McRae's 98-yard kickoff return highlights Bulldogs' 46-6 win over Hobart Brickies

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

8-27-2011

Friday, Aug. 26, 2011,  79 degrees at CROWN POINT, IN

Joe Hopman (12) gets the play from the sidelines during last Friday (8-26-2011) night's game with Hobart. (All Photos by Mark Smith)

CP's Anthony Geisen (27) watches CP score another TD against Hobart.

Crown Point's Brendyn McKinnon (47) and Anthony Geisen (27) try to head off Hobart's Zac Randall (5) early in last Friday (8-26-2011) night's nonconference game.

The CP student section wore construction gear to honor the visitors from Hobart Brickies' nickname. In another time Hobart was a center of brick making and construction.

Jake Lindeman (5) heads toward open spaces after a handoff from Joe Hopman (12) against Hobart in week two of the season.

CP's Logan McRae (87) gets help saluting the student section after his 98-yard kickoff return TD and a 70-yard kickoff return in the 45-6 win over Hobart (8-26-2011).  (All photos by Mark Smith)

1st Qtr: CROWN POINT (7-0) Pete Parks, 9-yard screen pass from Joe Hopman. 9-play, 79-yard drive. 5:16 min. TOP. Brett Bayer kick. 0:51 left.
2nd Qtr: CROWN POINT (14-0) Zack Plesac, 10-yard pass from Joe Hopman. 6-play, 53-yard drive. 1:42 min. TOP. Bayer kick. 8:46 left.
CROWN POINT (21-0) Tyler Wells, 36-yard pass from Hopman. 6-play, 54-yard drive. 1:28 min. TOP. Bayer kick. 5:03 left.
HOBART (6-21) Chris Kingsland, 19-yard pass from Sam Kosich. 5-play, 30-yard drive. 1:02 min. TOP. Kick wide left. 0:51.9 left.

CROWN POINT (28-6) Logan McRae, 98-yard kick-off return. Bayer kick. 38.9 sec. left.
3rd Qtr: CROWN POINT (35-6) Tyler Wells, 44-yard run. 5-play, 75-yard drive. 2:20 min. TOP. Bayer kick. 7:17 left.

CROWN POINT (38-6) Bayer, 23-yard field goal (3rd of the season). 5-play 31-yard drive. 2:20 left.
4th Qtr: CROWN POINT (45-6) Cassidy Zastrow, 3-yard run on first play from scrimmage following fumble recovery and return to 1-yard line by Austin Stanley. Bayer kick. 10:13 left.

RUSHING:
HOBART (27 carries, 35 yards) Zac Randall (HB) 13 carries, 43 yards, TD;' Ian Drobac (FB) 2 (minus-2 yards), Sam Kosich (QB) 12 carries (minus-6 yards 4 sacks (minus-10 yards)

CROWN POINT (35 carries, 213 yards, 2 TDs) Jake Lindeman (HB) 11 carries, 34 yards; Peter Parks (FB) 4 carries, 27 yards; Joe Hopman (QB) 5 carries, 73 yards; Tyler Wells (WR) 1 carry, 44 yards, TD; Jamie Johnson (HB) 7 carries, 30 yards; Cody Hipp (HB) 1 carry 3 yards; Cassidy Zastrow (FB) 3 carries, 7 yards, TD; Jake Jatis (QB) 1 (minus-6 yards); Carl Brehmer (HB) 2 carries, 5 yards.

RECEIVING:
HOBART: Max Wilson (WR) 2-18 yards; Danny Stewart (WR) 1-19 yards; Chris Kingsland (WR) 1-19 yards, TD; Nicholas Bokun (TE) 1 (minus-1 yard): CROWN POINT: Tyler Wells (WR) 3-61 yards, TD; Peter Parks (FB)M 2-22 yards, TD; Zach Plesac (WR) 2-16 yards, TD; Tyler Kral (TE) 2-46 yards; Braxton Rice (WR) 1-1.

PASSING:
HOBART: Sam Kosicvh (QB) 5-11, 55 yards, one TD, one interception;
CROWN POINT: Joe Hopman (QB) 8-12, 113 yards, 3 TDs 2 interceptions; Jake Jatis (QB) 2-3, 33 yards.

TOTALS YARDS:
HOBART: 90 yards, 8 - 1st downs, 2 turnovers;
CROWN POINT: 359 yards, 16 - 1st downs, 2 turnovers.

CROWN POINT (8-26-2011) First of all, Hobart had a couple of key players out of action. They had some boys who were starting for the first time on the road. The Brickies played a weak team in week one while Crown Point, a much bigger school, played a strong one. With all that said, Crown Point dominated Hobart 45-6 Friday night to an overwhelming extent. Except for the first eight minutes, Hobart seemed out-manned on offense, defense and special teams.

It was one of those games where there was very little chance for an upset. And Crown Point (2-0), which faces arch-rival Merrillville next, still did not play up to their potential.

"We could be better," said Crown Point quarterback Joe Hopman, who threw three touchdowns and two interceptions. "We should have scored more against Lowell. I had a couple of interceptions tonight. But we'll be all right."

CP has been more spectacular than steady in the early going with surprising big plays from senior receiver Tyler Wells. who scored on long pass receiver and rushing TDS against Hobart and safety Logan McCrae, who intercepted a pass for the second week in a row and ran a kickoff back 98 yards for a second quarter touchdown.

