McCutcheon won the Tippecanoe Valley Unified Flag Football Regional championship, beating Fort Wayne Carroll and Valpo. (Photo courtesy the McCutcheon Athletics Twitter)

AKRON – It was Viking on Viking Saturday in the regional matchup at the Unified Flag Football tournament at Tippecanoe Valley. In the end, it was the visiting Valparaiso Vikings that took the steering wheel against Tippecanoe Valley.

Valpo advanced to the regional championship over Tippecanoe Valley in a tight contest, 16-12, in the morning semi-final at Death Valley. McCutcheon, playing on the opposite field, disposed of Fort Wayne Carroll, 56-20, to move to the final. Advancing to the state finals is McCutcheon, which won a shootout with Valpo, 50-48, to claim its first berth in the big show. Taking on the Mavericks next weekend will be the Pioneers of Mooresville, the southern winner. The Pioneers knocked off defending champion, Bedford North Lawrence, 55-44 in the southern regional final.

Tippecanoe Valley advanced to the first Unified Flag Football championship, an eventual runner-up to Bedford North Lawrence. Valley won the sectional title last week, beating Warsaw, Goshen and Central Noble in its quest.

The IHSAA Unified Flag Football State Finals between McCutcheon and Mooresville will take place next Saturday at Grand Park Sports Event Center in Westfield.

Damion Kohler and Tippecanoe Valley couldn’t hold on in a 16-12 loss to Valpo in the Unified Flag Football Regional Saturday morning at Tippecanoe Valley. (File photo by Mike Deak)