Football Game Preview: Tippecanoe Valley Vikings vs. Western Panthers

Two dominant backs in Wes Parker and Matthew McKitrick are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Tippecanoe Valley Vikings will welcome the Western Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Tippecanoe Valley's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 33-0 victory over Jimtown. The contest marked the Vikings' most dominant win of the season.

Meanwhile, Western entered their tilt with West Lafayette on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They enjoyed a cozy 34-20 victory over the Red Devils. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 50th, while the Red Devils are ranked 126th).

The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in McKitrick and Kojo Steffey. McKitrick had a great game and rushed for 116 yards and a pair of scores. Meanwhile, Steffey was balling out in the loss, rushing for 123 yards and two TDs, while also picking up 55 receiving yards.

Tippecanoe Valley's win bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Western, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.

Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Tippecanoe Valley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 277.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 334.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Tippecanoe Valley strolled past Western in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 31-14. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.