A victory for Valparaiso just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They were beaten by the Merrillville Pirates 35-7. The Vikings lost against the Pirates in their previous head to head back in November of 2023, too, but the margin this time around was even wider than the 24-20 score last time.
Kellan Hosek rushed for 58 yards on only eight carries, and also threw for 124 yards on 14 of 20 attempts.
Austen Mackenzie was his top target, picking up 49 receiving yards. On the ground,
Thomas Burda rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Jac'Quarious Johnson continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Merrillville, rushing for 226 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 12.6 yards per carry. With that strong performance, Johnson is now averaging an impressive 109.4 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Jordan Sanders, who threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
This is the second loss in a row for Valparaiso and nudges their season record down to 4-3. As for Merrillville, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 6-1.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Valparaiso will host Portage at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Merrillville, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Lake Central at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Merrillville's defense has only allowed 11.1 points per game this season, so Lake Central's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
