Jesse Harper broke off the big run Friday night when Valparaiso needed it most.
Harper, a 5-foot-9 senior, scored on a 45-yards run with 7 minutes left to play. That was what the Vikings needed to secure a 14-7 Duneland Athletic Conference victory over Michigan City.
For the most part, it was a defensive slugfest until Harper found a sliver of daylight on the outside after taking the snap in the wildcat formation
He cut back to the middle, got a block and then ran into the right side of the end zone.
Harper, who rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries, received a huge block from wide receiver Luke Patterson after he broke around the corner.
More Top Picks Best Document Scanners
It was what got him to the end zone.
“That’s my boy,” Harper said of Patterson.
Harper said he might get the attention but “all the guys up front do the work.”
It was the defense that also did a lot of the work for Valparaiso (2-2, 2-0).
Michael Bradford broke through the middle and ran to the end zone nearly untouched for a 79-yard TD on the first play of the game. But the Vikings held Michigan City (2-2, 1-1) to 56 yards rushing.
Michigan City quarterback Bryce Hayman was sacked three times. He completed just 5 of 19 passes for 45 yards with two interceptions.
Valparaiso coach Bill Marshall said his defense settled in after the opening play.
“It was just a phenomenal effort,” he said.
Marshall said he told his players this is the kind of game “you dreamed about playing in when you grew up.”
The Vikings scored their first TD on the second possession of the first half. It came on a 2-yard run by Reece Crossin with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
Crossin, who came in off the bench to switch with starting quarterback CJ Opperman, scored on fourth-and-2. Opperman completed 16 of 28 passes for 128 yards.