Tippecanoe’s Xavier Melton (left) and Cade Havill (25) react after Melton’s touchdown run Thursday night against Vandalia-Butler at Tipp City Park.
Tippecanoe linebacker Riley Nicholls makes a tackle Thursday night against Vandalia-Butler.
Tippecanoe running back Xavier Melton finds running room Thursday night.
Tippecanoe’s Lucca Adkins returns and interception out of the end zone Thursday night.
Tippecanie kicker Owen Baileys boots an extra point out of the hold of Jackson Sinning.
TIPP CITY — Tipp City Park continued to be a “House of Doom” for Tippecanoe football opponents Thursday night when Vandalia-Butler visited.
The Red Devils have not lost at home since a 28-3 defeat at the hands of Piqua Sept. 25, 2020.
And that didn’t change when the Aviators visited for a big MVL showdown.
Despite trailing 7-3 early, the Red Devil defense and offense made all the big plays in a 25-7 win.
Tipp improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the MVL, maintaining a share of first place with Xenia.
The Red Devils will travel to Sidney Friday night.
Butler dropped to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the MVL.
Max Deckard would intercept a pass on Butler’s second play of the game — a trend that would continue.
But, the Aviators would force Tipp to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Owen Baileys.
After Lucca Adkins ended another Butler drive with an interception in the end zone, the Aviators would take a brief 7-3 lead when Mason Reckner threw a 15-yard TD pass to Braylen Crump and Gryffin Bradley kicked the PAT with 7:34 remaining in the half.
It was a very brief lead.
After Logan Butera ran nine yards on the first play after the kickoff, Jackson Davis continued to be a big-play receiver for the Red Devils.
Davis, who hauled in the game-winning touchdown catch against Troy last week, hauled in a 55-yard pass from Larkin Thomas on the next play. After the PAT failed, Tipp led 9-7 with 6:55 to go in the half.
On Butler’s next drive, it was Dylan Herndon coming up with Tipp’s third interception of the half — this time at the Tipp 29-yard line.
Thomas found Herndon for 22 yards on the first play of the drive.
Thomas would run for 35 yards down to the Butler 16 and three plays later, Xavier Melton ran it in from 5-yards out and Baileys kicked the PAT to make it 16-7 with 2:18 remaining in the half.
After Butler had to punt from its own six, Tipp got the ball back on the Butler 49 with 53 seconds left in the half.
Thomas found Herndon for a 19-yard gain and Cade Havill made a leaping catch on a fourth-and-two from the Butler 22 for 20 yards to keep the drive alive and put Tipp at the Butler two.
Baileys would kick a 20-yard field goal just before half to make it 19-7.
The Tipp defense blanked Butler in the second half and the Red Devils added a touchdown for a final margin of 25-7.
Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]
