It’s the 21st consecutive league victory for Tippecanoe (9-0, 8-0 MVL). With a victory over West Carrollton (0-9) in Week 10, the Red Devils will complete a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
“We’re co-champs right now. We’ve got to finish it off next week. But to be able to at least solidify that feels good,” Tippecanoe coach Matt Burgacher said.
With accomplishment of that goal in sight, the next goal is taking focus: making a deep postseason run. Burgbacher said it’s something the squad has been thinking about since a second-round loss to St. Marys by two points last season.
“It’s a big accomplishment. I mean, all four years I’ve been here, we’ve been MVL champs, and that’s just an awesome thing to have,” running back Xavier Melton said.
“… But after (celebrating), once the day’s over, we’re looking at the next opponent, then the playoffs, and playoffs is our big goal. We have the team to do a lot of great things, and as long as we trust each other and keep doing what we did tonight, we’ll be good.”
Melton played through injury and scored the squad’s last two touchdowns. He entered the game ranked fifth in rushing yards among MVL players despite missing last week’s lopsided win over Greenville.
“Coach Burgbacher has been with me through all this training, and everyone’s been helping me through all this,” Melton said. “… (The injury) wasn’t feeling the best. But with the team I have, I don’t want to give up another game my senior year.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Burgbacher said six starters were sidelined Friday, and he’s hoping the squad will be able to have some players return after starting postseason play with a first-round bye in Week 11.
He complimented the whole team for coming up with such a dominating performance.
“There were so many huge plays tonight. We could go down the line of our roster, all the guys that made plays tonight,” Burgbacher said. “… It’s that next man up mentality. We’re going to get punched in the face, but that’s not going to phase us. We’re going to keep going.”
Troy (7-2, 7-1) struggled to muster any offense against the Red Devils and suffered their worst defeat of the season.
The program hasn’t beaten Tipp since 2019. The Trojans lost 25-22 at Troy Memorial Stadium a year ago after a late touchdown pass by Larkin Thomas and 13-12 two years ago in City Park after a failed two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
“It was our mindset walking in here,” Troy coach Troy Everhart said. “We lose our minds this week. At some point we have to grow up and play football. …Once things get rolling downhill for us in this particular game, we don’t usually survive.”
Unlike the last two years, Friday’s matchup wasn’t a nail biter.
Grant Titley caught a 21-yard touchdown from Thomas on Tipp’s first drive to give the squad a 7-0 lead with just under eight minutes left in the first quarter.
The Red Devils blocked a field goal attempt to end Troy’s second possession, then took a 14-0 lead early in the second when Melton ran in from 4 yards out.
Melton capped off the opening drive of the second half with a 5-yard TD run to give Tipp a 21-0 lead with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
The Red Devils controlled time of possession, and Burgbacher, who coached Troy from 2015 to 2018, was happy that gave the Trojans’ wing-T less chances.
“Our offense did a great job of controlling that,” Burgbacher said. “… I thought all three phases tonight played absolutely awesome.”
The Trojans’ lone scoring chance came in the fourth quarter when they drove into the red zone, but it ended with a turnover on downs when senior quarterback Aiden Kirkpatrick was sacked.
It was one of several big stops made by the Red Devils, who harassed Kirkpatrick throughout Friday. Kirkpatrick suffered a hard hit in the third quarter and required attention from trainers but finished the game.
Troy hadn’t been shut out since Week 3 of 2022.
“We were horrible blocking up front,” Everhart said. “We didn’t do anything to help ourselves. You would have thought it was the first time we were playing football.
“(Kirkpatrick) was basically playing by himself. ...When you have a special player like him, you’ve got to give him at least a chance, and we didn’t do that.”
The Trojans are scheduled to host Greenville in Week 10.
It was senior night on Friday, but it won’t be the last home game for Tipp. After traveling to West Carrollton to close out regular-season play, the squad, which is ranked No. 1 in Division III, Region 12, will host a second-round playoff game in Week 12.
“Right before the game, we read a note that each family wrote to each individual senior,” Melton said. “That just hit us different. You really realize how much everyone’s done for you and how much people support you in our community. And that’s what we’re about, is our community.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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