Xenia-Tipp Football Preview: State ranked, undefeated teams to meet for MVL title

XENIA — The potential magnitude of the matchup has been known for more than a month. Both teams needed to take care of business against the rest of its schedule during which time the anticipation only increased.

Now it will all culminate Friday night.

Doug Adams Stadium will play host to a Miami Valley League championship contest between undefeated Xenia and undefeated Tippecanoe. The two 9-0 teams have run through and roughed up the rest of the MVL this season. Both have appeared in the Ohio AP state football rankings all season, with Xenia checking in at No. 6 in D-II and Tipp at No. 4 in D-III this week.

A league title, an undefeated regular season and the pride of those accomplishments has been in both teams’ crosshairs since the early weeks of the season and now the only thing standing between it all for them is one another.

“This place will definitely be rocking,” senior A.J. Anderson said. “Everybody coming in for this game, I know we’re all excited for sure and just thinking about it gets us hyped. This is it right here.”

Xenia and Tippecanoe met in a similar matchup two years ago, with Xenia prevailing 27-22 in the game of the year in the league that propelled the Buccaneers to an undefeated season and MVL title. That game occurred during week six of the season and while its significance was known in the moment, both sides needed to continue on winning afterward for the game to maintain its importance. For this Friday, all the stakes are already laid out in front of them.

SCOUTING TIPP

The season statistics show Xenia and Tippecanoe will be a worthy championship game matchup.

“Matt Burgbacher and his football team, they’re really good,” Harden said. “And they don’t make mistakes. You have to play a very clean football game if you want to be successful against Tipp.”

Record breakers line up at the skill positions for both teams. The offenses are the two highest scoring in the league and also lead the league in rushing and passing. Both teams rank either first or second this season in every major defensive category amongst MVL teams. Neither side has needed to rely on the kicking game, but both have capable legs it can turn to with the game on the line.

Starting at quarterback for the Red Devils has been Larkin Thomas. The sophomore has already set the school record for touchdown passes in a season and leads the MVL with 29. He’s seven yards from 2,000 throwing this season. Jackson Davis is his top receiving target, with the senior’s 16 TDs being the most in school history. He leads the MVL in almost all receiving categories. Will Strong, Dylan Herndon and Cade Havill all have at least 20 receptions this season too.

Xenia’s defense has allowed six touchdown passes this season, but all have been of the big play variety of being at least 28 yards in length and three going for more than 50 yards.

Despite excelling in the passing game, Tipp has run the ball more times than it has thrown in every game with the exception of its contest at Troy when the Red Devils fell behind in the fourth quarter. Xavier Melton has been the primary ball carrier and averages better than six yards per carry to help keep the opposition honest.

“They’re explosive,” Harden said. “The quarterback is just dynamic and he does a great job making and extending plays with his feet. We’re going to have to try and contain him and make sure that we have great eye discipline with our defensive backs.”

Xenia’s dominant run game will face its biggest test yet this year against the Tipp defense. The Buccaneers were able to grind out more than 200 yards on the ground against the MVL’s other top rushing defenses at Butler and Troy, but Tipp has yet to allow more than 176 against any opponent. The Red Devils rank second in the league in tackles for loss and that prowess will try to be continued against a more refreshed Deaunte White for Xenia after he was only called on for a season-low 11 carries last week.

“I think both teams are physical,” Harden said. “I think both defense are sound, and then them being able to be sound helps them limit big plays.”

REPEATING 2022?

While the Buccaneers accomplishments so far have been similar to the ones by the undefeated squad from 2022, Xenia has seemingly let the echoes of two years ago stay in the past.

The seniors of this year’s team were a part of that memorable squad and have set out to make this season its own entity. But they still have that experience of being in the big moments to draw back on heading into Friday’s matchup.

“We have guys that know how to rise to the occasion,” Anderson said. “We were put in these situations before in 2022 and the pressure was on us then and we responded really nicely. We just need to have trust in everybody else and know we have guys that have done it before.”

Harden said he feels it is not only those games from years prior, but also the the pressure situations his side has faced this year on both sides of the ball have shown its ability to persevere are a key asset.

The phrase “being where your feet are” is a common one he preaches to his team. Even though Xenia has been in this kind of game before, Friday will be its own test separate from the others.

“We’re just going to keep staying present in the moment,” Harden said. “We understand the magnitude of this game, but we also are not going to allow it to define us. This is an opportunity to win a conference championship, which is one of our goals that we put in early January that we wanted to accomplish.”

“But we didn’t get to here thinking about week 10,” he added. “ We got to this point taking it one game at a time and being present and being focused.”

MVL CHAMPIONSHIP —BY THE NUMBERS

TEAM OFFENSE

(MVL Rank)

Points per Game: XENIA – 39.6 (2nd) TIPP – 42.4 (1st)

Avg. Total Yards: XENIA – 385.0 (2nd) TIPP – 366.9 (3rd)

Avg. Rushing Yds: XENIA – 232.0 (2nd) TIPP – 139.1 (7th)

Rushing TD: XENIA – 30 (1st) TIPP – 18 (5th)

Avg. Yds per Carry: XENIA – 6.7 (1st) TIPP – 5.1 (5th)

Avg. Passing Yds: XENIA – 153.0 (4th) TIPP – 227.8 (1st)

Passing TD: XENIA – 16 (t4th) TIPP – 29 (1st)

Avg. Pass Yds per Att: XENIA – 9.5 (4th) TIPP – 10.0 (3rd)

Third Down %: XENIA – 57% (42/74) TIPP – 43% (29/67)

Fourth Down %: XENIA – 76% (13/17) TIPP – 59% (10/17)

TEAM DEFENSE

(MVL Rank)

Points per Game: XENIA – 8.4 (2nd) TIPP – 7.2 (1st)

Avg. Total Yards: XENIA – 166.3 (1st) TIPP – 173.1 (2nd)

Avg. Rushing Yds: XENIA – 90.7 (1st) TIPP – 96.4 (2nd)

Rushing TD: XENIA – 4 (t1st) TIPP – 4 (t1st)

Avg. Yds per Carry: XENIA – 3.0 (1st) TIPP – 3.1 (2nd)

Avg. Passing Yds: XENIA – 75.7 (1st) TIPP – 76.7 (2nd)

Passing TD: XENIA – 6 (2nd) TIPP – 5 (1st)

Avg. Pass Yds per Att: XENIA – 6.0 (2nd) TIPP – 4.8 (1st)

Third Down %: XENIA – 27% (21/79) TIPP – 28% (27/97)

Fourth Down %: XENIA – 47% (9/19) TIPP – 47% (8/17)

INDIVIDUAL OFFENSE

Xenia — STAT — Tippecanoe

1,327yds – 109/138 – 15TD – 1INT – G. McManus – Passing – L. Thomas – 1,993yds – 130/197 – 29TD – 6INT

1,589yds – 197 att. – 27TD – D. White – Rushing – X. Melton – 624yds – 107 att. – 9TD

660yds – 42 rec. – 6TD – T. Henry – Receiving – J. Davis – 779yds – 45 rec. – 16TD

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE

Xenia — STAT — Tippecanoe

101 – R. Butler – Tackles – C. Isaac – 95

4 – C. Piner – Sacks – C. Isaac – 4

9 – C. Piner – Tackles for Loss – M. Howard – 9.5

2 – 3 players – Interceptions – M. Deckard – 3

Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.