The RENEGADE

2006 Week-8: NW Indiana High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-03-2006

CROWN POINT (10-03-2006) Griffith coasted past another out-manned foe while Crown Point came within three yards of losing. But the top two teams in NW Indiana in early August are still the top two teams. And can we say that scoring is up. Crown Point, 42-41 over LaPorte. Valpo 41-23 over Merrillville. Chesterton 63, Lake Central 36. Hobart, Griffith and Andrean are also scoring at will. Griffith is considered to have a top defense, but they gave up 28 points (for purposes of evaluation, overtime points don't count because they come from the 10-yard line) and 350 yards to Chesterton. CP is said to have a top defense and they give up 460 yards to LaPorte. Lake Central scored 36 points and gained 450 yards and they lost by four touchdowns.

Are high-scoring games bad football? Are low-scoring games good quality defensive struggles? That's probably an illusion as people who are watching prep football want high scoring. Some thought the 42-41 CP win over LaPorte was a great game. No one that I heard thought the Portage 6-3 win over Chesterton was great.

But it may be why we all think prep football isn't as good as it used to be. We are clearly in a time when offenses have overwhelmed defense. Defenses from the 50s and 70s would allow 50 points a game to the offenses of today. Part of it is the season beginning earlier which results in more good weather. A lot of it is the shot gun and multiple WR formations which require teams to have 2 or 3 good man-to-man defenders. Most teams don't have one good pass defender and, while every school has a line coach, how many schools have a coach who's only job is to teach secondary play? And if your defensive backs and your wide receivers are the same people (as they are at almost all schools), how does your defensive secondary practice against the No. 1 offense?

I guess they can't. I guess they don't.

So you practice against second stringers and then you play against all-area performers. No wonder points go up on the board.

The NUMBERS GAME: Ben Davis beat Center Grove 4-3. No, it's true. I didn't believe it either. Center Grove actually scored all the points. The two Ben Davis safeties came when the Center Grove quarterback was called for intentional grounding in the end zone and when the CG punter accidentally stepped out of the back of the end zone as he was trying to punt.

Ben Davis, which got crushed 76-7 last month by 5A No. 1 Warren Central, gladly accepted the victory even though they had more yards in penalties (85) than yards gained (82). Here's a good example. Nobody called this a good game. But it's doubtful that the two offenses in the Ben Davis-Center Grove game were any worse than the two defenses in CP's 42-41 win over LaPorte.

Does anybody else notice that South Newton (7-0) has scored 20 points or more for 14 games in a row? Concord (7-0) has scored 33 points or more in every game this year. The 68 points South Central allowed in Friday's 68-7 loss at Lafayette Catholic (7-0) is the most points they have allowed in any game in the 40-year history of the program. The three schools that consolidated into South Central (Union Mills, Hanna and Clinton Township) in 1962 did not have football and South Central didn't have varsity football until 1966.

Crown Point and Griffith have both won 16 consecutive regular season games. Hammond has lost 23 consecutive regular season games.

To show how scoring is out of hand in the DAC: The 63 points Chesterton scored last week was the most points scored by Chesterton in the 47-year history of the program. Chesterton beat Northridge 61-0 on Oct. 12, 1973. This is the first time in the 61 year history of Merrillville high school football that they have allowed 40 or more points in consecutive games.

1.) 5A CROWN POINT (7-0)
2005 (11-1), 2004 (4-7), 2003 (5-5)

CROWN POINT - The Crown Point defense could not tackle LaPorte halfback Airrence Shark, who gained 281 yards rushing on a defense that had allowed less than 100 yards a game. But CP won 42-41, a 16th consecutive DAC win. No Crown Point team has ever had two consecutive undefeated regular seasons, but with Chesterton (3-4) and Michigan City (1-6) to play, the match against the Trojans this Friday (10-6-6) stands as the final major hurdle.

