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Roudebush leads Caston in loss to LaVille; Hill stars in Pioneer win over Hammond Central; Allen’s kickoff return for TD comes in Winamac loss to North Judson; Rodgers runs for TD in Culver loss
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Football
Tippecanoe Valley 59, Culver Academy 28 (Friday): Nate Parker threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter, and the Valley offense produced 618 yards of total offense in a home win over Culver Academy at Smith-Bibler Memorial Field Home of Death Valley Football Friday.
Parker ran for 214 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries and also caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from Cody Eastgate. Parker also threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Wade Jones.
Grady Moriarty had 86 yards rushing and two touchdowns on six carries. Jones also had a 60-yard touchdown run. Nate Engstrand also had a 36-yard reception.
Valley trailed 21-14 but tied the game on Parker’s 60-yard touchdown run on a counter and went ahead for good when Parker received a screen pass from Eastgate and went 81 yards for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half.
Moriarty led the defense with 11 tackles. Brock Derf added 10, and Landon Durkes added nine. Jones and Owen Omondi each had interceptions.
Gage Overbey made six of seven extra points and also kicked a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Valley broke an 11-game losing streak to Culver Academy and beat the Eagles for the first time since 2010.
Valley moved from No. 15 to No. 9 in this week’s Associated Press Class 3A poll. Along with top-ranked Indianapolis Chatard, co-No. 4 Guerin Catholic and No. 7 Hamilton Heights, they are one of four Sectional 28 teams in the top 10.
Valley 59, Culver Academy 28
Culver Academy 7 14 7 0 – 28
Valley 6 22 28 3 – 59
LaVille 36, Caston 6 (Friday): Kyle Roudebush ran 12 times for 73 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the host Comets lost to LaVille for the ninth straight year Friday.
Landon Rigney added six carries for 48 yards.
Roudebush also had an 11-yard reception from Gavin Mollenkopf.
Jabez Yarber and Roudebush had seven tackles each. Rigney and Grant Yadon had four tackles each. Brayden Unger and Levi Martin each had a sack. Roudebush and Yadon each blocked a kick.
Lucas Plummer threw for 200 yards and four touchdowns. Collin Czarnecki had four receptions for 90 yards and three touchdowns.
Class 2A, No. 3 LaVille led 30-0 at halftime and extended the lead to 36-0 in the third quarter, and the remainder of the game was played under the IHSAA Mercy Rule after that score.
This was the final scheduled meeting between the teams. LaVille is leaving the Hoosier North after the 2023-24 school year.
LaVille 36, Caston 6
LaVille 20 10 6 0 – 36
Caston 0 0 0 6 – 6
Pioneer 28, Hammond Central 12 (Friday): Cayden Hill ran for a season-high 126 yards and two touchdowns, and Pioneer held a 274-168 advantage in rushing yards in recording a home win over Hammond Central at the Panther Pit Friday.
Tyler Zellers ran eight times for 78 yards and a touchdown, and Rylahn Toloza had 12 rushes for 52 yards.
Sophomore quarterback Micah Rans completed a 22-yard pass to Noah VanMeter and also had a touchdown run
Freshman Shiloh Rine led the defense with 12 tackles. Zellers and Hill had eight tackles each and Eli Guffey had seven tackles, including two for loss.
Hill also recovered two fumbles and averaged 31 yards per punt.
Dashawn Woods ran for 130 yards and a touchdown for Hammond Central. Davion Terry also had a touchdown run.
Pioneer is ranked No. 9 in this week’s Associated Press Class 1A poll. Pioneer will host No. 12 Triton this Friday.
Pioneer 28, Hammond Central 12
Hammond Central 0 6 6 0 – 12
Pioneer 6 7 7 8 – 28
North Judson 21, Winamac 8 (Friday): Winamac’s Addison Allen returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but North Judson scored the game’s final 15 points to earn a Hoosier North home win over Winamac Friday.
Allen’s kickoff return followed Cole Wilcox’s 28-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Blue Jays. Maddox Bucinski’s two-point conversion run gave Winamac an 8-6 lead.
Brock Benson and Jesiah McDaniel each had 18-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to put North Judson ahead for good.
Talen Garner led Winamac with 21 yards rushing. North Judson had a 184-94 advantage in rushing yards.
Bucinski had two receptions for 18 yards.
Garner and Tucker Fox each had two tackles for loss. Jadon Jones had a sack for a 10-yard loss.
The game was scoreless after three quarters.
Class 1A, No. 10 North Judson has won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams.
North Judson 21, Winamac 8
Winamac 0 0 0 8 – 8
North Judson 0 0 0 21 – 21
Triton 58, Culver 6 (Friday): Jack Rodgers had a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for Culver in a home loss to conference and sectional rival Triton Friday.
Rodgers had 85 yards on 18 carries.
Rodgers’ touchdown run made it 7-6, but Triton finished with 51 unanswered points.
Theron Carrington and Drake Zorich had six tackles each. Logan Caudill had five stops.
The Triton defense held Culver to 88 yards and four first downs while forcing three turnovers.
Triton 58, Culver 6
Triton 21 20 0 17 – 58
Culver 6 0 0 0 – 6
