Cameron Parker is tackled by Braiden Walton while Jon Humes blocks Chance Hagan during a game between Tippecanoe Valley and Maconaquah in Akron Friday night. (Photos by James Costello)

AKRON — It was a frustrating note to end such a banner year on.

The Vikings couldn’t get their defense off the field in the first half, the penalties kept piling up, and No. 19-ranked Maconaquah’s two-back attack ran amok for a 24-6 win over the host Vikings at Death Valley Friday night.

“We just had those penalties late that cost us. We’d get them shut down to third and long and then we’d get a penalty. It’s difficult to overcome some of those things when you get so many against you in those third down situations,” said Valley coach Steve Moriarty.

All told, the Vikings (6-5) were whistled for seven penalties — six of them of the 15-yard variety — for 95 yards, while Maconaquah (9-2) finished with five penalties totaling 35 yards. To make matters worse, those Valley infractions seemed to come at the most inopportune times, and one in particular stood out. With the hosts trailing by a manageable 9-0 deficit, a 15-yard targeting foul on a Maconaquah third and 9 midway through the third period extended the Braves’ drive and ultimately culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Jared Blake that pushed the Braves out to a 17-0 lead with a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Nolan Kelly to Blake at the 3:51 stop of the quarter.

Even when Valley answered a little over a minute later when Alex Morrison stripped a ball from a still-standing Davis and ran it back more than 50 yards for a touchdown, another 15-yard penalty gave the Vikings the ball at their own 42-yard line instead. Fortunately for the home team, they were still able to capitalize eight plays later as Morrison punched it in from a yard out to cut the deficit to 17-6 with 11:38 left to play. But Valley couldn’t convert on a fourth and 2 at the Maconaquah 37, Carter Little broke free on a cutback for a 42-yard TD run with just 3:42 left to play, and the Braves advanced to play Mishawaka Marian in the Sectional 27 championship game next week.

“I was very proud of our kids the way they fought back, especially after we were down 17 to nothing. Then all of a sudden, Morrison strips the ball and then we get a penalty so we play a little angry, and we score and punch it in. Then we tried to get back in with the passing game, and we just couldn’t get it done there at the end,” explained Moriarty.

Maconaquah’s Jared Blake spins free during the second half Friday.

In total, the Braves controlled the ball for 33 minutes of game clock compared to only 14 by the Vikings. That included a first half in which Maconaquah ran 39 offensive plays to Valley’s 11. The visitors used up seven minutes of clock on the game’s opening drive, a 69-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard Little run around the right side that staked them to a 6-0 lead with a failed two-point conversion pass. A 27-yard field goal by Richie Leary with just 30 seconds remaining in the first half gave the Braves a 9-0 halftime lead.

”We preached at halftime, we took their best hit, and we only gave up nine. Then coming out after halftime we did some things right and then kind of got a couple penalties there,” said Moriarty. “It was just difficult to get things going. They’re a stingy defense.”

Little ran the ball 21 times for 158 yards and a score, and fellow sophomore back Blake carried the ball 28 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns as part of a 311-yard rushing night by the visitors. By contrast, Valley finished with just 83 run yards in the loss.

“It’s hard to stop both of them. With the way they run their offense, they do a very balanced job, and it’s hard to be able to adapt to things on the run like that,” Moriarty said. “They did a great job. They run hard. They’re tough to bring down. You can’t arm tackle these guys. They were full flow.”

Paxton Kintner tackles Valley’s Wes Melanson while the Braves’ Zach Bullock, Collin Silvers and Carter Little surround him.

Senior fullback Cameron Parker led Valley offensively with 15 rushes for 66 yards and two catches worth 24 yards. Wes Melanson recorded 19 rushing yards, Morrison pulled in two passes for 10 yards, and quarterback Noah Miller went 6-14-1 for 43 yards as Valley went to the air in the second half.

It was a sour note to end the year on after the Vikings’ first winning season since 2012, a campaign that included a win over a then-unbeaten Rochester team in the Bell Game in Week 7, a 3-1 finish in the Three Rivers Conference North and a one-point overtime loss to Southwood in the TRC championship game in Week 9. The team must bid goodbye to a total of 10 seniors, including Parker, Morrison, Melanson and Miller.

“At the end of the end zone I thanked them because I think that this is a senior class that revived an old tradition and brought back pride to Valley football,” said Moriarty. “I think that this senior class was a good cornerstone to us rebuilding and bringing back where we used to be all the time and back to the winning tradition. I think this program will always be indebted to them because I think that their leadership and their hard work will rub off on many to come.”

Valley’s Unified flag football state runner-up team was honored at halftime Friday.