AKRON - The Tippecanoe Valley Vikings dug themselves out of a hole, but came up a half-yard short Friday at Death Valley against the North Miami Warriors.
After overcoming a 21-7 halftime lead, the Vikings (4-4, 3-3 Three Rivers Conference) forced overtime, but in the second overtime period, sophomore Brody Andrews was stopped just shy of the end zone on fourth down. On North Miami's (5-3, 4-2 TRC) ensuing possession, junior Collin Gibbs connected on a 27-yard field goal on first down for the 31-28 victory."We're going to put it on his back any chance we get," North Miami coach Greg Miller said of Gibbs. "Why take a chance on a fumbled snap or anything. If that happened, we could fall on it and take another shot."
There was no fumbled snap, and all Valley could do was contemplate missed chances.
"We gave up a few too many points in the first half, and had to fight back," Valley coach Jeff Shriver said. "We actually had some opportunities."
A golden opportunity for the Vikings came midway through the fourth quarter, with the score knotted at 21-21, when North Miami fumbled a punt on their own 40-yard line.
Valley senior Michael Lewis was quick to scoop it up and run, but the wet conditions caused the ball slip back out of his grasp. North Miami was then able to pounce on the ball, retaining possession.
"Hindsight things are 20/20, be it playcalling or the play on the field," Shriver said. "If Lewis had scooped and scored that, we'd all be celebrating right now. As far as I'm concerned, he's trying to make a play. You want your players to make plays, and that's what he was trying to do."
Most of the big plays were achieved by North Miami, and they all came in a 21-point second quarter.
Fifty four seconds into the second quarter, freshman Austin Barker scored on a 38-yard pitch from his older brother, Aaron Barker, putting the Warriors in front 7-0
On their next possession, Aaron Barker took to the air dropping a perfect touch pass to junior Zac Roth for a 55-yard touchdown taking a 14-0 lead, and showcasing an ability to score from the air or the ground.
"We want to be a balanced offense," Miller said of his team, which finished with 139 rushing yards and 177 passing yards. "We rely a lot on the run game, but hopefully, when it comes time to throw the ball we can."
Following the score, Andrews returned the kickoff 45 yards to the North Miami 40-yard line.
Five plays later, it was Andrews who cross the goal line, scoring his first of three touchdowns on the night with 5:33 left in the first half.
Valley went into the halftime down 21-7 after giving up a three-yard touchdown run to Austin Barker with 17.3 seconds remaining.
"In the first half, just to be completely honest, we were not physical," Shriver said. "At halftime, we told the players, 'We aren't making any adjustments, we just need to be physical.'"
While Shriver was trying to motivate his team at halftime, Valley honored its 1979 state championship team, which was led by coach Charlie Smith and featured all-state running back Tim Alspaugh.
That physicality should on the opening drive of the second half as the Vikings ate up 65 yards and 6:59 of the clock on a12-play drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown plunge by sophomore Wade Cave.
"They run a nice, ball-control offense," Miller said. "When they run the ball, and keep getting those first downs, as a defensive coordinator, I'm thinking, 'What do we have to do?' We're moving our guys and putting them in places to be successful. Valley just kept coming back and coming back, making plays."
After forcing a Warriors three-and-out, Valley tied the game at 21-21 when Andrews scored a touchdown with 50.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Neither team got anything going in the fourth quarter, and each scored a touchdown on its first possession of overtime, Roth scoring for the Warriors Valley's coming from Andrews.
In the second overtime period, Valley had possession first and started off with a holding penalty, pushing the ball back to the 20.
Following a 13-yard pass from junior Gus Lukens to sophomore James Gregory on third down from the 17, the Vikings faced fourth down from the 4-yard line. North Miami then jumped offsides, setting the ball up at the 2.
From such a short distance, Valley went with what had been working at the goal line - Andrews. However, this time the Warriors were ready, and came up with the big stop.
"We were able to overcome a holding penalty and came close to the goal line," Shriver said. "We thought, after they were offsides, we'd be able to punch that ball in from there. We just came up an inch short."
North Miami then wasted no time kicking with the wind, and taking the win.
"The first half to the second half were completely different Valley teams playing," Shriver said. "We need to play four quarters like we did in the second half."