The Bulldogs got pushed around up from by LaPorte and the CP defense, which is light and speedy up front, did not move as well on the wet field in LaPorte. There is a question as to whether the Bulldogs are a bad weather team. But let's not carried away with the negative. This is a team that has won 17 of their last 18 games and QB Blake Mascarello (64-112, 973 yards, 12 TDS, 2 INTs) is leading a 28-points per game offense that has committed a NW-Indiana low five turnovers all year. CP averaged 10 yards per play at LaPorte and Jon Sertich is about to become the school's sixth 1,000-yard rusher behind an offensive line that is 5/6 juniors. TE Zach Cecich has caught three TD passes in two games and had a fourth called back. CP only has a couple of minor injuries and everyone else in their sectional has three losses or more. The Bulldogs probably wouldn't trade positions with any other school right now.

2.) 3A Griffith (7-0)
2005 (12-1), 2004 (9-3), 2003 (7-5)

GRIFFITH - Hammond could not do anything against Griffith and they were crushed 49-6. David Alexander scored six TDs and ran for 200 yards, but why? I'm of the opinion that games like this hurt a team like Griffith that could be great. Too many soft games on this schedule. They couldn't help the Lew Wallace game, but Highland and Hammond were helpless. Griffith will go into the state tournament having played only four or five teams and three or four muffins.

No criticism here because the Panthers corrected this problem next season. They will take on Merrillville next August and Griffith won't beat Merrillville 50-0. The Panthers are very suspect heading into this Friday's game against defense-minded Andrean (that sounds funny). This game will be much closer than people expect because of Griffith's 'Brown and Serve' schedule.

3.) 4A Hobart (6-1)
2005 (6-6), 2004 (9-2), 2003 (5-7)

HOBART - Hobart crushed Morton 42-13 as Andrew Jackson ran for 155 yards and three TDs. This was a mismatch because Morton's weakness is run defense and Hobart's strength is run offense. The Brickies are strolling through the LAC, but they better get to steppin' Friday night at Lowell where the Devil's have rebounded after a 1-4 start. The big worry for Hobart, Andrean and Griffith is that the LAC Black Division may be exceptionally weak with teams like Hammond, Morton and Highland taking ugly butt whippings. If those teams are as soft as they appear, then the big guys, the Panthers, Niners and Brickies are banking fools gold, and are not ready for the rest of the state.

Here's a barometer. Lowell has found a way to beat Hobart five times in the last six years. Hobart is more talented this year, but the window of opportunity is open for a short time. They are being told this week that this is the team they must beat. Despite what the Brickies might read in the papers, Hobart has to beat Lowell Friday night or the regular season cannot be a success.

4.) 3A ANDREAN (6-1)
2005 (8-2), 2004 (13-2), 2003 (12-1)

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean rebounded from the close loss to Hobart with an easy 42-3 win over a totally out-manned Highland squad. The Trojans were held to a minus-12 yards by the powerful Niner run defense. Nobody has really run on Andrean (588 yards allowed in 7 games) all season, not even 4A No. 10 Hobart. The 59ers had great balance with 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing against Highland.

Lets go back to the start of the season when coach Brett St. Germain had to part with 10 boys who weren't doing what the coach wanted. At the time, it seemed like a crippling blow to depth. How's Andrean looking to you now? Everyone assumes Griffith, which averages almost 300 yards rushing every Friday, will beat Andrean this week. But let the record show, the Niners have allowed about 85 yards per game rushing. If Griffith can't run on Andrean, they can't beat them.

Senior QB Jesse Repay 973-124, 1,182 yards, 14 TDs, 7 INTs) has earned the respect of the Griffith defense. But like the other LAC heavy hitters, the question is nagging this year. What if the league is so soft they are being competitively dumbed down? Andrean has whipped up on Hammond, Highland, and Morton, all sub. 500 and fading. Are they ready for a black Panther party at 3A No. 1 Griffith (7-0)?. It wont be long now.

