Preview: Merrillville Pirates vs. Valparaiso Vikings
The Merrillville Pirates will be playing at home against the Valparaiso Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merrillville will be looking to keep their ten-game home win streak (dating back to last season) alive.
Merrillville had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. Everything went their way against Hammond Morton on Friday as Merrillville made off with a 42-18 win. Merrillville might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won six games by 24 points or more this season.
Merrillville can attribute much of their success to Trey Stevens, who rushed for 101 yards on only seven carries.
Valparaiso aren't just finding sucess at home, as their game on Friday extended their overall winning streak to five. They strolled past Michigan City with points to spare, taking the game 26-7. Given Valparaiso's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 18th, while Michigan City is ranked 70th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Justin Clark had a dynamite game for Valparaiso, rushing for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Clark was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 61 yards. Julian Stokes also helped out with an impressive 82 receiving yards.
Valparaiso's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. In that department, Brady Blaschke was the leader with two sacks.
Merrillville has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season. As for Valparaiso, their win bumped their record up to an identical 9-2.
Merrillville couldn't quite finish off Valparaiso in their previous matchup back in September and fell 26-24. Will Merrillville have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
