Bulldogs survive upset - minded Indians, defeat Portage 17-10, go to 5-0

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

9-09-2006

Friday, September 15, 2006,  71 degrees, wet field at Crown Point, DAC

1st Qtr:  CROWN POINT (3-0)  Michael Lipton, 33-yard field goal.  49 yards, 11 plays.  7:06 left.
CROWN POINT (10-0)  Jon Sertich, 29-yard screen pass from Blake Mascarello.  53-yards, 3 plays.  Lipton kick.  3:12 left.                                                    
PORTAGE (7-10)  Albert Evans, 81-yard run.  Raphael Martinez kick.  2:17 left.
2nd Qtr:  No scoring.
3rd Qtr:  CROWN POINT (17-7)  Jon Sertich, 7-yard run.  80-yards, 8 plays.  Lipton kick.  4:48 left.
PORTAGE (10-17)  Raphael Martinez, 45-yard field goal.  0:37 left.
4th Qtr:  No scoring.
.

GAME TOTALS (Unofficial Numbers)

TOTAL YARDS:   PORTAGE -  253,  CROWN POINT - 284
FIRST DOWNS:  PORTAGE - 10,  CROWN POINT - 15
TURNOVERS:  PORTAGE 1;  CROWN POINT 0

RUSHING:
PORTAGE (30-195 yards, one TD)  Albert Evans  (HB) 13-124 yards, TD; Nate Milligan (FB) 4-27 yards; 
Jason Melcic (QB) 2-10 yards;
CROWN POINT (36-161 yards, TD)  Jon Sertich (HB) 27-160 yards; Tommy Parks (FB) 2-9; 
Ryan Forney (WR) 1-10; Blake Mascarello (QB) 3 (-18 yards)

PASSING:

PORTAGE - Jason Melcic (QB) 3-10, 58 yards, one INT;   

CROWN POINT - Blake Mascarello (QB) 10-14, 123 yards one TD.

RECEIVING:  

Matt Ernest (WR) 6-79 yards; Tommy Parks (FB) 2-10, Ryan Forney (WR) 1-5; Jon Sertich (HB) 1-27, TD.   

Sam Gonzalez (TE) 1-31, Kevin Alvarado (TE) 1-20, Nate Milligan (FB) 1-5.

CROWN POINT (9-15-2006) -  On paper, Crown Point should have beaten Portage by more.  But on the field, they were grateful to get the 17-10 Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) victory and move on.

It's hard to believe that Portage, the last place team in the DAC will be there much longer.  Second-ranked Crown Point (5-0, 3-0 DAC) did not play well after the first period of Friday's league game.  But Portage (1-4, 0-3) showed speed and power that belies their record in a 17-10 loss to the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs were ahead 10-0 and smiling in front of 4,000 fans on a near perfect late summer evening when speedy Portage junior Albert Evans broke loose for an 81-yard touchdown run and the game was on.  Crown Point's state-rated defense had to put the clamps on the rebuilt Indian offense in the late going to preserve CP's 14th consecutive regular season victory.  It was the first time all season that Crown Point did not win by 10 points or more.  The Bulldogs allowed a season high 195 yards rushing and, for the first time since the second game of the year at Hobart, they did not seem to be in control of their fate.

Bulldogs running back Jon Sertich carried the ball 27 times for 160 yards in CP's 17-10 win over Portage, 9-15-2006. The Indians' Kevin Alvarado #90 (6-3, 245) trips up Sertich, despite blocks from Kurt Wermers #70 and Matt Childress #71. (All photos by Mark Smith.)

Portage running back Albert Evans #32 (13 carries, 124 yds, TD) surprised CP with a strong 81-yd TD run to pull the Indians within 3 points in the first quarter.  CP defensive back Jon Sertich #27 and linebacker Nick Cottrell #33 pursue Evans, as Portage's WR Billy Doll #1 looks on, 9-15-06.

Crown Point junior QB Blake Mascarello is under pressure as he attempt to pass over the rush of Portage's DB Nate Milligan #5 (5-11, 190) and DE Sam Gonzalez #86 (6-4, 215), 09-15-06.

Portage's junior WR Sam Fazekas #11 (6-4, 190) stretches out to pull in a pass as the Bulldogs' Matt Ernest #15 defends on the play.  Ernest intercepted one pass in CP's 17-10 win over the Indians, 9-15-06.

Crown Point coach Chip Pettit explains game plans to the Bulldogs during a time-out of their 17-10 victory over Portage at their home stadium, 9-15-2006.  (All photos by Mark Smith.)