5.) 5A LaPorte (5-2)
2005 (9-2), 2004 (7-4), 2003 (6-4)

LaPORTE - Give them a lot of credit for battling in a 42-41 loss to 5A No. 3 Crown Point. The Slicers trailed by a TD six times and six times they answered. But LaPorte averages 40 points a game and they allow 30 points a game. Last week I mentioned the offensive line of Mike Berdowski (6-2, 200), Brandon Cosby (6-0, 187), Tyler James (6-4, 273), Grant Hofer (6-2, 205) and Ricky Salary (5-9, 262), which is capable. To be honest, Airrence Shark (23 carries, 281 yards vs. 5A No. 3 CP) does a lot of this on his own. Senior QB Adam Creed and WR Michael Phelps will keep the points coming. Creed is so mobile it's hard to get him even when the line breaks down.

But LaPorte averages 40 points a game and they allow 30 points a game.

The Slicers have really hooked into that 'never quit' mantra because when they fall behind, they feel comfortable in that comeback role. They've trailed by 7 or more five times now in the second half and have won three of them. Michigan City is a rival waiting down the street Friday, but they have defensive problems that the Slicers can exploit. But LaPorte averages 40 points a game and they allow 30 points a game.

6.) 5A Merrillville (4-3)
2005 (11-3), 2003 (5-6), 2004 (6-5)

MERRILLVILLE - It's late now and there's a concern that Merrillville won't be healthy enough this year to be efficient on offense before the playoffs. Five more turnovers last week in a 41-23 loss to Valparaiso. The offense bounced a check that the defense couldn't cash. Valparaiso gained only 276 yards and still scored 41 points, with the help of a kickoff return for one TD and an interception return for another TD. Against LaPorte it was 14-14 in the third quarter when things began breaking down.

Merrillville's pre-season schedule with Highland (2-5) and East Chicago (2-5) was probably too soft for a growing team. That won't be an issue in 2007 when the Pirates open with 5A No. 1 Warren Central and 3A No. 1 Griffith. The Pirates will then have to play at (probably) two-time defending DAC champ Crown Point in week three. 2007 Merrillville will have the toughest regular season schedule in the state tournament era.

For now, Merrillville badly needs a win. The Pirate hope is that the offense gets healthy and gets time before the playoffs and the defense doesn't get too discouraged. But there has to be a sense of urgency now and Lake Central (Friday's foe) may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is still a speedy defensive team with budding play makers and a good kicker. This is also a young team that will get better. The Pirates could still be playing at a peak in six weeks. But it's only 50-50 they'll still be playing.

7.) 5A Chesterton (3-4)
2005 (3-8), 2004 (5-5), 2003 (7-4)

CHESTERTON - The line last week was 'Chesterton has playing power, but they don't have staying power. They've got your playing power right here. How about 25 of 35 for 491 yards and 5 TDs by junior QB Alex Beierwalter in a 63-35 win at Lake Central in the rain? But Chesterton should still be 5-2 and they're 3-4. WR Adam Hutnick scored four TDs, but how about doing it two weeks in a row? Can they please win two games in a row??

The scary part of this game is that Chesterton only led 49-36 with 7:45 to play. LC moved the ball at will, too. The Trojan defense has been hit for 30 points or more three times. The key this week at 5A No. 3 Crown Point is to stop Jon Sertich (131 carries, 944 yards), who ran for 250 yards last week at LaPorte. The Trojans hope that this Friday turns into a 42-41 game or a 63-36 game, but they need to run the ball a little to keep Beierwalter in one piece. Chesterton has to block CP's blitzes or get the back up QB ready. Chesterton wins if they can wear out your perimeter players before you can wear out their lines.

8.) 5A Lake Central (4-3)
2005 (2-8), 2004 (1-9), 2003 (1-9)

ST. JOHN - LC is feeling the pain this week after a 63-36 home loss to Chesterton, even after PJ Gbur completed 20 of 39 for 351 yards. But when you give up almost 600 yards on defense, it was a long week of practice. The worry is that LC's early wins were deceptive and that the mood has changed. In DAC play, the Indians have given up 136 points in four games, three of them losses. Merrillville won't run up the score on anybody, but Lake Central must be mistake-free throwing the ball to not give the turnover against the Pirates' speed.

