LAKEVILLE - We have quickly sprinted to Week #5 of the IHSAA football regular season. It's GAMEDAY and Tippecanoe Valley pays a visit to Lakeville to face conference rival LaVille. The Vikings lead the all-time series, 8-0, and are trying to keep pace near the top in the Indiana Northern State Conference standings. Tippecanoe Valley is 3-1 overall/1-0 INSC, after a 21-18 victory over Knox. Charles Moriarty collected 11 tackles and a quarterback sack for the Vikings against the Redskins. LaVille is 1-3 overall/0-1 INSC, after a 49-7 loss at Bremen. Noah Menis carried the ball 14 times for 41 yards and was 2-of-6 for 20 yards in the air for LHS against the Lions. We asked LaVille coach Matt Thacker about the Week #5 opponent. "You can expect them to be physical and look to use their speed on the outside while on offense," said the first-year LaVille skipper. "Defensively, they are going to look to be physical on the line of scrimmage." Valley had to rally for a three-point victory against Knox. The Redskins led 18-6 before a 65-yard kickoff return by Omondi started the comeback effort. Hunter Paxton's rushing touchdown gave the Vikings the lead for the first time in the fourth quarter. Valley was outgained in total yards (207-161) but made up for that by taking advantage of two Knox turnovers and a special teams score. Paxton led TVHS with 83 rushing yards. Both Paxton and Omondi hauled in interceptions for the Vikings defense. Speaking of defense, top stoppers for Tippecanoe Valley against Knox were Tyran Kiser, Charlie Moriarty, and Mason Miller who recorded 11 tackles each. "Owen Omondi (#1) is their speed guy on offense and he also plays safety on defense," said Thacker. "Hunter Randall (#2) is a heck of a player at the QB position for them. He also has good speed, good arm and does a nice job of running their offense. "Their O'line is big and physical and gets after it play after play. We have to match their physicality all night." According to the Lancer coach Valley's defense, "... all starts with their MLB Turan Kiser (#43). He plays downhill and is aggressive. Hunter Paxton (#4) and Owen Omondi (#1) do a great job in the secondary and their speed is concerning on the backend." In Week #4 at Bremen, the Lancers were able to move the ball, but an interception, fumble, and uncovered kick-off, spelled trouble. LaVille's Noah Menis and Dylan Miller connected for a little pitch and catch for a 16-yard LHS touchdown. The Lancers also got deep in Bremen territory to start the second quarter before coming just short on a 4th-and-goal at the one. "The big difference was Bremen finishing drives and we did not," said Thacker after the Bremen game. "Very frustrating, but at the same time we were able to move the ball pretty well against a very good defense. Plus, we had two turnovers and failed to cover the ball on kickoff return, which is another turnover. Bremen had zero turnovers and you can’t do that against a good team. "Finishing drives is huge as it provides confidence for our defense and team as a whole." As we closed our time, we asked the LaVille coach what concerns him most about Tippecanoe Valley. And, similarly to Bremen, he said: "We have to match their physicality and finish drives when we have the opportunity. We cannot give them short fields or a quick score. We must play for 4 quarters." Keys to the game for the Lancers include, "Finish Plays. Finish Drives. Believe in one another!" Game on. GAMEDAY Teams: Tippecanoe Valley (3-1) at LaVille (1-3) Site: Lancer Field | Lakeville, IN. Kick: 7:30 PM EDT Coaches: Stephen Moriarty, 67-33 in 10th year at Tippecanoe Valley. Matt Thacker, 1-3 in 1st year at LaVille, 33-53 in 9th year overall. Last Outing: Tippecanoe Valley defeated Knox, 21-18. LaVille lost to Bremen, 49-7. All-Time Series: Tippecanoe Valley leads LaVille, 8-0 Last Meeting: Tippecanoe Valley, 38-28, Sep. 19, 2025. Live-Stream: https://www.ihsaatv.org/?B=4459835