Vikings Cruise To Win Over Rival WarriorsAKRON – After rough outings against Bremen and Culver Academy the previous two weeks, the Tippecanoe Valley Vikings looked to turn things around Friday.
Lined up on the other side of the field were the North Miami Warriors, who were also seeking their first win of the season.
Three first-half touchdowns paved the way as the Vikings (1-2) won their first game of the 2018 season handily, a 36-7 victory over their longtime rival.
Because both teams are aligned in separate divisions, the win is not included in their TRC record.
“It’s always good to play against your rival and get a win” said Tippecanoe Valley coach Stephen Moriarty. “I was very proud of this team.”
Things got off to a tremendous start for the Vikings, as the opening kickoff was bobbled and lost by the Warriors’ return man and recovered by Dakota Gaff. It only took two plays for Valley to get on the board as they capitalized on the turnover with a 15-yard touchdown run from senior halfback Cameron Parker.
Gaff had a solid performance defensively. To go with the opening kickoff fumble recovery, Gaff also made an interception.
Impressive from an individual offensive standpoint was Parker, who rushed 154 yards on 27 carries – including the opening score – on the night as well as a touchdown pass.
But it was not so much that there were several great individual performances – more so that everyone wearing green and gold was part of a team effort.
“Our secondary, what a great game tonight that they played,” said Moriarty. “On the front, we maintained the run so they had to pass and the secondary came in strong. There’s a chemistry with our offensive line that shows their dominance. It doesn’t matter how good your running backs are, it’s how good your line is.”
After the opening touchdown, the Vikings’ suffocating defense pinned the Warriors deep in their own territory and a high snap that bounced out of play resulted in a safety. Going into the second quarter, Valley was up 9-0.
In that quarter, a sack by senior linebacker Wes Melanson placed him in elite company, as he is the 26th Viking to reach the 400-career tackle points milestone.
Valley opened up the playbook; opting with a halfback pass from Parker and him finding a wide-open receiver in junior Jalen Potter. With 26 seconds to go before intermission, the Vikings would get one more score, a 19-yard pass from Noah Miller to Alex Morrison to go up 22-0 at the half.
After a Melanson score in the third quarter, North Miami got its first points of the game on a 4-yard run from junior quarterback Tristan Working. The Warriors were successful on the ensuing onside kick attempt, and North Miami was looking to rally.
But the Valley defense, which forced nine turnovers (4 on downs, 5 on interceptions or fumbles) on the night, would make sure that they never found the end zone again.
Miller slammed the door shut in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard touchdown run for the Vikings that sealed their first win of the season.
Valley looks to carry this momentum into TRC play next week, as the Vikings face the Northfield Norsemen on the road with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 36,
NORTH MIAMI 7
NM91377—36
TV00 70 —7
First Quarter
TV – Cameron Parker 15 run (Jose Rivera kick)
TV – Safety
Second Quarter
TV – Jalen Potter 50 pass from Parker (Jose Rivera kick)
TV – Alex Morrison 19 pass from Noah Miller (2-point attempt failed)
Third Quarter
TV – Wes Melanson 1 run (Jose Rivera kick)
NM – Tristan Working 4 run (Carson Rexroad kick)
Fourth Quarter
TV – Miller 37 run (Jose Rivera kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — North Miami, Greg Sonafrank 11-36, Tristan Working 19 Tippecanoe Valley, Cameron Parker 27-154, Noah
Miller 7-71, Wes Melanson 5-15, Alex Morrison 3-1, Johnny Gonsalez 1-2
Passing — North Miami, Working 17-42-181; Tippecanoe Valley, Miller 5-11-48
Receiving — North Miami, Darian Hanley 5-52, Andrew Moreland 1-15, Josh Musall 1-2, Nate Musselman 3-35, Braxton Beall 5-56, Jacob Shurboff 1-15, Jackson Holland 1-6, Working 1-3; Tippecanoe Valley, Potter 2-63 TD, Morrison 1-19, Parker 2-4, Jaydin Conley 1-12
