TVSC teacher Jeff Shriver, along with Stephanie Bibler, carry the Bicentennial Torch in honor of his late friend Scott Bibler. Behind them, Tippecanoe Valley football players and cheerleaders participate in the relay festivities.

Thursday morning, Sept. 29, the Bicentennial Torch Relay made its way through Kosciusko County, and one of Tippecanoe Valley’s own had the honor of carrying it at Warsaw Community High School. Current high school teacher and co-head football coach Jeff Shriver was selected to carry the torch in place of his late friend and colleague, Scott Bibler, who passed away in a plane crash a year ago. Scott’s wife, Stephanie Bibler, accompanied Shriver as he accepted the torch and carried it aloft through a tunnel of students who lined the street. Once Shriver and Bibler had passed, the students, including Tippecanoe Valley High School football players and cheerleaders and Akron Elementary fourth graders, fell into line behind them as they continued up the road.

Shriver was honored and excited to be selected as a torchbearer for the relay. “It was really an awesome trifecta,” he said of the experience. “First, to be able to participate in the celebration of 200 years of statehood was incredible. Second, TVSC and the football program have been a tremendously important part of my life. The inclusion of this year’s coaches, players and cheerleaders in the relay made the event extra special,” he explained. But those two things couldn’t touch the pride he felt in being selected to represent his friend.  “Most important to me was the ability to walk with Stephanie Bibler and our team and carry the torch in tribute, honor, and memory of Scott Bibler,” he said. It was certainly a day to remember.