A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
9-19-2007
CROWN
POINT (9-19-2007) -
At midseason, there are not that many surprises among the larger schools.
The teams that have won the past two Duneland Conference championships (DAC),
Merrillville and Crown Point, are at the top of the DAC. The teams that
battled for the last four Sectional 9 Class 4A titles, are still there, Lowell
and Hobart.
It's a little like major college football where everybody gets shocked over some early upset, but at the end, only the major teams and smaller schools that played weak schedules are left standing. If you are a college football fan you remember the uproar and national chatter over Boise State and Rutgers in 2006. Check where Boise State and Rutgers are in 2007.
The point is, you don't get to be a better football organization through lucking through a weak schedule with the likes of Norfolk State, Connecticut and Buffalo. What you have to do is substantially upgrade your schedule, take your punishments and pay your dues. Few want to pay dues.
There are three different examples of that. In the early part of this decade, Morton rose from an 0-10 grave by playing weak teams in the old Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Blue division. After jumping to the LAC Black, Morton suffered in wins and losses. Morton also made a mistake when they initially declined to join the new Northwest Crossroads Conference (NWCC) with all their LAC Black rivals. But, since they kept most of the LAC Black on the schedule, that should not affect them. Morton has gained in football credibility and, with increased enrollment and new facilities (down the line), they will eventually catch the Lowells, Hobarts and Griffiths. You can see it coming.
Let's look at Lake Central, which moved into the big school Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC). They clearly didn't understand how tough it was and were stunned by going 3-28 in the first five years. It's not totally their fault. It's politically incorrect to say that to win at Chesterton is harder than it is to win at Highland. So some at LC surely believed if they tried really hard, they'd win in the DAC because, after all, all football is the same. But, on the field, that's not the truth. The result: 3-28.
After beating Portage and LaPorte, LC may now feel they're as good as anyone in the DAC. The second half of the season may change that judgment.
The third example is Kankakee Valley, which avoided Morton's mistake and correctly chose to join the new NWCC. The result: In their first three league games, the Kougars have been smashed 38-0, 49-0 and 42-0. Failure: No. It's paying dues. The Kougars will approach victory in the second half of the season, but they may indeed go 0-7 in league play. But in 3-5 years, KV will be competing on equal ground in the NWCC. They won't be winning, but they won't be getting waxed 35-0.
One of the big myths of organized sports is that if you try really hard, you will win eventually. But there is a truth that coaches can't speak because it is somehow being a traitor to the cause. If you do not have the direction and materials to win with, you will perpetually be trying to turn a corner that isn't there.
The biggest corner being attempted this week is by Hammond (5-0) which will try to win at Morton (3-2). Before this year, Hammond was 14-50 since a 9-4 season, which ended in a 21-12 regional loss at Plymouth in 2000. They changed their schedule this year (not voluntarily). but it was the best thing that could happen to them because interest is back in Hammond football.
There's been interest in Morton football for at few years now. Now, there's interest in 'Hammond football'. A big game between two Hammond schools. The big deal this week is attendance. This game will be wildly over-hyped more than Vince Young. It's up to the faculty, coaches and athletic directors at Hammond and Morton to RECRUIT a crowd. Ask people to attend. Beg them. Threaten them. Do what you have to do.
Tell them, win or lose, a crowd of 2,000 fans would not only boost the athletic department financially, it would lift the spirit of all football playing boys in Hammond. Hammond athletics suffers because nobody goes to the games. Friday is a chance to show the community does want these football events for the kids and parents. It's not a lot to ask for the Morton and Hammond community to do something for teenage athletes at the high school by paying $4 for a ticket and sitting in the stands for two hours.
The future is on the line, too. Every small Hammond boy in the stands who watches Hammond play Morton in front of 2,000 fans (I'm being optimistic) Friday night will remember that and he'll start wishing he could play in front of a crowd like that. That's how you get crowds of 5,000 in Crown Point, Merrillville and Hobart. You breed them 10 years earlier. This is a very big game and a very good time for Hammond football.
On the other side of the spectrum is the shooting of a linebacker in Gary Roosevelt after a school argument. I did not know the extent the Gary police goes to in an effort to keep Gary schools safe. It is apparently very extensive and very detailed. But there's no way to sugarcoat what happened. The boy involved will be fine, but the reputation of the city of Gary won't. All incidents like this do is to convince the parents of players like Antoine Brown and Albert Evans to move their son and daughter to places like Merrillville and Portage. It's not a pretty thought, but Gary needs a new school with state of the art security systems, probably including a gated campus.
