Valley Basketball: Patrick Ready To Guide Vikings
AKRON – It’s been a whirlwind the past few months for Chad Patrick.
The familiar face to Tippecanoe Valley basketball fans is ready for his coaching debut though.
Patrick took over in June for his father and Hall of Famer Bill. The younger Patrick served as an assistant coach to his father for the past 19 seasons.
“It’s been a little crazier the past few months, but I’m really excited for the season,” said Patrick. “I’m ready for this.”
Patrick, who was a standout guard while playing for his father at Whitko, likes what he has seen so far from his team.
“I like what we have here,” remarked Patrick, who was an assistant football coach during the fall. “The guys have bought into everything so far. I’ve been very honest with them and they have responded well to me.
“These kids work well together and I think that they will play well together. They have been working as hard as any group I’ve seen. Our practices are tough and intense. They are shorter, but non-stop.”
The Vikings lost five seniors from last season’s team that went 10-14 overall and 4-5 in the Three Rivers Conference. Graduation took the top three scorers in Alec Craig, Jarod Duzenberry and Keith Wright.
“We have a very young team and not a lot of size,” noted Patrick. “But I think that we will improve all year. I think that this will be an entertaining team and a fun one for our fans to watch. They never give in”
Patrick has a roster that includes just one senior in Dakota Parker. The junior class includes Wes Melanson, Alex Morrison, Cameron Parker, Parkur Dalrymple, Jalen Shepherd and Dwight Conley. The sophomore group features Tanner Trippiedi, Jace Potter, Jalen Potter and Bryce Fisher. Shepherd is the tallest Viking at 6-3, while Morrison, Jace Potter and Conley are each 6-2.
Trippiedi, a 5-8 guard, scored 97 points last season and is the top returning scorer for a squad that averaged 52 points-per-game a year ago. Trippiedi, the quarterback for the Valley football team, did suffer an ankle injury in the final game of the season in late October versus Peru.
“Tanner is a great leader for us,” said Patrick. “He’s in control out there and a calming influence for us.”
The trio of Morrison, Melanson and Cameron Parker, who combined to score 131 points last season, will need to step up offensively this season. Dakota Parker, a track standout at Valley, will give the team strong leadership. The trio of Conley and the Potters are also in the mix. The wildcard could be Shepherd, who did not play last season.
“I think that all of our guys have improved,” commented Patrick, a 1990 Whitko graduate. “They have put in a lot of time in the gym and they are good athletes.”
“We are going to have to hang our hat on our defense. We are going to get after people defensively.
“I think that we have good quickness and will be able to push the ball some. We have 4-5 guys who can shoot it. Hopefully we will have a good mix on offense.”
“We have a tough schedule this year, but I think that we will surprise some people.”
The elder Patrick guided the Vikings to a 287-139 mark the past 19 seasons. Valley won 13 TRC titles, five sectional crowns and the lone regional championship in program history in 2000 under the Hall of Famer. Bill Patrick, who ranks second all-time in state history with 765 wins in his 48 years at Whitko and Valley, is an assistant coach this year to his son.
The Valley coaching staff also includes former Viking star Trey Eaton. The 2003 graduate is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,682 career points. Eaton then went on to score 1,735 points in an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne.
The Vikings host county rival Warsaw Wednesday night in the season opener. Valley then plays three straight road games at Argos, Knox and Oregon-Davis. The Vikings begin league play by hosting Peru on Dec. 12.