TIPPECANOE VALLEY 35, WABASH 27

The Vikings earned a berth in the Three Rivers Conference championship game next Friday after beating the Apaches.

Valley, Rochester and Northfield all finished 3-1 in the division, but Valley won on its head-to-head win against Rochester since both teams finished 5-1 in the TRC overall. Northfield was 3-3 in TRC play, losing to both Southwood and Maconaquah from the South Division and Rochester from the North. Valley’s lone TRC loss came against Northfield and Rochester’s to Valley last week.

Playing without running back Cam Parker, out from an injury sustained last week in the win against Rochester, the Vikings turned to Dakota Gaff and its running game. Gaff ran for a career-high 166 yards on 20 carries and had two touchdowns. Valley as a whole piled up 348 yards on the ground, Wes Melanson gaining 84 yards and a score and Jaydin Conley had 60 yards and two scores.

Valley committed four turnovers in the game, but its defense held Wabash to just 236 total yards, only 98 on the ground. Apache quarterback Jared Hooley rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown and threw for 108 yards and a score to lead the team.

“It feels good,” said Valley head coach Steve Moriarty Friday night with the 107.3 crew. “It’s been kind of a rough road. To see us steering the ship in the right direction and getting back to Death Valley football, to be in the conference championship that we haven’t been in in a couple of years here. I feel like that kids just deserve it. They have fought so hard and done such a good job. I’m just so proud of the players for all the efforts they have been through.”

Valley (5-3, 3-1 TRC) will visit Southwood (8-0, 4-0 TRC), the Knights rolling after beating Maconaquah 21-10 to remain perfect. The Knights have allowed just 29 points all season to the 257 its scored in the eight games. Kickoff for the championship will be 7 p.m.

ELKHART MEMORIAL 45, WAWASEE 32

For the first time this season, Wawasee got into a shootout, but for the fourth time in five games, the Warrior defense gave up at least 45 points.

Wawasee scored its most points in the first half this season (20), and led Memorial 20-17 in the second quarter before Breydan Weston ran in the ball from a yard out with just 54 seconds left in the half to give the Chargers a 24-20 lead at the break.

Memorial then stretched out a 38-20 lead after runs from Ivan Soeun and Derrick Woods.

Soeun had a huge game, rushing 36 times for 261 yards and two touchdowns while Woods had 106 yards and three touchdowns.

Evan Eshbach had a big game throwing the ball for the Warriors, completing 18 of 27 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns. Steven Hauntz had 116 yards and two scores, and Dylan Hepler also caught two touchdown passes. Kam Salazar added the other touchdown catch for the Warriors, which had seven different receivers catch a pass.

Wawasee (0-8, 0-6 NLC) will take one final crack at a regular season win Friday when it hosts Goshen.

Area Scores

NorthWood 14, Warsaw 13
Tippecanoe Valley 35, Wabash 27
Elkhart Memorial 45, Wawasee 32
Triton 14, Knox 12
Mishawaka 35, Marian 17
Lakeland 62, Fairfield 6
Pioneer 72, Culver 0
Concord 31, Northridge 21
Plymouth 49, Goshen 31
New Prairie 35, S.B. Riley 13
S.B. Adams 28, S.B. Washington 7
Jimtown 35, Bremen 28
Penn 20, Elkhart Central 17
Fremont 35, Prairie Heights 34
Winamac 61, Caston 16