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By JOHN PITARRESI

Observer-Dispatch

UTICA --- You're 35 years old
and you're still out there playing
football, clawing and scratching,
hitting and getting hit.
Why?
  "Just for the fun of it," said
Gary Bartella."It's a great time
when you're out there."
Even when your team, the
Mohawk Valley Vikings, can't
point to a lot of success in its first   two seasons in the New York Amateur football League. The Vikings were 1-8 last year, and are 0-7-1 heading into the season finale tonight against Glove Cities Colonials in Johnstown.
"This is a team that beat us 15-
14 with less than aminute to go in
the first game of the season," said wide receiver Jason Coleman, a former Holland Patent High
School player. "That was a big loss for us. We wanted to get off to a good start. I think we're going to go in there with our heads up."
Win or lose, the players are undiscouraged and eager.
  "Oh, yeah, my gosh, I think we did a lot better than we did last year," said Coleman, 29. "The margin of scores was much greater (last year). I think we've definitely improved in some respects."

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"The team is great.
worthwhile experience"

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Receiver Dan Herrman, a high school teammate of Coleman and the Vikings' most consistent offensive threat-he had 11 receptions in one game this year and will try out this fall with a new indoor league in California - admits frustration, but is still having fun. "The team is great," he said. "The guys are close. It's a worthwhile experience. It's a great opportunity for people to see what they have - younger guys coming out to try to continue their careers and guys who have been out of football for a while and want to play something they love."
The reasons for a tough two years? The Vikings cite a lack of experience and the need for greater exposure, which they feel will lead to more bodies.
"Half the guys on the team this year didn't know about us last year," said Bartella, who will play his last game for Moahwk Valley tonight because he is moving back to his home town of Lancaster to
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The guys are close. It's a

Dan Herrman

-Mohawk Valley Vikings receiver
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be closer to his job as a sergeant with the state corrections department.
Founder and coach Jerry Loftis, who played semi-pro for the Utica-Rome Chiefs and was head coach of the former Kennedy High School in Utica in 1985-86, admitted that putting together a team is a little more difficult than he imagined.
"As tough as I thought it would be in some aspects - in fund-raising and credibility - the player pool is the most frustrating thing," he said. "We have 40 or so football high schools in the area."
And the Vikings have just 38 players when everyone shows up, but that hasn't happened yet.
"We have problems filling the spots and getting any depth on the team," Loftis said. "Even if you have two or three players from each of the high schools in the area, we'd have a huge number of players."
The Vikings' budget is $6000, and Loftis said they paid all their
bills last year. Players pay $75 registration fee, or can sell $200 in season tickets or program advertising or secure sponsorships. They buy theirown helmets, and insurance, uniforms and equipment is bought through the league.
"We've increased our player sponsorships and corporate sponsorships from last year, but not by much," Loftis said. "We sell ads in the program, we have concessions and T-shirt sales."
The Vikings also have gotten help from Tops Markets and Birnie Bus.
What has to happen for the Vikingsto improve on the field?
"I guess you have to say commitment and numbers," Hermman said. "Exposure is one thing. People just don't know about us. I'm sure there are good athletes out there who are not aware of us. I think a major issue is just getting a commitment, people who are serious about playing- That's good because it's not a makeshift league. It's actually very serious, competitive league. This isn't a joke. Some guys can't handle it and aren't prepared for it."
"We're here for guys who want to play football," Loftis said. "We're still playing."

MV Vikings win season finale
Gloversville - The Mohawk Valley Vikings
scored twice in the first half - including Jason Coleman's 38-yard touch-down pass to Norm Dole in the first quarter - and once more in the fourth quarter to register their first win of the New York Amateur Football League season, 17-0 over Glove City Colonials Saturday.
The Vikings (1-7-1) picked up the victory - which avenged a 15-14 come-from-behind win by Gloversville (2-7) in Mohawk Valley's home opener at RFA Stadium - on the last day of the NYAFL season. Mohawk Valley won just once last year, also in its last game.
The Viking's defense made three goal-line stands and totaled six sacks en route to the shutout. Steve Mattson kicked a field goal late in the second quarter, and Tom Muha scored Mohawk Valley's other touchdown on a one-yard run.