"I think that sometimes players and fans get carried away with what they read in the papers," said Crown Point coach Chip Pettit after the final whistle.  "That (Portage) is a real good team over there and we're very happy to get this win."

Portage coach Craig Buzea did not actually say that he was encouraged by the narrow defeat to an unbeaten squad.  Coaches never say that.  But the tone of his voice suggested he knows the Indians have better things to come.

"Losing doesn't make you a bad team and winning doesn't make you a good team," he said.  "We can beat everybody we've played and we can lose to everybody we've played.  We've shown that.  We've gotten a lot better in the last two weeks.  Unfortunately, we've been playing some pretty good (Merrillville and CP) football teams."

It looked like a Bulldog rout early.  Crown Point dove 49 yards to the Portage 8-yard-line, but after linebacker Jeff Hensley sacked CP quarterback Blake Mascarello back at the Portage 16-yard line, CP's Michael Lipton booted a 33-yard field goal to make it 3-0.  After three plays and a Portage punt, the Bulldogs went 58 yards in three plays with the aid of two five-yard penalties on the visiting team.  Jon Sertich made a sharp cutback run with a screen pass to score from 28 yards out and make it make it 10-0 after just 8:48.

But the game changed moments later.  Luke Manski fell down on the kickoff return at the Portage 12-yard line and a pass from sophomore QB Jason Melcic (5-10, 155) to senior Nate Milligan gained seven yards.  On a 3rd-and-5 Evans, who missed most of the 2005 season with a broken leg raced off right tackle behind big tackle Jordan Davis (6-3, 285) and broke two tackles before outrunning the entire Crown Point secondary for an 81-yard score.

That one play lifted the spirits of the visitors and their small road crowd.  CP was in the middle of a battle where they were, at times, a little out-manned.  Davis, Evans, Milligan, big LB-TE Kevin Alvarado (6-3, 245) junior WR-DB Billy Doll and soccer style kicker Raphael Martinez are as good a core group of players as any six in the DAC.  And even though they are 1-4 at midseason, chances of them going 2-8 and being wiped out in the sectional quarterfinals as they did in 2005 are slim and none.

"They've got some very good athletes," said CP senior running back Tommy Parks.  "Alvarado is a transfer from East Chicago and he's really tough.  But we got the win.  That's what it came down to.  I really think we were hurt because we didn't have any physical practices this week.  We had to be inside with all the rain.  They (Portage) were very physical.  We probably got fooled by the records.  This is the way it's going to be for the rest of the year.  The rest of the conference is tough and we know they'll be ready for us."

The Bulldogs did not score on the final three possessions of the first half with penalties or sacks stopping all the drives.  After Martinez, who would later hit a career-best 45 yard field goal, missed a 25-yard three-pointer, CP drove 80 yards in eight plays to make it 17-7 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.  The final two plays were a 29-yard cut-back run by Sertich and a well-blocked seven yard by the Bulldog senior halfback.  Crown Point got 160 yards on 27 carries from Jon Sertich and the Bulldog offensive line, pushing him to 520 yards on 86 carries at mid season.  But, other than that aspect, Pettit was not especially pleased with the narrow win.

"I thought (Sertich) did a particularly good job of running the zone play and our line blocked that play particularly well," said Pettit. 'Jon made some nice comebacks and made a lot of guys miss.  We didn't make any turnovers, but we came down inside the 15 twice. We got one field goal and we came away with nothing.  That's like a turnover.  It wasn't that we weren't gaining yards.  We made penalties to stop ourselves.  That's mental and it's mental toughness."

Portage was hurt by the inexperience of Melcic, who did hit tight ends Alvarado and Sam Gonzalez for gains of 20 and 31 yards with quick second half tosses over the CP five linebacker defense.  Lining up Davis at right tackle with a tight end next to him seemed to create problems for the edge of the CP defense which had to deal with two big, physical blockers working to free a halfback like Evans (6-1, 190) with track speed without letting the tight end slip by for a quick reception.  Not everybody has a 285-pound tackle, a 6-5, 245-pound tight end and 190-pound runner with sprinter's speed.  But if there is a CP-Portage playoff rematch, that double-tight end formation is something that the Bulldogs are certain to see more of.

"The running back (Evans) runs really hard," said Matt Ernest.  "But the penalties were really bad, too.  We just killed ourselves again and again.  I don't think we expect to win in the respect that we take it for granted.  They're all hard games.  We were ready, but  we just didn't play that well after the first quarter."