What happens to all these 'Air America' teams when the weather changes? A lot of them are in the same boat. Lake Central has to look at Merrillville as a learning experience for a team they could see in the sectional.

9.) 3A Portage (3-4)
2005 (2-8) 2004 (8-4) 2003 (11-2)

PORTAGE - Here comes the reality in that Portage and Valparaiso are probably better than everybody in the LAC and most other Northern Indiana conference teams. Portage's veteran defense (returned all 11 players from 2005) has allowed just 93 points in seven games and they have begun to dominate. While Crown Point and Chesterton can fire up their prolific offenses on Portage, what are second division DAC teams going to do?

Portage has lost to St. Joseph's (6-1), Crown Point (7-0), Lake Central (4-3) and Merrillville (4-3) so that 3-4 record is very deceptive. What will slow them is a sophomore QB, Jason Melcic, who is still learning. To compensate, they've turned senior Nate Milligan loose on the halfback option pass. Halfback Albert Evans now has three 100-yard games and he'll get more. Portage's average of 13 points scored per game is not good, but it's improving. Portage needs to play rival Valparaiso now and they want to play Valparaiso now.

10.) 5A Valparaiso (2-4)
2005 (5-5), 2004 (6-5), 2003 (5-6)

VALPARAISO - Valpo is still giving up big points, but a 41-23 win at Merrillville may have turned them around. The Vikings are riding a prolific offense led by 1,000-yard halfback Hollis Ballard. I would hope nobody actually believes that losing to Crown Point (7-0), LaPorte (6-1), Penn (5-2) and Chesterton makes you a bad team. Valpo is averaging 30 points a game and they have the running game to kill the clock after they light up the scoreboard.

I'll repeat. Portage has no experience at QB. Chesterton has no running game. Morton can't stop the run. Lowell has only five seniors in the 22-man starting lineup. But there is NO REASON for Valparaiso to be below .500, which means they won't be much longer. You can see it in the last two week's play. The winds of change are blowing. They aren't yet great, but it's not too late. The Vikes take on another second-half rebounder in Portage Friday night.

On the outside looking in...

11.) 3A New Prairie (6-1)
2005 (6-4), 2004 (12-2), 2003 (8-3)

NEW CARLISLE - New Prairie hardly ever throws the ball, so they don't care if it rains. The Cougars are in the easy part of their schedule, so Friday's win, 45-21 over neighbor John Glenn was excepted. NP did not gain one passing yard but they ran the ball 43 times for 381 yards in the 24-point victory.

New Prairie's wins over LaPorte (5-2) and Jimtown (5-2) look better all the time. Glenn (4-3) has not played much of a schedule and it showed. Jeremy Smith (5-9, 215), Robert Croumlich (6-2, 290), Chris Holifield (5-9, 175), Bryan Dolezal (6-4, 295) and Andy Pavolka (6-2, 220) are an odd sized line, but they are fueling a rushing attack that collects 250 yards a game. LaVille and Knox are the final two games on the schedule, but there's not much they can do against New Prairie's offense. To be honest, that schedule hurts them for the long run.

12.) 4A Lowell (2-4)
2005 (11-4), 2004 (9-4), 2003 (11-2)

LOWELL - Lowell came from eight points behind in the fourth quarter to win the Homecoming game 15-14 over Munster. A 42-yard pass from QB Josh Kuiper to little-known WR Eric Roadruck shocked Munster and ripped a victory right out of their hands. Lowell held Munster to less than 100 yards rushing and didn't fumble for the third time in four games.

The Devils are still having a tough time scoring (you can't win with 18 points a game) but defensively, nobody but Griffith has overrun them. The youth of this predominantly junior team keeps them out of the top-10 right now. But if you have to play at Lowell, you still have a major problem.

The more the Devils play, the better this talented but largely rookie team is going to get. The problem is, they've got to get a whole lot better by Friday night when they host 4A No.10 Hobart.