Busby, Moriarty Honored As Vikings Outlast Warriors
AKRON – It turned out to be a great night for Viking fans in multiple sports.
The Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball highlighted the events as the team picked up another win by defeating Kosciusko County foe Wawasee 63-49 behind Neil Clampitt’s 15 points. But Clampitt was not the only member of the Vikings family to have a big night.
The Tippecanoe Valley Athletic Department honored two long-time Viking coaches Friday night, Buddy Busby and Roger Moriarty. Both men were honored with plaques for their service and described as, “instrumental in the lives of middle school and high school athletes in the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp the past four decades.”
Moriarty became the head boys golf coach at Valley in 1989. In his tenure as coach he has racked up 457 wins, nine Three Rivers Conference titles, eight regional qualifying teams and a trip to state with the 2000 team. This spring will be Moriarty’s last with TVHS.
Busby will be stepping down as the head swimming coach…again. Busby has retired each of the past five seasons, only to be rehired at the beginning of the following season. Busby has been with the TVHS swim program since 2001, though his coaching experience goes much deeper than that.
Busby started coaching 54 years ago at Milton and Burnett schools and has coached several different sports throughout his career, including football for the 1973 Greenfield Central state champion football team.
Back on the hardwood Clampitt and the Vikings took advantage of a Wawasee squad that was missing a key player in Gage Reinhard.
Valley controlled the paint with a big night from Chandler O’Connor who had 14 points. Alex Thacker added another 13 for the Vikings.
Wawasee struggled to get its offense going without Reinhard in the lineup. The senior sat out with a shoulder injury but is fully expected to play in Tuesday’s sectional game.
Alex Clark led all players with 17 points for the Warriors while Aaron Voirol had a great night with 15 points.
Wawasee (11-11) will play Whitko Tuesday night in the West Noble Sectional. Valley drew the bye and will play the winner of that game on Friday night.
Valley won the junior varsity contest over Wawasee 50-40.