Two dominant backs in Thomas Burda and Jac'Quarious Johnson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Valparaiso Vikings will head out to challenge the Merrillville Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Valparaiso is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Crown Point just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They were outmatched by the Bulldogs at home and fell 41-7. The Vikings were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.
Meanwhile, Merrillville waltzed into their contest on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 35-0 victory over the Slicers. Given the Pirates' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Slicers are ranked 195th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Johnson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Another back making a difference was Cameron Jordan, who rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Merrillville was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 237 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Merrillville's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as John Peters, Jaiden Mason, and Antuan Jenkins picked up one apiece.
Valparaiso's defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-2. As for Merrillville, their win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Valparaiso has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 158.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Merrillville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 187.3. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Valparaiso came up short against Merrillville in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, falling 24-20. Can Valparaiso avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
