Tipton hopes to tip scales against Valle

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

The Tipton Cardinals have advanced to the Class 1 state semifinals five times in the program’s history, walking away without the elusive trip to the Jones Dome in St. Louis in their previous four attempts.

After defeating Adrian 26-7 on the road last week, the Cardinals will compete for a spot in the championship game for the third-straight year as they host Valle Catholic, of Ste. Genevieve, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

At 14-0, the Warriors enter the contest with the pedigree of a perennial powerhouse, equipped with a 43-6 record in the postseason with nine state championships.

For Tipton (13-0, 5-0 home), though, the past accolades of Valle Catholic are of no concern. Instead, the Warriors are a welcomed sight after running into a physical Thayer team in the semifinals the previous two years.

“We match up with Valle better than Thayer,” Tipton head coach Tony Braby said. “We don’t do well with the big, physical come-at-you teams.

“What Valle does well is spread the ball and come at you with athleticism, probably the most overall athletes on a team we’ve faced all year. They have a good nucleus of seniors who’ve played together for quite a while. They’re a team that hasn’t been challenged all year, and we hope to change that.”

On paper, the undefeated programs match up well, showcasing muscle on both sides of the ball.

Using a multi-option spread offense, Valle Catholic averages 42.5 points a game and has put up at least five touchdowns in every contest but one — a 20-12 win over Maplewood-Richmond Heights (9-3), which allowed less than 10 points a contest.

“They’re a quick-strike, big-play team,” Braby said. “At all times, we need to keep the ball in front of us, put pressure on the quarterback and close up the gaps, make tackles and limit their scoring opportunities.”

The Warriors have also proven to be a threat on the defensive end, allowing a mere 8 points a contest. The Warriors’ defense has garnered three shutouts, allowed 20-plus points only once and has limited eight opponents to single-digit points.

“I’m impressed with their team speed, the ability from their defensive line to close up the seams, and their open field tackling,” Braby said. “They don’t have many weaknesses, and defensively, they’ve proven they’re a force.”

The Cardinals will counter the Warriors’ dominant defense with a powerful backfield, a sure-handed receiver in Chris Bracht and a versatile quarterback in Marcus Brinkley. With multiple weapons, the offense has averaged 32 points and more than 300 yards a contest.

The multi-option offensive attack caters to a backfield that goes four deep. Led by fullback Jonathan Loganbill, who rushed for 182 yards and three scores against Adrian, the ground game has averaged more than 230 yards a game. Fullback Keil Allison and running backs Dallas Peoples and Burt Barbour have complimented Loganbill, mixing it up and giving opposing defenses a fresh look at speed to the outside gaps and power up the middle.

“On defense, we’re going to have our hands full with their run game,” Valle Catholic head coach Judd Naeger said. “We’ve just got to make sure we play fundamentally sound, with clear eyes. We can’t afford to commit mistakes and lose focus of what we’ve done all year.”

Under center, Brinkley has proven to be a dual threat. Despite throwing only a pair of passes in his last two contests due to a shoulder injury, the senior has compiled nearly 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. Adding to his resume, the senior has also run for 600-plus yards with nine scores.

His go-to offensive weapon downfield has been Bracht, who has 18 touchdown receptions on the season.

The senior wide receiver has also been instrumental in leading a defense that allows just 9.4 points a game. Bracht has a career-high nine interceptions for a team that has garnered two shutouts, allowed 20-plus points only once and has limited opponents to single-digits point seven times.

“Their defense plays very well,” Naeger said. “They’re one of the best, if not the best defensive team we’ve faced all year, and we’ll just take what they give us offensively and try to execute.”

STATE SEMIFINAL
Valle Catholic at Tipton
1:30 p.m. Saturday