Tipp wins football opener in shutout fashion

It’s a ‘one game at a time’ mentality for the Tippecanoe football team…as they opened their season on the road last week at Bellbrook, looking to set the tone for the season. While nobody is mentioning anything down the road, this game in the past has always been very important in the scheme of extra football after week ten.

The Red Devils took care of business last Friday, jumping in front early on a quick score and used stellar and timely defense to stymie the Eagles offense for a 21-0 victory to open the season 1-0.

“It is just one game, but I loved the way our kids played,” said Tipp coach Matt Burgbacher. “We talked about leaving it all on the field, you saw tonight they left it all on the field and executed enough.” “That is a good football team, defensively, they come at you in all different areas, and our kids kept the right mindset. We go for it on fourth down, that’s a bad call on my part, but our defense had our back.” It didn’t take Tipp long to get things started after their defense smothered Bellbook on their first possession. Tipp took over and marched 44 yards in five plays, all on the ground with Xavier Melton runs, capped off by a two-yard scoring run by Melton to give Tipp a very quick 7-0 lead.

“We wanted to set the tone, and we have been prepping for these guys all summer,” Burgbacher said. Both teams exchanged punts on their next possession, then Bellbrook was on their way into Tipp territory when the Red Devils came up with a big defensive play. On a fourth down, the Eagles lobbed a fourth down pass into the endzone, but Brody Hogge was there to deflect the pass and give the ball over to Tipp on downs. Tipp went back to work, and they scored on a fourth down play when Collin Isaac took it in from 24 yards out with 6:48 left in the opening quarter, and Tipp was in control 14-0.

That’s how the half ended as the Red Devils came up with some big defensive plays from Micah Pyles-Dodds, who had a big interception. As did Max Deckard, who picked off a pass in the endzone near the half to preserve the shutout in the first half. “We had guys tonight like Bryton Otto and Carter Brooks with very minimal varsity snaps. Their names were called a lot tonight,” Burgbacher said. “These seniors really stepped up and played some football. You also have a sophomore playing offensive tackle and did a great job.”

Bellbrook got down inside the Tipp 20 in the third quarter, and on a fourth down play, Nick Wemple and Bryton Otto combined to record a big sack, giving the ball back to Tipp. The backbreaker for Bellbrook came in the third as Will Strong broke through for a 68-yard touchdown run late in the third period, taking the wind out of Bellbrook sails and giving Tipp a 21-0 lead. Bellbrook had one last chance to spoil the shutout in the closing seconds, but an incomplete pass inside the Tipp five yard line gave Tipp the big zero on the scoreboard. “We made plays when it counted,” Burgbacher said.

Tipp hosts Piqua Friday night in the home opener at the stadium, 7 p.m. kickoff.