The 2025 Valley City State Vikings football team represents Valley City State University in the Frontier Conference during the 2025 NAIA football season. The team is led by 29th-year head coach Dennis McCulloch and plays its home games at Dacotah Bank Field at Lokken Stadium in Valley City, North Dakota.
The 2025 season marks Valley City State's first year competing in the Frontier Conference after the collapse of the North Star Athletic Association. VCSU and Mayville State formally joined the Frontier in August 2025 following a conference-wide realignment. In the preseason Frontier coaches’ poll, the Vikings were picked to finish sixth in the East Division.
Valley City State opened the season with a challenging non-conference schedule, including games against Dickinson State, Augsburg, Eastern Oregon and Simpson (CA). The Vikings secured two historic road victories during the year, earning the program's first-ever win in the state of Oregon and first-ever win in the state of Montana with defensive battles at Eastern Oregon and Montana State University–Northern. VCSU finished the season 6–4 overall and 3–3 in Frontier East play, placing fourth in the division.
In their first season as members of the Frontier Conference, the Vikings were picked to finish sixth in the East Division but exceeded expectations by placing fourth.
After dropping the opener at nationally ranked Dickinson State, Valley City State responded with three straight non-conference victories, including shutout wins over Augsburg and rival Mayville State University and a 3–0 road victory at Eastern Oregon University. The Vikings later added a 13–7 win at Montana State University–Northern, marking the program's first football victory in the state of Montana. VCSU finished 6–4 overall and 3–3 in Frontier East play.
Offseason
Incoming transfers Over the off-season, Valley City State added 9 players from the transfer portal and junior college levels.
NamePos.HeightWeightHometownYearPrev. school Ashton Raquino LB 6'0" 220 Wahiawa, HI Junior Hawaii Kassius Ashtiani WR 5'7" 160 Irvine, CA Redshirt Sophomore Riverside Community College Devyne Pearson RB 5'8" 180 Moreno Valley, CA Junior Riverside Community College Simon-Peter Johnson WR 6'0" 190 Sierra Vista, AZ Sophomore New Mexico Highlands University Joey Cave QB 6'0" 190 Rio Rancho, NM Redshirt Junior New Mexico Highlands University Adam Adeboye OL 6'4" 320 Brooklyn Park, MN Redshirt Sophomore Minnesota State University Moorhead Taalmyn Staton DL 5'10" 260 Bridgeport, CT Redshirt Junior Mount Marty University Matthew Jacquot OL 6'3" 280 Cheyenne, WY Redshirt Junior Chadron State College Walker Brondos K 6'0" 175 Wilkesboro, NC Redshirt Sophomore Lenoir Rhyne University https://vcsuvikings.com/sports/football/roster?view=2
Incoming freshman Over the off-season, Valley City State added 35+ players from the high school level.https://vcsuvikings.com/news/2025/2/5/viking-football-announces-34-signees-on-national-signing-day.aspx
Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year Prev school Kade Swenson DB 6'0" 177 Dilworth, MN Freshman Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School Eli Leaver QB 6'0" 193 Tampa, FL Freshman Chamberlain High School Jeremy Yoder QB 6'1" 193 Lewiston, ID Freshman Lewiston High School (Idaho) Taylor Stefonowicz QB 6'7" 167 Horace, ND Freshman Horace High School Chad Colburn DB 5'10" 140 Aiea, HI Freshman Aiea High School Iosua Letuli LB 6'0" 225 Honolulu, HI Freshman Kaimuki High School Bradyn Bossert DB 5'10" 195 Velva, ND Freshman Velva High School Mariano Sison DB 5'8" 164 Aiea, HI Freshman Aiea High School Noah Nelson DB 6'0" 166 Roseburg, OR Freshman Roseburg High School Shayzen Lopes DB 6'0" 161 Waianae, HI Freshman Waianae High School Eric Saau LB 5'9" 186 Aiea, HI Freshman Aiea High School Cayden Isaak LB 6'0" 185 Beulah, ND Freshman Beulah High School Taurus Allen DL 6'3" 230 Murfreesboro, TN Freshman Oakland High School (Tennessee) Haiden Crow LB 5'11" 208 Detroit Lakes, MN Freshman Lake Park-Audubon High School Brody Weisenburger DL 6'2" 292 New Rockford, ND Freshman New Rockford-Sheyenne Public School Cole Henderson DL 6'2" 216 Rolla, ND Freshman Rolla High School Bayette Akaka-Folau DL 6'4" 236 Kapolei, HI Freshman Kapolei High School Nevin Daley OL 6'5" 369 Pisek, ND Freshman Park River High School Matthew Cruz OL 6'0" 306 El Paso, TX Freshman Austin High