Summer Vacation with the Vikings
By Baylen Hite
WRSW 107.3
Practice jerseys, July jamborees, and high temps can only mean one thing in Northern Indiana…
High school football is on its way and with that the 2023 edition of Death Valley Football.
The 2023 campaign will be full of firsts for Tippecanoe Valley. The most obvious is a brand new schedule that features perennial state contenders like a trip to 3-time state champion West Lafayette. No longer a member of the Three Rivers Conference, Tippecanoe Valley will face nearly a new opponent every week. Familiar foes Rochester and Wawasee are the only teams that the Vikings will play from seasons past.
The more things change the more they stay the same. Or so the saying goes.
True to the saying everyone suiting up for Death Valley this season is excited but not overwhelmed including lead man Stephen Moriarity who has orchestrated the return of competitive regular season football back for Death Valley. The next step? Postseason success.
The Vikings have been busy this summer trying to do just that. Tippecanoe Valley played in a pair of scrimmages last week facing off against a variety of teams. The Vikings ran into Culver, South Bend Adams, and Plymouth on July 20th, and then on July 22nd a stop at Warsaw High School to face the Tigers, Fort Wayne Wayne, and Knox.
There were many similarities between both days for Death Valley. The most noticeable was their skill position group that is chalk full of returners. Leading rusher Nate Parker will make his return after an impressive junior season where he ran for 1,375 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. 24 of those were on the ground, three were through the air, and he also threw for one (now there is a trivia question for Micah Lukens). That speed was present for Parker on both days. He will look to improve on his past season with a similar effort to last year.
“I just have to keep running hard and finish every run, teams might key in on me more but that just opens up more of our other threats on offense.” Said Parker
Speaking of those threats, Wade Jones made sure to make his presence felt on both sides of the ball. Jones made quick work as a wide receiver scoring in a burst from the outside then protecting that same area on defense. Jones is the top returning receiver for TVHS hauling in 20 catches for 375 and a trio of touchdowns. The speedster wants to work on his route running this season.
“For me to be better on offense I have been working on my route running, that will help me throughout the season.” Jones added about his goals this off season.
On the outside Valley boasts one of the most dangerous tight end duos in Northern Indiana (maybe the state) with Landon Durkes and Kyler Johnson who both figure to be key cogs in the passing game. Check out this one handed grab from Kyler Johnson this weekend at Warsaw.
Now let’s talk about who will be delivering the football to all of these players. Cody Eastgate the senior QB returns from a season ago where he completed 72% of his passing and throwing for 1032 yards. Eastgate has worked on the little things in his game this off season.
“Footwork, and release are very important for this season. We are playing some tough defenses where I will have to be ready to move.” Eastgate said of the upcoming season.
Now the biggest question mark surrounding the offense will be the offensive line. A relatively new group from a year ago showed some youth throughout the scrimmages. Coach Stephen Moriarty believes that concern will quell itself with more repetition and game action.
“We will work with them in pods, then getting them in season where we can just do the same things constantly. They will start to get comfortable,” said Moriarty on the offensive line.
Over on the defensive side Tippecanoe Valley figures to be stout. That was evident in both sessions with players like Dalton Alber, Grady Moriarty, and Wade Jones all making tackles and great plays. The defense much like the offense will be fast which should help the Vikings transition into a deeper schedule throughout the season.
“Defensively we’ve looked pretty darn good this summer, we’re so fast and this group has done it before.” Said Moriarty after the unit’s impressive performances in each scrimmage.
With opening night just a few weeks away for Death Valley on August 18th at Wawasee the group hopes in a season filled with firsts one of those is a sectional title and more for the first time in 31 years.
Player Interviews from Media Day