Week 4 roundup: Parker’s big night overshadowed in Valley loss to Knox

Val T.
7 minutes ago
3 min read

Pioneer has 3 backs go over 100 yards, beats Caston; Winamac rallies in 2nd half, knocks off Culver

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Football

Knox 36, Tippecanoe Valley 21 (Friday): Wes Parker ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, including a 95-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but the host Vikings lost to Class 3A, No. 6 Knox in their Indiana Northern State Conference opener at Smith-Bibler Memorial Field Home of Death Valley Football Friday.

Parker also had a 42-yard scoring run in the first quarter, and Grady Moriarty added a 56-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for Valley.

Owen Omondi added five carries for 46 yards. Omondi also averaged 38.5 yards per punt on two punts. Gage Overbey converted all three of his extra point kicks.

Knox senior quarterback Myles McLaughlin, who came in leading the nation with 1,057 yards rushing, ran for 319 yards and five touchdowns on 50 carries. McLaughlin came in averaging 10.1 yards per carry for his career, but Valley held him to 6.4 yards per carry.

Knox also had an 86-4 advantage in passing yards. Knox committed no turnovers and only two penalties.

Knox led 12-7 at halftime.

Knox (4-0, 1-0 INSC) is a three-time defending sectional champion.

Valley is 2-2, 0-1.

Knox 36, Tippecanoe Valley 21

Knox 6 6 16 8 – 36

Valley 7 0 7 7 – 21

First quarter

KNOX – Myles McLaughlin 68 run (run failed)

TV – Wes Parker 42 run (Gage Overbey kick)

Second quarter

KNOX – McLaughlin 7 run (run failed)

Third quarter

KNOX – McLaughlin 2 run (McLaughlin run)

TV – Grady Moriarty 56 run (Overbey kick)

KNOX – McLaughlin 15 run (McLaughlin run)

Fourth quarter

KNOX – McLaughlin 2 run (Izak Singleton run)

TV – Parker 95 run (Overbey kick)

Pioneer 45, Caston 13 (Friday): Pioneer had 387 yards rushing and had three different players run for over 100 yards in beating Caston for the 35th consecutive time at The Panther Pit Friday.

Noah VanMeter ran for 116 yards on nine carries, Phillip McFatridge ran for 112 yards on seven carries, and Micah Rans ran for 108 yards on nine carries for the Panthers, who improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the Hoosier North.

VanMeter, McFatridge and Rans had two touchdown runs each. McFatridge also made a 27-yard field goal and converted all six point-after tries.

Shiloh Rine added 51 yards on five carries, Pioneer won despite not completing a pass.

Eli Guffey had 11 tackles on defense for Pioneer, including four for loss. Rine had seven tackles, including two for loss. Mikaden Tolosa had eight tackles, including three for loss. J.J. Solano also had seven tackles.

Gavin Mollenkopf led the Caston ground attack with 119 yards and two touchdowns, including one on the last play of the game. Ashton Bowyer added 82 yards on 18 carries.

Mollenkopf also completed four of 11 passes for 28 yards.

Bowyer also had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. Tucker Woolever had six tackles, and Logan Mollenkopf had four tackles and a pass defended. London Herd and Braxton Smith had three tackles each.

Caston dropped to 1-3, 0-2.

Caston has not beaten Pioneer since 1996.

Pioneer 45, Caston 13

Caston 7 0 0 6 – 13

Pioneer 14 3 21 7 – 45

Winamac 30, Culver 22 (Friday): Ethan Burgess’ 16-yard touchdown run with 11:42 left put Winamac ahead for good, and Tearson Wolford ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns for the Warriors as they won a Hoosier North road game over Culver Friday.

Xavier Adriano ran for 38 yards and threw for 101 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Louis Rugg in the first quarter.

Ivan Cardenas ran eight times for 56 yards. Burgess finished with 63 yards on six carries.

Michael Shidler had eight tackles, two assists and a fumble recovery on defense. Burgess had seven tackles and an interception.

Wolford had a 64-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a three-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion run in the third quarter.

Jonas McCuen threw touchdown passes of 61, 54 and 19 yards to Caleb McCuen in the second quarter for Culver (1-3, 0-2 Hoosier North), who scored 20 unanswered points after trailing 14-0 in the second quarter.

Culver committed four turnovers.

Winamac improved to 1-3, 1-1.

Winamac 30, Culver 22

Winamac 6 8 8 8 – 30

Culver 0 22 0 0 – 22

First quarter

WIN – Louis Rugg 55 pass from Xavier Adriano (kick failed)

Second quarter

WIN – Tearson Wolford 64 run (Xavier Adriano run)

CUL – Caleb McCuen 61 pass from Jonas McCuen (Jonas McCuen run)

CUL – C. McCuen 54 pass from J. McCuen (pass failed)

CUL – C. McCuen 19 pass from J. McCuen (J. McCuen run)