Crown Point, to be honest, is now carrying the weight of great expectations.  When they play a team with a losing record, they're going to have to manufacture some extra emotion to match how excited the team facing them is gong to be.  The Bulldogs will be in exactly this same position next week when they face Valparaiso (1-3), a team that dropped out of the DAC race for first place with a 33-21 loss to Chesterton on Friday.

Portage will rise in the second half of the season, if only because they will now face some lesser teams.  Nate Milligan missed the first two games, came back against Lake Central and was hurt and didn't play in Portage 10-3 loss to Lake Central.  He's been moved to linebacker with Alvarado and they are going to prevent a lot of successful runs.

"He's a phenomenal athlete and football player and when he's here we're a whole different team," said Buzea.  "So I hope he's here for good now.  We know we're better than our record.  We just haven't had the whole team together yet.  We take a little tip from the guys down the road out here (Lowell).  They started badly last year, but it turned out all right for them.  We've got some tough games coming, but we're gong to be in all of them."

But it's better to be 5-0 than 1-4 and Crown Point didn't lose anything Friday.  Last year's undefeated DAC champions also had problems with Portage, winning 31-21.  The problem with being undefeated in a good league is that you have to be good enough to overcome the other team's talent and their emotion.  Emotion you might sometimes lack once you're the only undefeated team remaining.

"They battled us all night," said Sertich, who helped CP overcome on this night.  "They never gave up.  Any given night in this league, you can get beat.  I think we know that."

DOG TAILS:  Crown Point has not allowed a point in the second quarter all season and they have allowed only five points in the third quarter in five games.

Portage has scored five TDs all year and Albert Evans' 81-yard run against CP was the Indians' first TD since week two against 3A No. 5 St. Joseph's.  Crown Point also scored 17 points in a 17-0 win over Lowell (8-18-2006) and a 17-2 victory over Merrillville (9-1-2006).  Many statistics are misleading but after half the year, 'points allowed' is not one of them.  At mid-season, Crown Point has allowed the sixth fewest points (46) of any Class 5A team state-wide.  Against a schedule that includes two teams with 4-1 records, the Bulldogs trail Indianapolis Tech (42), Bloomington South (41), Hamilton Southeastern (41), Homestead (39) and arch-rival Merrillville (35). The top defensive team in the state after five weeks is 4A Fort Wayne power Bishop Dwenger (5-0) which has shut out its last four opponents and allowed just seven points all season in the Summit Athletic Conference.

It's hard to live like this, but LaPorte came from 14 points behind for the third time this season, defeating Lake Central 35-28 after trailing 21-7.  The Slicers have rallied from two-TD deficits against Valparaiso and Chesterton.  LaPorte (4-1, 3-0) and Crown Point (5-0, 3-0) are tied for first place in the Duneland Athletic Conference.

Lowell (1-4), which lost to Crown Point 17-0 on Aug. 18, lost 17-0 at Andrean Friday night.  The Devils, who lost 35-0 at Griffith, is the only NW Indiana team that has faced all three of Northwest Indiana's remaining undefeated teams.

5A No. 1 Warren Central (5-0) also struggled, beating North Central 52-33.  New Prairie (4-1) upset 2A No. 1 Jimtown 24-17.

Buzea was very encouraged by the rushing yards his boys are rolling up on good defenses.

"Especially since I know they knew we weren't going to throw that much," said Buzea.  "But we did the same thing last week against Merrillville.  We ran for 200 yards against Merrillville and that's ever happened.  Now we have to work on the passing game."

Portage is still putting people in new positions.

"Avery Pearman has never played (defensive) tackle in his life until tonight," noted Buzea.  "But he has been on the offensive line."

"We played without Tony Bohling.  He had a personal situation and he couldn't play today.  Matt Guglielmetti (5-10,215), a junior, got his first start today.  We just haven't had our whole team together."

After day-long rains which were estimated from 4-8 inches Tuesday and Wednesday, the Bulldog turf was wet Friday night, but there was no standing water.  CP did not play the freshman game against Lake Central on Sept. 14 on the varsity field so it would be ready for the Portage-CP game on the 15th.  Some players had trouble with their footing, but obviously, Portage's Albert Evans (124 yards rushing) and CP's Jon Sertich (160 yards rushing) were not among them.

Copyright © 2006 USA-365.com and Meyer Multimedia Services, a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corp.  All rights reserved.
Revised: September 18, 2006 .