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Coming off of perhaps the team’s most impressive performance of the season against Jimtown last week, the Tippecanoe Valley football team put together an even better one on Friday night. Hosting 3A No. 11 Western, the Vikings were ready from the word go. They blitzed their opponents to the tune of a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back, making a statement with a 38-7 win.
“Our kids were incredibly impressive tonight. I thought that was a win that really solidified us as a top 3A school,” Tippecanoe Valley head coach Steve Moriarty said. “I thought tonight was a total team effort. We had a lot of guys contribute on offense. We were gang tackling on almost every play. Just outstanding.”
The two teams couldn’t have put together more opposite performances in the first half. The Vikings began the game on fire, marching down the field in a hurry. The big play on the game’s opening drive was a 47-yard sweep play to Owen Omondi to get the home side inside the 10. A play later, Grady Moriarty punched it in from three yards out to put Valley on the board just three minutes into the game.
The Panthers got some help from a 90-yard kickoff return to set them up within the 10 for their first drive of the game, but that was the extent of positive plays made by the visitors in the first half. Western went backwards a couple of times before Omondi came up with a huge interception in the end zone to keep the goose egg on the scoreboard.
“I think when we started the game by driving it right down the field and then turning them over, it took a lot of wind out of their sails,” Moriarty said.
Fumbles on the next two drives stalled what were two more incredibly dominant possessions by Valley. One fumble led to a punt, while the second was picked up by the defense. While the untimely bobbles kept points off the board, the Panthers were unable to do anything with them. With the Viking defense firing on all cylinders, Western, which came into the game averaging 33 points and 334 rushing yards a night, was held to just one first down and 17 yards on the ground in the first half.
After those two poor finishes to otherwise great drives, the Vikings were able to shake it off and start scoring again. Omondi got onto the scoreboard next, taking it in from 13 yards out on another sweep play. Quarterback Hunter Stage, who was injured last week, returned in the second quarter and didn’t miss a step.
Tippecanoe Valley senior Grady Moriarty breaks through the line for a long gain during the second quarter...Nieter
Wes Parker added two touchdowns of his own in the final five minutes of the second half, the second of which gave the game its gaudy 28-0 halftime score. Through 24 minutes, Valley had accumulated 240 yards to Western’s 35.
“I don’t think that first half could have gone much better. I thought we set the tone really early and just went from there,” Moriarty said.
It took nearly eight minutes for the first points of the second half to be put on the board. After yet another Western punt, the Vikings were able to churn both yardage and clock upon getting the ball back. The drive ended up stalling near the red zone, but Gage Overbey was able to come in and drill a 35-yard field goal to make it 31-0.
On what was the team’s final drive of the third quarter, the Panthers were finally able to find some success and moved the ball into Valley territory. The big play on the drive was a long run by quarterback Levi Shoemaker that set up Western nicely as the fourth quarter began.
A minute into the final period, the Panthers were finally able to get on the board. It would be a pair of runs by Matthew McKitrick that put his team into scoring position and then into the end zone to put the visitors on the board.
Not in any particular hurry, the offense got back to work and took its time moving the ball down the field. Doing most of the work on the ground, the Vikings continued to pick up first down after first down. Burning a ton of clock, Valley would get that touchdown back as Omondi took it in from 14 yards out after a seven minute drive left just four minutes on the clock.
That would be the final score of the ball game, as the home side began replacing its starters with second stringers on the final offensive and defensive drives of the night.
Parker (114) and Omondi (112) each broke the century mark rushing and scored two touchdowns. Moriarty had 78 yards to go with his score.
Tippecanoe Valley (5-2) is on the road at John Glenn next Friday to resume Indiana Northern Conference play.
