High School Spotlight: Tippecanoe Valley Vikings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school season is still a few months away but with team workouts starting to take place, it is the perfect time to start previewing the season. In this series, we will be a look at some quick hitters, the top player, potential breakout player, other roster roster members and notable games of the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the Tippecanoe Valley Vikings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Finished 18-6 last season</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to John Glenn in Sectionals </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Back-to-back winning seasons</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Joe Luce returns for second year. 356-151 record as a head coach. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player(s): [player_tooltip player_id='1578459' first='Riley' last='Shepherd']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6'5″ sharp shooter [player_tooltip player_id='1578459' first='Riley' last='Shepherd'] is one of the more naturally athletic wings in the northern Indiana area. He has proven he can score at all three levels but he is at his best when he gets hot from behind the arc, which he has done nearly every time I have watched him. Yes he is streaky at times, but when he is on one, he is on one. He will likely be the go-to guy for the Vikings this year and while he is the best player on this roster, there is still a lot of breakout potential with Shepherd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1981703' first='Stephen' last='Akase']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Akase is a 6'6" center that came over to Tippecanoe Valley by way of Nigeria. He is still an extremely raw post prospect but you can tell there is the upside there with his size. His rebounding ability, as well as how he defends around the rim, is really high-level for his age. Still has some work to do in his overall game, but this could be a breakout season for him if he is able to turn it up a notch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Important Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1277733' first='Kyler' last='Johnson'] - Johnson is a multisport athlete that provides so much size and length in the front court for the Vikings. Him paired with Akase could be a front court force in 3A. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1539665' first='Deondre' last='Hamilton'] - Hamilton is a athletic guard that will be one of the back court leaders for the Vikings this season. Another sneaky option for a breakout player. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notable Games (Confirmed)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Morgan Twp. (12/8)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Maconaquah (1/13)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs South Bend Washington (2/23) </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->