AKRON – “OK, boys. Now go defend it.”

Simple words from Tippecanoe Valley head coach Steve Moriarty as the new sign was unveiled Friday night, commemorating the Valley football field as Smith-Bibler Memorial Field, Home of Death Valley Football. Moriarty’s words rang true, as Valley had to dig in to defeat Manchester, 20-14, in what became a very competitive contest.

Homecoming was full of double entendres at the newly-named stadium, with dozens of friends and family of the Smith and Bibler families on hand to help ring in the new signage. Several other former Valley students and players were also in tow, along with the regular homecoming activities for the 2017 Valley students. The Vikings looked well on their way to what could be a blowout win to punctuate the week-long festival, taking a 20-0 lead into the lockerroom and showing absolutely no mercy.

Valley’s first scoring drive saw the team run the ball all 10 plays, marching 55 yards with Cameron Parker finishing off the bulldozer with a four-yard run. The Vikings then held the Squires on downs on the next drive, turned around, and took it to the house, capped by Tanner Trippiedi’s 29-yard, fourth-down pass to Noah Miller for the score.

Manchester had to punt on its next possession, and like clockwork, Valley took it down and scored again. A Squires personal foul on third-and-eight gave the Vikings new life, and Jaydin Conley hauled in a catch to the Manchester 34. Pounding inside the five, Trippiedi took the final play in himself from three yards, racing the Squires to the corner for the score. A blocked extra point left it 20-0 home side.

“The first half we came out and played very well,” Moriarty said. “Offensively, we kept them off balance by both running and passing and trying to overshift to one side. Coming out of halftime, the heat got to us a little bit and we came out flat. They got the ball and drove it down on us and scored, and I think that took a little wind out of our sails.”

But what Manchester lacked in the first half, it turned around in a hurry in the second half. And did so riding the legs of running back Delton Moore. The junior rushed for 169 yards in the game, 99 of those in the second half. His presence allowed Manchester to sneak in a couple passes, a fourth-and-four conversion to Andrew McAtee and then a 12-yard score to Devon Rooney to get the Squires on the board. Moore found the endzone just into the fourth quarter on a five-yard jaunt, and suddenly it was 20-14.

On what became a huge series for the Vikings defense, Moore was stuffed on fourth-and-three about six inches short despite a giant effort just to get to the spot to force a measurement. Valley then needed to hold Manchester on its final drive, the Squires needing eight yards on fourth down. Heat from the back side by Isaac Randall and inside pressure from Harry Johnston caught up to quarterback Devin Marcum, who fumbled to turn the ball over on downs to Valley.

A crucial offsides penalty on the Squires on third-and-one with the clock ticking away gave the Vikings a new set of downs and its second win in as many weeks.

“At the end, we stepped up and made some defensive stands when we needed to to pull off the victory,” stated Moriarty.

Trippiedi was 8-12 for 105 yards and the score in the air and added 10 net rushing yards the rushing score. Parker finished with 70 yards on the ground for the Vikings, which had 152 yards total rushing on 38 carries.

Manchester (1-5) would outgain Tippecanoe Valley with 169 rushing and 107 passing yards, but was mired in frustration playing from behind the entire second half. The Squires will look to regroup next week with a trip to winless Whitko.

Valley (2-4) now turns all attention to the Bell, which was transported to Valley Friday night with a fresh paint job, and planted in front of the Vikings on their way out of Smith-Bibler. The next seven days was certainly a topic with Moriarty.

“The better the teams are coming into this, the bigger the rivalry, the better crowds that come and more support from the communities,” Moriarty said. Rochester suffered its first loss of the season, 29-0, to Northfield Friday night. The two teams have split possession of The Bell the past four years, Valley earning it last season. “It’s just something special about that week. Practices are harder. The game, if you are an oh-and-something team, you are coming in playing your best game you have ever played.”