Big night for Burbee
Crediting O-line, senior rushes for 305 yards, 3 TDs as Valpo holds off Chesterton
After a week off and with his school’s biggest rival on the opposite sideline, Valparaiso senior Tommy Burbee was ready for a busy night.
“It’s all adrenaline,” he said. “It’s not about your stamina when you’re playing against a rival. I’m not worried about how many carries I’ve had.”
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound running back was the Vikings’ workhorse against visiting Chesterton, racking up a career-high 305 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries in Valparaiso’s 30-21 Duneland Athletic Conference win.
Valparaiso (3-0, 1-0) didn’t play last week after its scheduled opponent, Michigan City, suspended team operations following a positive COVID-19 test.
Back on the field this week, though, Burbee relished the chance to run behind his mammoth offensive line that averages 6-1 and 290 pounds, and he said his numbers are a byproduct of their efforts.
“That’s more for the line to be able to say that our running back got over 300 yards,” Burbee said. “I’m not doing anything without them up there.”
The Vikings needed those yards. Chesterton (2-3, 2-1) was eager for an upset, and Valparaiso coach Bill Marshall said his team had mistakes to correct despite the gaudy numbers.
“The line should be commended,” Marshall said. “We had to establish a run game tonight, and they did. It wasn’t without
some penalties and some stalling, and those are things we need to clean up.”
Chesterton grabbed a 14-3 lead in the first half on a 55-yard interception return for a TD by senior defensive back Patrick McLaughlin and a 71yard TD catch by junior running back/wide receiver Colby Bullock.
Chesterton coach Mark Peterson raved about the performance of junior quarterback Chris Mullen, who also hit junior wide receiver Jackson Westmoreland in stride for a 45-yard TD late in the third quarter.
“He’s exceptional,” Peterson said of Mullen. “He’s been doing things all season long that continue to amaze me.”
After Bullock’s score in the
second quarter, Chesterton recovered the ensuing kickoff and had a chance to break the game open. But Valparaiso senior defensive end Dylan Dingman sacked Mullen on third down, and the Trojans turned it over on downs.
Dingman’s sack halted Chesterton’s roll, and Valparaiso responded to take a 20-14 lead by halftime.
Early in the fourth quarter, Valparaiso looked to extend its 23-21 lead when a field goal attempt was blocked by the Trojans. Chesterton got the ball at its own 26 with 8:15 remaining in the game.
Then Valparaiso’s defensive line delivered at another crucial moment.
On first down, Mullen was sacked by Dingman. On second down, the Jones brothers combined for a sack, with sophomore Mason Jones and senior Cooper Jones meeting at Mullen. Cooper Jones added a sack on third down, forcing a Chesterton punt, although he refused to take sole credit for those big plays.
“Those are team sacks,” Cooper Jones said. “All night they were throwing on three-step drops. If the coverage wasn’t there, we wouldn’t have gotten back there in time.”
On Chesterton’s next possession, Mason Jones helped seal the win by forcing a Mullen fumble that junior linebacker Mason McMullen recovered.
“(Mullen) was still looking to pass, and he didn’t see me behind him,” Mason Jones said. “I thought, if I can get the ball, the game’s over.”
McMullen returned the fumble to the end zone, but a penalty brought the ball back to Valparaiso’s 44-yard line. Four plays later, Burbee put the game away with a 33-yard TD run.
Marshall spoke highly of his entire defensive line but singled out Mason Jones for his rapid maturation.
“When you’re in those positions, you love to see those guys come out,” Marshall said. “But Mason’s mental focus and preparation all week has been on point. That’s really something to say for a sophomore, to have that clarity and focus and then come out and do those things.”