Shrewsbury throws 3 TD passes to lead Bulldogs to 21-6 win over unbeaten Portage

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

9-20-2008

Friday, September 19, 2008,  74 degrees, dry field, DAC at CROWN POINT, IN.

1st Qtr:  No scoring.
2nd Qtr:  PORTAGE (6-0) Clark Mussman, 41-yard pass from Eric Melcic. 67-yard drive, 7 plays.  Kick wide 11:03 left.
CROWN POINT (7-6)  Danny Osojnicki, 14-yard pass from Marcus Shrewsbury.  64-yard drive, 10 plays covering 5:20 min.  Michael Lipton kick. 5:38 left.
CROWN POINT (14-6) Mike Kozlowski, 12-yard pass from Marcus Shrewsbury. 27-yard drive, 5 plays covering 2:04 min.  Michael Lipton kick 2:03 left.
3rd Qtr:  CROWN POINT (21-6) Mike Kozlowski, 15-yard pass from Marcus Shrewsbury. 12-yard drive, 5 plays covering 51-seconds, following Scott Hannon's fumble recovery at the Portage 12-yard-line.  Michael Lipton kick.  10:56 left.
4th Qtr:  No scoring.
 

TOTAL YARDS:
PORTAGE (106 yards, 4 turnovers, 6 first downs)
CROWN POINT (208 yards, 3 turnovers, 9 first downs)

RUSHING:
PORTAGE (26 carries, 19 yards) Eric Melcic (QB) 8 carries (minus 45 yards), fumble; Charles Davis (HB) 10 carries, 21 yards, fumble;
Jake Dixon (HB) 2 carries, 8 yards; Austin Orlich (FB) 5 carries, 35 yards.

CROWN POINT (28 carries, 111 yards, one fumble) Mason Popovich (HB) 15 carries, 52 yards, fumble; Nick Bruno (HB) 5 carries, 29 yards;
Marcus Shrewsbury (QB) 7 carries, 28 yards, Mike Kozlowski (FB) 1 carry, 2 yards.

PASSING:
PORTAGE: Eric Melcic (QB) 6 of 15, 97 yards, one TD, 2 interceptions.

CROWN POINT: Marcus Shrewsbury (QB) 11 of 13, 97 yards, 3 TDs, one interception.

RECEIVING:
PORTAGE: Clark Mussman (TE) 4 catches, 62 yards, YD; Austin Orlich (FB) 1 catch, 5 yards;  Caleb McKee (WR) 1 catch, 8 yards

CROWN POINT: Mike Kozlowski (FB) 3 catches, 26 yards, 2 TDs; Danny Osojnicki (WR) 3 catches, 40 yards, TD; Evan Nikrin (TE) 1 catch, 9 yards; Nick Bruno (HB) 1 catch, 8 yards;  Nate Haverstock (WR) 2 catches, 15 yards; Mason Popovich (HB) 1 catch (-1 yard).

TURNOVERS:
PORTAGE (4) 2 fumbles; CROWN POINT (3) 2 fumbles.

CROWN POINT (9-19-2008) - Three short touchdown passes and a lot of defense.  That's the way it is for Crown Point these days.  You could call Crown Point's 21-6 victory over undefeated Portage an upset, but that's probably a stretch.  Crown Point hadn't allowed more than two touchdowns in any game all season.  They were at home and ready to rumble.  Portage was shorthanded and limited in what they could do offensively.

Maybe the larger truth is, there just isn't that much difference between any of the eight Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) teams.

"We just had to start making more of a difference," said CP senior linebacker Greg Schillo, a major part of the Bulldog defense that performed well against a fifth consecutive opponent.

Portage (4-1) led 6-0 on a 41-yard pass from sophomore QB Eric Melcic to senior tight end Clark Mussman, but they did not get much else as their offensive line was overwhelmed by the hard-charging CP defenders, a surprising unit that has now allowed just 44 points (8.8 ) in five games.