It's also not easy to ask this, but parents and adults have to police their own community when it involves young folks' violence. Everybody can't have a gun at the high school and parents can stop that. If you believe in anything, you're better off taking a chance on being a gunshot victim than taking a chance on being a murderer. Think about it. I believe this level of violence is not an everyday thing, but nobody can make an argument for Gary parents and students going to something as relatively meaningless as football games if things like this keep occurring.
It's time for mid-season grades. The regular season is nine games long, but since everyone still gets a state playoff game, this is the true mid-point of the regular season. This is not a soft grading survey here. Nobody's perfect. But I'm not here to say good things about you. That's what your mom is for. And do not compare ratings. Everyone's expectations are different.
1.)
5A Merrillville (4-1)
2006
(7-5), 2005
(11-3), 2003 (5-6), 2004 (6-5)
MERRILLVILLE
-
The Pirates dominated Michigan City 35-7 last week in their strongest
performance of the season. Halfback Roosevelt Williams gained 127 yards on
19 carries, giving him 398 yards on 52 carries so far.
QB Dolapo Macarthy had his best game with 7-of-11 for 138 yards and a TD.
This was the first time that Michigan City had been blown out all year.
The Pirates held MC passer Nathan Scully to 9-of-26. The Pirates have outscored
the opposition (Portage and MC) 49-7 in the last six quarters. Remember, this
team actually has four wins and a tie. But they can't do what they have the
ability to do on offense.
GRADE: A+ Obviously. The Pirates defeated Warren Central,
Griffith and Portage and they basically tied Crown Point. Coaches say they
expect to win every game. But if they were sworn to public honesty, even
Merrillville coaches would surely say they have exceeded all expectations so
far. And the toughest part of the schedule is behind them.
2.)
5A CROWN POINT (4-1)
2006
(12-1), 2005
(11-1), 2004 (4-7), 2003 (5-5)
CROWN
POINT - CP stayed on the road last week and smashed
out a season-best 27-0 win over Portage. Halfback Russell Chick ran for 140 yards on
23 carries and QB Blake Mascarello threw his
fifth TD pass of the season, all to tight
end Zach Cecich. The Bulldogs' defense held Portage to
less than 100 total yards and they didn't
let the Indians close to a TD. The Bulldogs
are still shuffling in the offensive line,
but that shuffling may have ended at Portage
when Cody Blue returned to the offensive
line (he played there last year) and the
five-man combo, which includes all-stater
Kurt Wermers (6-5, 270) dominated the game.
Safety Nick Bruno grabbed his second
interception in two weeks. CP lost
linebacker Nick Cottrell for an indefinite
period of time with a hand injury, but the
Bulldogs are very deep at the linebacker
position. Like Merrillville, CP played
their best game of the season in week five.
GRADE: B+ CP hasn't been as dominant
as Merrillville. They were lucky to beat
Hobart and Merrillville and the Bulldog
secondary is still largely untested. But, CP
also had a 14-0 lead over Lowell (4-1) in
the game they lost. They could be 5-0. CP
has faced four teams with a record of 4-1
and they've beaten three of them. CP has not
been as dominant as the record indicates and
they certainly don't have much speed on
offense.
But there are indications the first five
games were a shakedown period and the
Bulldogs are now ready to go with a very
conservative, but effective offense.
3.)
4A Hobart (4-1)
2006
(10-2), 2005
(6-6), 2004 (9-2), 2003 (5-7)
HOBART
-
Hobart blanked the high-powered offense of
Andrean (30 ppg.) last week in a 16-0
shutdown. The Brickies used fullback Josh
Huddleston (16 carries, 139 yards) to take
the defensive heat off star Andrew Jackson
(8 carries, 27 yards) in a tough win on the
road. The Hobart defense has recorded three
shutouts, but this is the first one that
counts because KV and Gary West Side have
been shut out by a lot of teams.
What was unnerving in this game was that QB
Matt Barras (30 of 52, 57.6%) was 2-of-8 and
that the Brickies fumbled twice. Further
judgment will be withheld until this week's
home game with Lowell (4-1). For the
Brickies, it's all about beating Lowell.
GRADE: B Hobart is a safety away from
being 5-0, but the truth is, they've played
two bad teams in Gary West Side (1-4) and KV
(2-3). On record, Hobart has done exactly what
they should have done. Go 4-1. I'm not that
impressed so far. This team has the two
best offensive players in NW Indiana and the
potential is vast. There's plenty of time,
but the Brickies need to reach that
potential next month.