School (El Paso, Texas) Scot Rohde DL 6'3" 270 Valley City, ND Freshman Valley City High School Rylen Coe OL 6'4" 271 Lake Benton, MN Freshman Elkton High School (SD) Hunter Lukes OL 6'0" 221 Lisbon, ND Freshman Lisbon High School Devin Cooper-Jackson WR 5'7" 161 North Pole, AK Freshman North Pole High School Kaden Austin WR 5'9" 153 Roseburg, OR Freshman Roseburg High School Slater Kaleiohi WR 5'6" 140 Waianae, HI Freshman Waianae High School Brysen Ferreira K 5'5" 130 Waianae, HI Freshman Waianae High School Tyson Ball WR 6'1" 166 Ewa Beach, HI Freshman James Campbell High School Kyle Cotton TE 6'4" 285 St. Louis, MO Freshman St. Charles West High School Grant Kinzel TE 6'5" 240 La Vernia, TX Freshman La Vernia High School Jack Miller DL 5'10" 231 Fargo, ND Freshman Fargo North High School Savili-Hiapo Castillo-Leovao DL 6'2" 280 Waimanalo, HI Freshman Kamehameha High School Xander Moody LS 6'0" 229 Fargo, ND Freshman Fargo South High School Jacob Foss DL 6'0" 261 Grand Forks, ND Freshman Grand Forks Red River High School
Coaching staff changes
Departures Garrett Baldwin Quarterbacks / Wide receivers coach Shelton High School (WA) Head football coach Alan Busey Graduate assistant (Wide receivers) Butte College Assistant wide receivers coach
Additions Raynor Beierle Offensive line coach Northern State University Graduate assistant (Offensive line) Nate Pecoraro Defensive line coach Valley City State Defensive line
Preseason
Victory Sports Network preview On July 22, 2025, Victory Sports Network released its preseason preview of the Frontier Conference East Division, projecting Valley City State to finish third behind Montana Tech and Dickinson State.
Victory Sports Network identified Valley City State as a contender in the Frontier Conference East Division, noting the return of 13 starters led by wide receiver Jake Deutsch, offensive lineman Jonah Larson, tight end Trent Finney, defensive lineman TaQuez Chatman, and defensive backs Gavin Gerhardt and Emanuel Spiyee. The preview also highlighted transfer quarterback Joey Cave, an honorable mention All-RMAC selection at New Mexico Highlands, as a potential difference-maker for the Vikings.
+ 2025 Victory Sports Network East Division preseason prediction 1 2 3 Valley City State 4 Dakota State 5 6 7
Frontier Conference coaches poll The Frontier Conference released its 2025 East Division football coaches' preseason poll on August 18, 2025. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
+ 2025 Frontier Conference East Division preseason coaches poll 1 34 4 2 33 3 3 25 — 4 Dakota State 21 — 5 14 — 6 Valley City State 13 — 7 7 —
Schedule
Personnel Coaching staff Dennis McCulloch – Head Coach / Defensive Backs (32nd season) Gregg Horner – Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers (32nd season) Dustin Yorek – Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers (7th season) Brandon Bouma – Recruiting Coordinator / Running Backs / Tight Ends / Kickers (9th season) Raynor Beierle – Offensive Line (1st season) Jahidi West – Defensive Graduate Assistant / Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs (2nd season) Leon Smith – Offensive Graduate Assistant / Offensive Line (1st season) Nate Pecoraro – Defensive Line (5th season) Trent Kosel – Offensive Assistant (4th season) Dave Rausch – Defensive Assistant (38th season)
Roster
Postseason awards All-Frontier East First Team DL TaQuez Chatman – Sr.
All-Frontier East Second Team DB Gavin Gerhardt – Jr.
All-Frontier East Honorable Mention WR Jake Deutsch – Jr. LB Aiden Russell – Jr. OL Taylor Jones – So. OL Tommy Cox – Sr. QB Joey Cave – Jr.
Frontier Conference Academic All-Conference Adam Adeboye – Sr. Joseph Antonutti – So. Jaxon Baumgarn – So. Caden Belgarde – Jr. Walker Brondos – Fr. Joey Cave – Jr. TaQuez Chatman – Sr. Thomas Cox – Jr. Jacob Deutsch – Jr. Trent Finney – Sr. Gavin Gerhardt – Jr. Matthew Jacquot – Sr. Simon-Peter Johnson – So. Taylor Jones – Jr. Lorenzo Luchi – So. Carter Lyon – Jr. Nicholas Mears – Jr. James Miller – So. Jack Miller – So. Xander Moody – So. Brody O'Keefe – So. Collin Peck – So. Owen Quail – Jr. Logan Rist – So. Atibordin Sophonsakulrat – So. Jace Stewart – So. Paul Webster – So. Reese Willprecht – Sr.
Frontier Conference Champions of Character Award Wadley Lamy – Sr.https://vcsuvikings.com/news/2025/11/25/lamy-recipient-of-the-champions-of-character-for-football.aspx
References