CHESTERTON — Valparaiso coaches challenged their offensive line late.
Chesterton scored on a 6-yard Chris Mullen to Jackson Westmoreland with 7:39 left in the game to get within a field goal of the Vikings.
The Valparaiso offensive line was flagged for holding twice and jumped before the snap three other times. Coaches told them what needed to be done.
“They knew that we’d kind of pinned our backs to the wall,” Vikings coach Bill Marshall said. “As soon as the defense let up that touchdown, I said, ‘Guys, we’re going to need you.’ It’s just the kind of character that these kids have, to fight for one another and to fight for that brotherhood that they preach so loudly.”
The Times No. 2 Vikings responded and didn’t allow No. 3 Chesterton any time to make use of that momentum, eating up the rest of the clock with a single drive that finished off a 10-7 win over the geographic and Duneland Athletic Conference rival.
“Our goal on that last drive was to score and just put it away fast. It turned into just getting that extra 10 yards every single time,” senior quarterback Logan Lockhart said.
Valparaiso running back Hayden Vinyard carried the ball 39 times for 172 yards.
Lockhart made key plays when they were needed. He hit Anthony Schafer with an important 18-yard throw during that drive. The game ended when he connected with Thomas Vo for a game-clinching completion. He was 10-of-15 passing for 112 yards and ran for 90 more, including the Vikings’ only touchdown.
“Last year, in some situations I would overthink things but this year I’m just trying to play,” Lockhart said. “The line gave me time, made it easier. I didn’t really have any pressure on me so I made the plays.”
Chesterton came into the game averaging 32.8 points per contest. Marshall said the Vikings were concerned with Mullen’s ability to extend plays with his feet. Coaches stressed not over-penetrating and keeping him in the pocket. They wanted to limit his big plays.
Mullen completed 16 of 29 throws for 184 yards and ran for 40.
“I felt like they did what we expected them to do (on defense). We just missed some opportunities,” Trojans coach Mark Peterson said. “We did not play error-free football and got in long down and distances, second-and-long and third-and-long. That’s hard to do, especially if you want to try and run the ball.”
The Trojans defense kept the team alive with a big stand at the close of the first half. Valparaiso (5-0, 3-0) had three chances from the Chesterton 2-yard line. Vinyard was stuffed twice and Dane Snemis broke up a pass in the end zone to prevent the lead from expanding.
“It came down to the last couple of drives and if we could’ve just gotten off the field a little bit earlier in that second half, it might have played in our favor,” Peterson said. “That’s not to take anything away from our defense because I thought they did a great job.”
Chesterton (4-1, 2-1) moved the ball well on its first two drives but twice stalled out in Valparaiso territory.
The Vikings scored first on a 27-yard Tony Johnson field goal. In the second quarter, Lockhart hit Ricky Hall Jr. for a 32-yard pass and took a keeper 15 yards to the 1-yard line. That set up Lockhart’s 1-yard sneak into the end zone that made it 10-0.
“When these teams get together, you never know what to expect. That is a terrifically-coached team over there,” Marshall said. “It all boils down to that our kids wanted it and they just took it.”
Gallery: Chesterton visits Valparaiso in DAC action