Vikings Overcome Turnovers, Beat Apaches
October 6, 2018 at 6:50 a.m.
By Aaron [email protected]
The Vikings overcame four turnovers to win 35-27 over Wabash in a home game.
“Coming off last week (over Rochester), such a high and such big game, and the letdown sometimes can be a bit much,” said Valley coach Steve Moriarty. “We lost focus a little bit there.”
Valley outgained Wabash 394-236 in total yards, but the Apaches made it a game by capitalizing on the Vikings’ mistakes.
Twice in the first half, Valley turnovers led to Wabash touchdowns.
Up 7-0 in the first quarter, the Vikings fumbled deep in Wabash territory.
Keegan O’Neill of the Apaches recovered, and Wabash marched past midfield and tied the score on Jared Holley’s 47-yard scamper.
Another Valley fumble set up Wabash at midfield early in the second quarter, and the Apaches took the lead on Logan Vander Velden’s 25-yard, acrobatic catch from Holley.
The Vikings responded with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by Jaydin Conley’s 1-yard touchdown to take a 14-13 lead into halftime.
“We picked up when the chips were down,” Moriarty said. “Still, with those turnovers, we didn’t punt any time and we still stayed to the grindstone and finished it off.”
The Vikings upped the ante in the second half. After Valley scored on Dakota Gaff’s 25-yard touchdown run, Moriarty made the call to go for the 2-point try to make it a two-score game.
Gaff punched it in for the 22-13 lead.
Then, yet another turnover narrowed the gap.
Vander Velden returned an interception 43 yards for the score to make the score 22-20.
Valley was undeterred, scoring on Wes Melanson’s 2-yard run and Conley’s 19-yard score.
The Vikings went for two points again on that second touchdown to make it a three-score game, but fell short.
It ultimately didn’t matter. Wabash made a valiant effort, scoring on Holley’s 10-yard strike to Vander Velden with 48 seconds left, however, the Apaches’ onside-kick attempt fell in the hands of the Vikings, who kneeled down twice for the victory.
“We’ve talked about it all season: play four quarters and you’re gonna give yourself an opportunity to win the game,” said Wabash coach Adam Handley. “There were some spurts in there where we laxed and stepped back instead of putting the throttle down, and that hurt us a couple times.”
Gaff ran 20 times for 166 yards, while Melanson gained 84 yards on 14 rushes and Conley rushed 10 times for 60 yards.
Moriarty was proud of his backfield in the absence of Cameron Parker, who was out with an injury.
Parker is expected to return next week.
Wabash dropped to 1-7.
The Vikings (5-3) guaranteed they won’t have a losing season with the victory.
The win also cemented them as the TRC North champions, so they will play at TRC South champion Southwood Friday at 7 p.m. for the conference title.
Moriarty is glad to see Valley back on track.
“It’s just been a tough time here in the past,” he said. “To finally get that ship going in the right direction and to start that winning tradition is nice to get back to that.”
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 35, WABASH 27
W 7 6 7 7 — 27
V 7 7 8 13 — 35
W V
1st downs 16 10
Rushing yds 98 348
Passing yds 138 46
Comp-Att-Int 12-22-1 4-6-1
Total yds 236 394
Fumbles/lost 0/0 4/3
Penalties/yds 5/34 5/67
First Quarter
V – Dakota Gaff 30 run (Jose Rivera kick), 8:26
W – Jared Holley 47 run (Grant Carandante kick), :41
Second Quarter
W – Logan Vander Velden 25 pass from Holley (pass failed), 10:07
V – Jaydin Conley 1 run (Rivera kick), 5:10
Third Quarter
V – Gaff 25 run (Gaff run), 9:50
W – Logan Vander Velden 43 interception return (Carandante kick), 2:01
Fourth Quarter
V – Melanson 2 run (Carandante kick), 10:46
V – Conley 19 run (run failed), 4:52
W – Vander Velden 10 pass from Holley (Carandante kick), :48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Wabash, Jared Holley 10-65, Kallen Kelsheimer 12-26, Payton Sodervick 1-4, Bryant Boggs 1-2; Valley, Dakota Gaff 20-166, Wes Melanson 14-84, Jaydin Conley 10-60, Noah Miller 9-23, Alex Morrison 3-9, Johnny Gonsalez 2-6. Passing — Wabash, Holley 9-19-108, 2 TD, 1 INT, O’Neil 2-3-30; Valley, Miller 4-6, 1 INT.
Receiving — Wabash, Kelsheimer 4-49, Bryant Boggs 4-20, Vander Velden 3-49, Sodervick 1-20; Valley, Jace Potter 1-25, Jalen Potter 1-12, Melanson 1-9, Gaff 1-0.
