DENVER - Despite leading at halftime, Tippecanoe Valley coach Scott Bibler knew some adjustments were still needed.

The Vikes had the slim two-point advantage (14-12) over Three Rivers Conference-rival North Miami, but the Warriors had seemed to dictate the pace of the game with its no-huddle, wish bone offensive attack.

Mission accomplished for the Vikings.

After surrendering 161 first-half rushing yards, Valley clamped down on the Warriors and stepped things up on special teams for a 40-12 thrashing Friday.

North Miami got only 73 yards in the second half, and the Vikings got a blocked punt and two long punt returns to help set up touchdowns.

"They were giving us a real battle," Valley coach Scott Bibler said. "In my opinion, they were winning the battle in the first half. In the second half, our kids came out, and they weren't pleased with their effort in the first half, and they wanted to prove something."

The Vikings wore the depleted Warriors down on both the offensive and defensive lines. North Miami, with only 22 players on the varsity roster, were without suspended players Adam Denny and Geary Manuel.

Valley's offensive line opened holes for backs Terry Engstrand (71 yards), Scott Sponseller (60 yards), and Nick Stutzman (58 yards) and provided protection for quarterback Eric Backus to complete 8 of 10 passes for 153 yards.

"That is where you win games - in the trenches," Bibler said. "I don't care what offense or defense you are running. You have to get the job done up front. Our offensive line had one of its better games of the year."

And the defensive line stepped things up against the three-back attack of North Miami.

"What we weren't getting done at halftime was we didn't think we were getting any penetration by our defensive line," Bibler said. "Our defensive tackles had to get across so they couldn't block us one-on-one and had to start to double team us, so our linebackers could scrap. That is what happened in the second half."

Valley got things going right away in the second half when Parker took the opening kickoff and returned it 24 yards. A personal foul on the Warriors moved the ball to the North Miami 41. Three plays later and Stutzman ran in from a yard out to make it 20-12.

After a Nick Moyer score made it 26-12 early in the fourth, the Vikings got another big play from its special teams when Anthony Simpson blocked a Warrior punt. Valley recovered on the Warrior 10-yard line. Parker cashed in with a 10-yard scoring run, and suddenly it was a blow out.

After another long Parker punt return, Terry Engstrand's 30-yard gallop added the final score for the Vikings.

"We told them at halftime that we weren't making anything special happen on special teams," Bibler said. "They did step it up. There were some big plays that helped us out. I think for us to be successful down the road in the playoffs, we are going to have a special team effort like that to get the job done."

After North Miami jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a B.J. Edwards score in the opening quarter, Valley responded on a 49-yard screen pass from Backus to Stutzman that resulted in six points for the Vikes.

Valley broke the 6-6 tie on a one-yard run by Scott Sponseller in the second quarter. North Miami closed the gap to 14-12 on a David Curl 10-yard run.

Valley could have one more score in the first half, but an 81-yard screen pass to Stutzman was called back because of a clipping penalty. The Vikings still could have had the score in the waning seconds of the first half when Backus scrambled to the North Miami 20-yard line, only to fumble. Parker picked the fumble up and lateraled the ball to Engstrand, who ran to the goal, but was stopped one-yard short as time ran out in the first half.

With the win, the Vikings (5-2, 4-2) remained in a tie for second place in the TRC with Whitko and Oak Hill. Valley hosts Whitko Friday in the final game of the regular season.

North Miami fell to 1-6 and 1-5 in the TRC. [[In-content Ad]]