4.)
4A Lowell (4-1)
2006
(7-6), 2005
(11-4), 2004 (9-4), 2003 (11-2)
LOWELL
- If you can play poorly in a
39-0 victory, Lowell did that last week
against Highland. Four fumbles and five
penalties. Not good enough and they
certainly know it. The Devils' defense did record a third
shutout of the season, but Highland is 0-5. Lowell moves up in the poll because of
what happened to Chesterton, not because of
an overwhelming triumph. QB Kurt Monix did
not throw a pass last week against Highland
but that was probably by design.
Good news for the Devils was that speedy
sophomore Brandon Grubbe, who left week 4's
game against Griffith with a leg injury
returned in week five and gained 258 yards
on 17 carries. Good thing. Lowell lost
senior rushing leader Steffan Peck to an
apparent concussion early in the first
quarter. He may not be able to play at
Hobart. The offense isn't what it
can be, but I'll withhold further judgment
until this week's road game in Hobart.
GRADE: B The expectations here are
very high and Lowell, while they truthfully
have four wins and a tie (the 29-28 OT loss
to Griffith), Lowell has not yet lived up to
expectations. The defense does have three
shutouts and they did shutout CP for three
quarters. But there has to be a Red Devil
passing attack if Lowell is going to get
through their new assignment in 4A Sectional
10. The fumbles have to be limited. And
there has to be a sense of urgency starting
in week six at Hobart.
Lowell can't draw a Gary team and get an easy
sectional game anymore. They have to be at a
peak in week 10 because week 10 could mean
Logansport (4-1) or Concord (4-1) on the
road.
5.)
5A Chesterton (4-1)
2006
(5-6), 2005
(3-8), 2004 (5-5), 2003 (7-4)
CHESTERTON
-
Chesterton drops but not because of the 28-20 loss to Valparaiso. Senior
wide receiver Austin Bower (14 catches, 265 yards) suffered a torn ACL in week
four, and is lost for the season. The Trojans cannot replace him and that
limits what QB Alex Beierwalter (56 of 100, 880 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs) can do.
That showed last week as Beierwalter was just 4-of-15 for 56 yards. You
can pull some kid out of gym class to run the ball if the blocking is there, but
not everybody can catch it.
Chesterton, which has a very experienced offensive line, will now become more of
a rushing team. I'm not saying they throw the ball three times a game for
the rest of the year, but Chesterton has to run the ball because they don't have
a lot of good receivers left. The Trojans did run for 311 yards in the
loss to Valparaiso.
6.)
3A ANDREAN (3-2)
2006
(8-3), 2005
(8-2), 2004 (13-2), 2003 (12-1)
MERRILLVILLE
- Andrean showed they have
work to do in a 16-0 loss at home to
Hobart. If the 59ers can't pass on people,
they can't beat those people.
QB Austin Sutter (66-120, 830 yards, 10 TDs,
8 INTs) was 13-of-26, but he was under a
heavy rush and had two intercepted. The 59ers had 106 yards rushing and
that's not bad but they couldn't make any TD
plays, getting shut out for the first time
since the state title game in 2001. Andrean's schedule hadn't been tough and
they weren't ready for a team like Hobart.
I'm not sure this game has a great effect on Andrean's 2007 future.
They did hold Hobart to a season-low 16
points in good weather.
Take your whipping and move on.
GRADE: B+ The Niners, if they are healthy, are in a good place. They've lost to 4A Hobart and 5A Portage, two teams they obviously cannot see in the 3A playoffs. The defense has been excellent, but I wish they could run the ball better. I like the schedule because the final game is against Lowell and the No. 1 sectional foe is New Prairie (3-2) a similar team. With a new QB and several new offensive players, the Niners' season has been good so far.
7.)
4A Griffith (3-2)
2006
(12-2), 2005
(12-1), 2004 (9-3), 2003
(7-5)
GRIFFITH
-
The Panthers crushed Kankakee Valley 42-0, leading 35-0 at the half. No
contest here as David Alexander scored his eighth TD of the year. Doug
Ashenbaugh, converted from FB to tight end, caught his first home run ball, a
48-yard TD from QB Derek Hitt. The 29-28 win over Lowell obviously boosted
Griffith and the second half of the season is just not as tough as the first
half. The offensive line
cleared
the path for 250 more rushing yards and that's what the Panthers have to do to
keep the defense off the field. This team is still in the running for the
Northwest Crossroads Conference title if Lowell beats Hobart Friday. I honestly
don't know how good the defense is, but it appears to be improving.
