It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Merrillville Pirates had no problem doing just that on Friday. They snuck past Valparaiso with a 24-20 win. The win was nothing new for Merrillville as they're now sitting on five straight.
Valparaiso's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Justin Clark, who rushed for 108 yards, and Thomas Burda who rushed for 134 yards. Burda is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played.
Merrillville has yet to lose a game at home this season, leaving them with a 10-2 record. They've been dominating during the matchups in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 23.64 points. As for Valparaiso, their loss dropped their record down to 9-3.
Merrillville will head out on the road to face off against Fort Wayne Snider at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Fort Wayne Snider's favor is that they have now posted big point totals in their last five matches. Valparaiso does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
