Norsemen End Losing Skid Against Vikings [VIDEO]
AKRON – The struggles continued for the Tippecanoe Valley football team on Friday night. The Vikings welcomed in Three Rivers Conference foe Northfield to Death Valley and the Norsemen were anything but kind guests.
Northfield overcame a 6-0 first quarter deficit to claim a 40-22 win over Valley. 40 points in the most Northtfield has ever scored on the Vikings. Friday’s victory was only the third all-time win for the Norsemen against Valley in 41 meetings and the first since 1996.
The highlight of the night for the Vikings was taking a lead early on in the contest. Sophomore quarterback Alec Craig ran in a three-yard score to put Valley up 6-0 after the Vikings failed on converting a two-point attempt. The score was set up after the Valley defense stuffed the Norsemen on a fourth down attempt.
But that lead would prove to be Valley’s only of the night as Northfield would score 21 points in the second quarter. Jarred Short scored the visiting squads first and third scores of the quarter while bruiser tail back Josh Bickel scored the second.
Valley threatened late in the second quarter after driving down inside Northfield’s 10-yard line but the Viking drive was cut short by a great interception by Jensen Frieden in the end zone. The Norsemen led 21-6 at the half.
Garrett Bell added two scores for the Vikings in the second half. Bell would also score on a two-point conversion. Brandon Webster also scored a two-pointer for Valley. Bell led the team with 73 rushing yards on 14 attempts. Webster had nine receptions for 106 yards. Craig finished with 17 rushing yards and 159 yards through the air. Valley rushed for 141 yards as a team.
Valley (0-5, 0-3) will travel to Wabash (1-4, 1-3) next Friday for a 7 p.m. kick. Northfield (4-1, 3-0) will host Whitko (3-2, 3-0) in a game that will be very important in Three Rivers Conference standings.
At half time of the game TVHS honored nine graduates with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Mike Yazel (class of 1977), Richard Terpstra (’98), DeShawn VanDeWater-Wert (’82), Diana Erp Nettleton (’89), Brooke Smalley (’00), Dr. Katti Stroup Sneed (’88), Amy Heckaman Parker (’97), Adam Heckaman (’01), and Andrew Heckaman (’03) were this year’s honorees.