GRADE: B+
I didn't expect them to beat Merrillville, Hobart or Lowell so they are ahead of
schedule. The controversy over rowdy behavior at Lowell may have helped
them. The offensive line is playing well and the defense has athletes, if not
experienced as a group. I like the way they've developed, but I'm not
surprised. With a month to go before the playoffs, Griffith is in very
good shape.
8.)
5A Lake Central (4-1)
2006
(4-6), 2005
(2-8), 2004 (1-9), 2003 (1-9)
ST.
JOHN
-
Lake Central rallied late to win 31-28 at
LaPorte in a credibility game. There had
been so much talk from LC about how good
they were that they had to back it up.
And
even if it took a rally from a 21-7 deficit
to do it, no matter, LC got it done. Scott Spicer's 36-yard field goal won the
game at the buzzer. LC did give up a
season-high 304 yards to a very
inexperienced LaPorte offense. LC has 310
yards and 18 first downs in the Indians best
offensive performance of the season.
Here comes another credibility game. Michigan City is 2-3 and the game is at Lake
Central. To have a winning season, LC must
beat Michigan City.
GRADE: B+ LC is exactly where
they should be. They have beaten 3 teams
with losing records and a 3A school. LC
lost to Crown Point and they aren't as good
as CP. There should be no complaints about
how the season has gone. I don't know how
much potential this team has because they
aren't very fast. But LC has proven they are
physically strong and that's a big
improvement over recent seasons.
9.)
5A Valparaiso
(3-2)
2006 (3-6), 2005
(5-5), 2004 (6-5), 2003 (5-6)
VALPARAISO
-
Valpo doesn't have a lot of defense. Valpo averages scoring 30 a game and they
average allowing 28. The Viking offense is quick striking and forces the
defense to play a lot. But nobody's really stopped them yet. Of course, they
play at Crown Point Friday night.
GRADE: B+ I thought Valparaiso would be 3-2 right now, but I
thought they'd lose to Penn and Chesterton. I would suggest that potential
here is limited when you're allowing about 300 yards and 20 points per game and
this is not an experienced team. But they've achieved what was
realistically possible for them when the season started. So far they have
to be happy.
10.)
5A Portage (2-3)
2006
(6-5), 2005
(2-8), 2004 (8-4), 2003 (11-2)
PORTAGE
-
Portage
could not get inside the Crown Point 40-yard-line in a 27-0 loss. Albert
Evans had 71 yards on 24 carries, but he never broke loose and the Indians, for
the second week in a row, gave up almost 200 yards rushing. That's a very
bad sign. Portage did not complete a pass against CP. That's another
very bad sign. The Indians have scored just 64 points (12.8) all year and
they have teams remaining on the schedule they'll need to outscore.
Portage is probably looking at some position switches before this week's home
game with Chesterton (4-1).
GRADE: D Much more than this was expected, but perhaps
that was the error. This is the same offense that couldn't move the ball
much last year. The Indians should be 1-4 because they trailed Andrean 14-0 and
should have lost that game as well. The offensive line has not been good and I
don't know how much they can do about that. But, to be honest, Portage was
1-4 last year and did rally. They do have some very good skill players but
they may be losing hope.
On the outside looking in...
11.) 5A LaPorte (2-2)
2006 (10-4), 2005 (9-2), 2004 (7-4), 2003
(6-4)
LaPORTE -
I know that liking LaPorte is like
liking the University of Michigan's chances,
but this team (LaPorte, I mean) started the
year with so many young players and they're
just a couple of plays away from being 4-1.
They had Lake Central down 21-7 at the half
last week and still couldn't' win. They
lost to Chesterton 22-20. I like the
backfield of Carlton Austin and Bryce
Holland and soph QB Dustin DeMuth is coming
on. The next two weeks could get ugly
with trips to Merrillville (4-1) and Crown
Point (4-1) on the horizon.
GRADE: B I
think that 2-3 is realistically where they
should be. The win over New Prairie
was good and losing to an experienced Lake
Central (4-1) isn't a black mark. The
Slicers are still a rebuilding team and they
may have to keep that in mind in weeks six
and seven when they may be a tad
overmatched. But the end of the
schedule is favorable and a good draw (not
Penn) and the Slicers can still finish at
.500. If they do, this has been a
successful season.
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2007 USA-365.com and Meyer
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Revised: September 22, 2007
.