in the fourth quarter in a season opening loss tested the will of the Vikings.
Stuck in a nine-game losing streak, had anything really changed from the previous regime. A loss is still a loss.
One of the initial things first year coach Ben Ceralde told his players the following week is if we are going to turn this around, it was important to stick together and play for one another.
Message received.
Three straight wins have followed, non bigger than going on the road Friday and knocking Monterey from the unbeaten ranks -- arguably its first signature win since a playoff win in 2015.
Ceralde has brought a culture change. He has players believing in what he's preaching. Results don't lie. It's a disciplined program pointed in the right direction.
"We had to adjust as a unit to a new environment,'' tailback Matt Morales said. "We had to learn how to play together and finish four quarters of football."
Morales wasn't a part of last year's debacle, in which the team lost its final eight games. Being a part of the changing of the culture meant leading by example.
The senior has rushed for over 100 yards in all four games, scoring two touchdowns in the teams 20-18 win over Monterey.
Having spent last year in King City, Morales' work habits have gotten contagious. Nothing has been taken for granted by the Vikings recent surge. It's a humbled group of players hungry for more.
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