Chesterton traveled to Valparaiso last Friday in hopes of taking the “Meridian Cup” back to CHS with them. The game was a testament to the trust that the Trojans have in senior CJ Perez, who had his first varsity start at quarterback last friday. The game had been a ground and pound success for Chesterton, but they unfortunately would have several major errors which ended drives. The defense held strong in many key situations, forcing field goals or punts all night. The team was extremely disappointed by the result, but can look at the game with a positive mindset. Valpo was ranked #1 in the state for 5A football, and is in the sectional with Laporte, Michigan City, and Chesterton.
The first half was a great showing of the defensive power the Trojans bring to the table. Since their tough loss to Michigan City, the defense has played lights out, shutting down the run game of opponents very effectively.
The Valpo line had a hard time stopping senior Owen Edlen from getting into the backfield. Junior running back Andrew Goveia also had a good first half. Goveia knew that his role, an already huge role on an offensive that mostly runs the ball, would grow even larger after the injury of senior Brady McCormack, who would take many carries per game. One struggle the team had in their game against Michigan City was getting first downs, but against Laporte and Valparaiso the Trojans haven’t struggled with that much. A key play in the first half was a reverse to sophomore running back Peyton Dilbeck, who ran for a first down and more. The Trojans were never forced to punt the ball during the first half. Unfortunately, the Trojans lost the turnover battle in the first half, giving the ball back to the Vikings on several occasions.
“I think we played well in the first half, but we kept shooting ourselves in the foot,” said senior team captain Ryan Gray.
The teams went into the half with a score of 6-0 in Valpo’s favor. Perez once again got the offense in rhythm and Chesterton started to move the ball down the field at the end of the half, but ran out of time.
The team may have gone into the locker room with a six point deficit, but they knew that they had just played a great half of football. Players came out in the second half with their heads held high and had confidence in their teammates to do their job. All they had to do was minimize some key errors in order to have the scoreboard reflect their progress. The offense put drives together much more effectively in the second half, scoring two touchdowns. Perez scored the first touchdown on a long pass to junior receiver Gus Wisch, putting the Trojans up 7-6. Goveia played a key part in the run game, receiving 41 carries that night. Of course, he didn’t take the ball and run by himself, he ran behind his five offensive linemen, who dominated the trenches versus the Valparaiso defense, something the Vikings had not seen in a while.
“We picked it up in the second half, dominated them, and put two scores up on the board,” Gray said.
Chesterton scored again off of a Goveia ten yard rush, putting the Trojans in good position with a 14-6 lead. The defense again played a stellar half, holding the Vikings scoreless throughout the second half, up until the last Valpo offensive drive. Throughout the game, the Viking offense was set up in spectacular positions, but the Chesterton defense held strong. Unfortunately, Valparaiso won the special teams battle, getting good coverage on kickoffs and nabbing a muffed punt. Valpo took the ball back, in their own territory late in the fourth quarter, and they drove down with efficiency, scoring a quick six. The Vikings ended up getting a two point conversion in order to tie the game. Chesterton tried to drive down the field quickly in order to get into field goal range, but again ended the half without any points from their final drive. 14-14 was the reading on the scoreboard, and overtime was the result.
In IHSAA football, overtime is similar to college football. Each team will get the ball on the opposing team’s ten yard line. After the first team is done, the second team has to try and match them or score more. Chesterton lost the coin toss and Valparaiso chose to get the ball second. Chesterton quickly found the end zone from yet another Goveia ground attack. 21-14 meant Valparaiso had to score at least seven. Chesterton had some great stops, disrupting the Viking rush attack, but Valparaiso found the end zone on a pass, making the score 21-20. Valparaiso chose to go for the two point conversion, deciding the game with the play. The Vikings reversed the field and threw the ball to their quarterback who got into the endzone, scoring the two points, ending the game, and delivering a harsh blow to Chesterton fans. Chesterton is taking the loss in stride and is looking forward to facing the Vikings in the sectional.
“That was probably the best game I’ve ever been a part of and the most heartbreaking I’ve ever been a part of,” Edlen concluded.
