Scouting Valparaiso: To some extent, as quarterback Kellan Hosek goes, so go the Vikings

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com
Valparaiso visits Chesterton football stadium an atypical losing record of 1-3 overall, deceiving numbers.
The Vikings opened the season with a 21-13 loss to always tough Penn, then lost on the road, 43-19, to Brother Rice in Chicago, won at LaPorte, 28-0, and lost to Michigan City, 27-21.
“Brother Rice, people don’t know as much about, but Brother Rice is as good as any team in the DAC, if not better,” Chesterton coach Mark Peterson said. “Then Penn, so two of their losses are against two really good teams, and then throw Michigan City, which is obviously getting better as well.”
The Vikings personnel might not be as strong as in some seasons, but certain things never change with Valpo football.
“They always play hard. They’re going to play really solid football,” Peterson said of the Vikings, coached by Bill Marshall. “They’re assignment responsible. They do a great job.”
To some extent, Peterson said, the Vikings “go as their quarterback goes.”
No. 8 Kellan Hosek, a second-year starter, has completed 54.3% of his passes with three touchdowns and four interceptions against the tough schedule. He has carried the ball 36 times for 123 yards and a touchdown.
“They’ve thrown the ball more this year, not as much power and inside zone stuff that they’ve run in the past,” Peterson said of the Vikings, who have thrown on 56% of their plays from scrimmage.
Other offensive players to keep an eye on, and their jersey numbers: No. 1 senior running back, No. 4 senior receiver Chase Lovig, No. 18 junior receiver Jimmy Parisi.
Finlay leads the Vikings with 206 rushing yards and a 4.5 yards-per-carry average with four touchdowns. He also has averaged 6.5 yards on 15 receptions. Lovig has 16 receptions and a touchdown and averages 13.6 yards per reception. Parisi leads the team in receptions (25), receiving yards (267) and TD catches (two).
Peterson spoke highly of Vikings senior linebacker Benjamin Fedorchak, No. 48, who leads the team with 31 tackles and said that junior linebacker Brody Wheeler, No. 47, has looked good as well.
“We’ve been too close the past couple of years and let some of them slip away for us to not be focused and ready to go, so to say that we’ll be focused and ready to go is an understatement,” Peterson said. “So will they be focused and ready to go. It’s a good rivalry. They want to beat us as much as we want to beat them.”
Valparaiso takes a 14-game winning streak in the series into the game. The streak started in the wake of Peterson winning 4 of 5 against the Vikings.
Valpo defeated Chesterton in the regular season, 22-21 in overtime last season on a two-point conversion trick play pass caught by Hosek. The Vikings won the rematch, 28-21, to win the sectional. Both games were played at Valparaiso.