Records: Wabash 1-7; Tippecanoe Valley 5-3
The Vikings overcame four turnovers to win 35-27 over Wabash in a home game.
“Coming off last week (over Rochester), such a high and such big game, and the letdown sometimes can be a bit much,” said Valley coach Steve Moriarty. “We lost focus a little bit there.”
Valley outgained Wabash 394-236 in total yards, but the Apaches made it a game by capitalizing on the Vikings’ mistakes.
Twice in the first half, Valley turnovers led to Wabash touchdowns.
Up 7-0 in the first quarter, the Vikings fumbled deep in Wabash territory.
Keegan O’Neill of the Apaches recovered, and Wabash marched past midfield and tied the score on Jared Holley’s 47-yard scamper.
Another Valley fumble set up Wabash at midfield early in the second quarter, and the Apaches took the lead on Logan Vander Velden’s 25-yard, acrobatic catch from Holley.
The Vikings responded with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by Jaydin Conley’s 1-yard touchdown to take a 14-13 lead into halftime.
“We picked up when the chips were down,” Moriarty said. “Still, with those turnovers, we didn’t punt any time and we still stayed to the grindstone and finished it off.”
The Vikings upped the ante in the second half. After Valley scored on Dakota Gaff’s 25-yard touchdown run, Moriarty made the call to go for the 2-point try to make it a two-score game.
Gaff punched it in for the 22-13 lead.
Then, yet another turnover narrowed the gap.
Vander Velden returned an interception 43 yards for the score to make the score 22-20.
Valley was undeterred, scoring on Wes Melanson’s 2-yard run and Conley’s 19-yard score.
The Vikings went for two points again on that second touchdown to make it a three-score game, but fell short.
It ultimately didn’t matter. Wabash made a valiant effort, scoring on Holley’s 10-yard strike to Vander Velden with 48 seconds left, however, the Apaches’ onside-kick attempt fell in the hands of the Vikings, who kneeled down twice for the victory.
“We’ve talked about it all season: play four quarters and you’re gonna give yourself an opportunity to win the game,” said Wabash coach Adam Handley. “There were some spurts in there where we laxed and stepped back instead of putting the throttle down, and that hurt us a couple times.”
Gaff ran 20 times for 166 yards, while Melanson gained 84 yards on 14 rushes and Conley rushed 10 times for 60 yards.
Moriarty was proud of his backfield in the absence of Cameron Parker, who was out with an injury.
Parker is expected to return next week.
Wabash dropped to 1-7.
The Vikings (5-3) guaranteed they won’t have a losing season with the victory.
The win also cemented them as the TRC North champions, so they will play at TRC South champion Southwood Friday at 7 p.m. for the conference title.
Moriarty is glad to see Valley back on track.
“It’s just been a tough time here in the past,” he said. “To finally get that ship going in the right direction and to start that winning tradition is nice to get back to that.”
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 35, WABASH 27
W 7 6 7 7 — 27
V 7 7 8 13 — 35
W V
1st downs 16 10
Rushing yds 98 348
Passing yds 138 46
Comp-Att-Int 12-22-1 4-6-1
Total yds 236 394
Fumbles/lost 0/0 4/3
Penalties/yds 5/34 5/67
First Quarter
V – Dakota Gaff 30 run (Jose Rivera kick), 8:26
W – Jared Holley 47 run (Grant Carandante kick), :41
Second Quarter
W – Logan Vander Velden 25 pass from Holley (pass failed), 10:07
V – Jaydin Conley 1 run (Rivera kick), 5:10
Third Quarter
V – Gaff 25 run (Gaff run), 9:50
W – Logan Vander Velden 43 interception return (Carandante kick), 2:01
Fourth Quarter
V – Melanson 2 run (Carandante kick), 10:46
V – Conley 19 run (run failed), 4:52
W – Vander Velden 10 pass from Holley (Carandante kick), :48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Wabash, Jared Holley 10-65, Kallen Kelsheimer 12-26, Payton Sodervick 1-4, Bryant Boggs 1-2; Valley, Dakota Gaff 20-166, Wes Melanson 14-84, Jaydin Conley 10-60, Noah Miller 9-23, Alex Morrison 3-9, Johnny Gonsalez 2-6. Passing — Wabash, Holley 9-19-108, 2 TD, 1 INT, O’Neil 2-3-30; Valley, Miller 4-6, 1 INT.
Receiving — Wabash, Kelsheimer 4-49, Bryant Boggs 4-20, Vander Velden 3-49, Sodervick 1-20; Valley, Jace Potter 1-25, Jalen Potter 1-12, Melanson 1-9, Gaff 1-0.
Records: Wabash 1-7; Tippecanoe Valley 5-3
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