By Rob Kiser

Miami Valley Today

PIQUA — Piqua senior running back Jasiah Medley had a game Friday night — on his first three carries.

Against the Tippecanoe defense that came in as the top ranked rushing defense in the MVL, allowing less that 60 yards per game — Medley picked up 191 yards on his first three touches to spark Piqua to a 21-9 lead and the Indians went on to a 42-23 victory.

Piqua is now 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the MVL and will be back at Alexander Stadum/Purk Field Friday night to host Vandalia-Butler.

Tippecanoe is now 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the MVL.

“It was pretty amazing,” Medley said. “My offensive line did a great job. I didn’t know how many yards I had, but I knew I had a pretty good game.”

Nees said Medley is different from the other top running back Piqua has had.

“You look at our Mount Rushmore of running backs (Sean Mitchell, Scott Foster, Brandon Saine, Trent Yeomans),” Nees said. “Jasiah (Medley) probably won’t have the volume (of yards) those guys had, but he is the most versatile of them — because he is the only that plays defense too.”

Tippecanoe coach Matt Burgbacher knew how dangerous Medley was.

“He is not just a good running back,” Burgbacher said after sharing a moment with Medley on the field after the game. “He is a dynamic player. It was just inches. But, if you give him inches, he is going to make you pay.”

After Dre’Sean Roberts returned the opening kickoff to Piqua’s 40-yard run, Medley went 60 yards on the first play to put Piqua up just 19 seconds into the game

“That first play,” Medley said. “That was amazing.”

Jackson Trombley added the first of his six PAT kicks to make it 7-0. Trombley is now 45 of 47 on PATs and had touchbacks on six of his seven kickoffs — the other the Tipp returned putting his knee down at the one yard line.

“That is the great thing about Jackson (Trombley),” Nees said. “We know when we score, the other team is going to start at the 20-yard line and have a long field.”

To Tipp’s credit, the Red Devils had more success than anyone has had against Piqua’s defense and would take a 9-7 lead.

The Red Devils drove to Piqua’s 18-yard line. It looked like Tipp would have a touchdown on third and 10, but Braiden Strayer stripped the ball from the receiver as he tried to make the catch.

Jackson Kleather kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

Tipp’s Grayson Ring intercepted a pass three plays later and after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Piqua, Tipp was at the Piqua 20 to start the drive.

Cayd Everhart ran it in from three yards out, but Tipp never got the snap down on the PAT and it was 9-7.

Piqua started at its own 26 following the kickoff and Medley’s second carry was the same as his first — a 74-yard touchdown run to give Piqua a 14-9 lead with 3:10 to go in the first quarter.

“We need that run right there,” Nees said. “Tipp had a long drive and then we had a turnover.”

Tipp was driving inside the Piqua 30 when Landon Hare recovered a fumble to give Piqua the ball at its own 25-yard line.

Medley got the ball on the first play and appeared to be headed for the end zone, before being tackled at the Tipp 18 after a 57-yard run.

“I thought I was going to score again,” Medley said. “I got caught from behind. I don’t know who that happened. I never that I would see the day that happened.”

Tanner Kemp had an 11-yard run down to the four on third-and-seven and quarterback Brady Ouhl would score from the one-yard line to make it 21-9.

Later in the quarter, Kleather had a 63-yard punt to the Piqua one-yard line.

The Indians would go 99 yards to make it 28-9 just before halftime.

Ouhl converted one third down with an 11-yard pass to Eijah Frazier and hooked up with Giovanni Barron on a 52-yard pass on the next play.

Cory Miller had a 21-yard run on a reverse down to the 10-yard line and on third-and-goal from the six, Ouhl would find Barron in the end zone to cap the drive.

“It’s funny when people hear me say this, but we work on that all the time in practice,” Nees said. “We have the offense try and go 99 yards.”

Tipp started the second half with a 99-yard drive of its own when the returner’s knee touched down as he caught the ball at the one-yard line.

Everhart would run nine yards on the first play, Zach Butera had a 14-yard run and quarterback Liam Ponsky would run it in from 19 yards out and throw to Jason Rindler for the two-point PAT to make it 28-17.

“That is not ideal starting at the one-yard line,” Burgbacher said. “I feel like our offense just keeps getting better and better every week.”

Medley would add touchdown runs of one and 40 yards to put the game away, giving him 21 touchdowns for the year and 1,069 yards rushing.

Tipp would score on a two-yard run by Poronsky for the final margin in a game where Piqua did not put.

“I told my kids that is the best team we will play all year,” Burgbacher said. “The score does surprise me, because I thought we had a great game plan going in.”

Piqua would finish with 420 yards rushing.

Ouhl added 45 yards on six carries and complete nine of 15 passes for 103 yards. Barron had two catches for 58 yards.

“I think the key to it (the offense) is having Brady Ouhl back there in the driver’s seat and mixing in some of his runs,” Nees said.

Linebacker Sam Schmiesing led the Piqua defense with 13 tackles, while Medley and Kemp had six tackles each.

Everhart had 82 yards on 23 carries for Tippecanoe and Xavier Jones added 46 yards on seven carries.

Poronsky completed 21 of 31 passes for 133 yards.

Rindler caught seven passes for 54 yards and Butera caught five for 30 yards.

Everhart and Peyton Bey had six tackles each for Tippecanoe.

On a night when Medley had a game to remember — on his first three carries.