McRae played last season but he wasn't the same boy. As a junior part time starter, McRae, listed at 6-1 and 180, made 23 tackles as a part time starter. But he did not stand out during an 8-4 CP campaign. Now, at 6-foot-2 and about 190 pounds ("I'm almost 200," he says), he's a big contributor. Against Hobart, he ran two kickoffs back for a total of 168 yards and grabbed his second interception in two weeks. You notice him coming up strong against the run and running away from defenders when he gets the ball. The CP safety is going to face much more severe passing challenges than he has in the first two weeks from run-oriented Lowell and Hobart. But it's obvious that McRae is going to be a big special teams threat this season. He's not the same player he was last year.

"I was second string outside linebacker in the first half of the season," he said. "I sat on the sidelines. All the work I put in finally paid off. When I was younger, I was the fast kid on the baseball and football team, but as everybody else matured."

"I was quick, but I wasn't fast. I could have quit. I was playing second string wide out on the JV. I just knew if I put my mind to it, I could get better. I had some intense workouts. I went on a diet. High calorie. Low fat. It bulks you up, but not make you fat. It works on muscle to increase your speed. I workout with coach (Mark) Garrett. He's our strength and conditioning coach. He pushed me every day. In spring I had track practice and then I'd work out with him. I could tell in track I was getting faster."

The man who began the strength and conditioning program at Crown Point when the new high school building opened in 2003 was Mark Turley, who made his first visit to CP as a visiting coach Friday.

"We just didn't come to play," he admitted.

"It was scoreless most of the first quarter. Crown Point scored on a 91-yard drive that ended with a nine yard screen pass from Hopman to fullback Pete Parks in the final minute of the first quarter. The Bulldogs quickly led 21-0. A short punt led to a 53-yard drive with a 10-yard pass from Hopman to Zach Plesac with 8:46 left in the half. Next time CP had the ball they went 54 yards in six plays ending with a 37-yard pass to Tyler Wells down the visitors' sidelines, a play where Hobart's safety was preoccupied and just didn't get over to help against CP's four wide receiver formation.

Hopman was intercepted by Hobart's Max Wilson at the CP 30 and it led to the Brickies only touchdown. After a third down penalty gave the Brickies a first down at the CP 20, Brickie senior QB Sam Kosich found senior Chris Kingsland over the middle for a 19-yard TD just 1:08 before halftime. If the score had been 21-6 at halftime, Hobart might have rallied. But McRae took the kickoff, took off straight ahead and swerved towards the home sidelines, running untouched on a 98-yard run to make the score 28-6 at the half.

"That's what football's all about," said Turley. "Game of momentum. We had it and then we gave it right back to them. That's what the game is all about."

"When I got it and looked up the hole was huge," McRae said about the TD run. "Coach (Sean) Granger said that hole was so big he could have run through it. The guys up front made the hole. We practice special teams a lot. It's expected because that's what we do in practice."

Turley thought that play put his team in too deep a hole to rally.

"We have to remember how this feels and make it motivation throughout the week," Turley said. "We have a big game next week with Griffith. We've got to get back to work. Can't worry about what's past. We'll be all right. I don't think we were ready to go tonight. They (CP) have a nice team. They'll have a very good year."

Turley didn't make a lot of his 'return to CP,' where he was an assistant coach for seven years from 2002-2009.

"I think everybody knows that," he said quietly. "We didn't try to hide it at all. We just have to play better. They ran away in the second half. It was a tight game early, but it got away from us. We're young on the line and they have a great defense. They caused us some problems up front, but they'll get better. This was a good test early."

McRae ran the late second quarter kick back 98 yards for a touchdown and he ran the opening third quarter kick back 70 yards. He then dropped a punt where he might have had a third long return.

"That's why I'm second team on punt returns," he admitted.

CP coach Chip Pettit was glad for a good all-around effort. He was glad to see fullback Peter Parks be involved in a lot of things.

"Pete gives us a physical presence. He's a good pass receiver and a good blocker. They scored to make it 21-6 and then we run the kick back all the way. Give credit to the guys up front. They blocked that very well. Logan played some last year, but he's gotten bigger and faster. We like him."

"We were able to force turnovers again tonight and that's big for us. Wells, McRae, Plesac. A number of skilled kids made plays with the ball. It was a good night."

DOG NOTES: Hobart is better than they showed. The Brickies were without two-way linemen Pete Otero (6-1, 245) and two-way back Anthony Brugos (5-11, 150). Otero, a top tight end and defensive end, was ill and will more than likely be back for the Griffith game. Brugos, a key defender, hurt his knee in the season opening win over Gary West Side.

"No excuses," said Hobart coach Ryan Turley, "I'm certainly not saying it would have changed the outcome. But those are two key guys for us. Otero was sick all week. We had to get him away from the rest of the team. He's not even here. Brugos hurt his knee last week. We kept that kind of quiet. If it was a playoff game, he'd have played."

Merrillville and Valparaiso, two of the favorites in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) championship, both start the month of September with nonconference records of 0-2. Merrillville, which lost to 5A No. 1 Warren Central in week one, fell again Friday to 2A No. 3 Andrean 21-12. And Valpo, which lost the season opener at home 21-10 to 5A No. 8 Penn, lost 49-0 Friday to 5A No. 2 Carmel.

It probably should be noted that all four losses came against teams ranked in the Top-10 state wide.

Logan McRae was part of Crown Point's school record 400-meter relay team last spring.

Crown Point plays at Hobart next year and then they begin a series with Mishawaka. Hobart will begin playing LaPorte again in 2013.

"We'll do that for a couple of years and then we'll revisit that. Chip (Pettit) and I will talk about it. We'll see where it is."

Crown Point decided to drop Hobart before Ryan Turley was named as Hobart's coach. No one said this, but if the IHSAA adds a 10th game, the CP-Hobart series could be revisited. Hobart could also be a future scrimmage opponent of CP, although the CP-Andrean scrimmage drew a nice crowd.

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Revised: September 01, 2011 .