It probably wouldn't be accurate to call CP's 21-point output an avalanche of unstoppable offense.  The Bulldogs turned the ball over three times Friday night and they only posted 10 first downs.

"It feels good to get a win," said senior Danny Osojnicki, a season-long starter at wide receiver and defensive back.  "Especially at home.  We hadn't had one.  But we know it's a long season and we've got a long way to go."

"It was an all-around good effort by the team," said fellow senior and linebacker Greg Schillo.  "Lead by example.  That's what coach (Chip) Pettit was really emphasizing this week."

But CP lost to Lowell and Lake Central because they could not score when they got a first down inside the 20-yard line.  That simply was not the case Friday.

Trailing 6-0, CP's senior rookie QB Marcus Shrewsbury completed a 64-yard, 10-play drive with a well-done 'pump fake' and south end zone toss to Osojnicki, giving Crown Point a 7-6 lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:36 left in the half.

"Its called 'bingo'," Osojnicki said of the play call.  "He just fakes the bubble (screen) and I go back corner.  Marcus kept it in bounds.  Kept it off the track (that surrounded the field). That was good."

Moments later, after Nate Haverstock recovered a fumble by Portage halfback Charles Davis, Shrewsbury ran for 15 yards and then fired a short pass down the middle of the field to fullback Mike Kozlowski for another TD and a 14-6 lead with 2:03 remaining in the half.  It marked the first time CP had scored two TDs in the same game this fall.

In the third period, CP appeared to run the same play, lining up Kozlowski at the tight end position and popping him free into the secondary out of a multiple wide receiver formation.  Kozlowski was wide open in the north end zone for an off 'jump pass' from Shrewsbury (5-11, 210) for a 21-6 lead with 10:56 left in the third quarter.  All of a sudden, a team that had scored only one TD on offense in four games, had three.

"Did we triple our offensive production for the season tonight?" smiled CP coach Chip Pettit, whose team was averaging a stunning 5.5 points a game before Friday.  "Did we burn out all the bulbs in the scoreboards?  We're not picky.  We'll take it.  We take it any way he (Shrewsbury) can get it there."

Shrewsbury's teammates apparently have been kidding the state-ranked wrestler about CP's lack of TDs.

"We give him a lot of stuff about it," laughed Schillo.  "He's a big boy.  He can take it.  I think he feels great tonight.  He's an all-around good athlete."

Osojnicki said, "I'm extremely happy for Marcus.  He's been taking a lot of blows. This was his best game."

For the fifth consecutive game it was CP's defense that excelled.  The Bulldogs have not allowed more than 13 points in any game so far.  Portage got off the bus averaging 32 points a game and left with six points and 106 total yards.  They did not have starting halfback Ryan Cherry (36 carries, 365 yards) who sat out the game with an ankle injury.  Melcic is the back-up QB.  His older brother Jason Melcic, last year's starter is academically ineligible until next month.

"Crown Point's an excellent team," said Portage coach Mark Peterson.  "They could easily have been 4-0 instead of 1-3.  They executed well tonight and I don't know if we gave them the best show.  We weren't as aggressive as I'd like to see."

"We were a little banged up and shorthanded, but you don't want to talk about that, because it takes away from how well Crown Point played."

Portage used an array of formations on offense, some with four wide receivers and some with five.  They also ran the option out of passing formations.  But CP was able to get the best of the Portage offensive line so most plays broke down.  Melcic made three errant tosses on the option that ended up in loose balls on the artificial turf.  The center snap to the Portage QB also bounced at least three times.  The Indians were shut down for the first time this season.

"Give it up to Portage," said Crown Point linebacker Greg Schillo.  "They're a good team.  They had a lot of motion.  Undefeated.  But we found pieces to our puzzle.  We played well."

The plight of the Indians was epitomized when sophomore QB Eric Melcic had to leave the game after a hit by CP linebacker Greg Schillo.  With 2007 starter Jason Melcic academically ineligible and out for the regular season, promising soph QB Zach Huston out with a leg injury and starting halfback Ryan Cherry out, Portage coach Mark Peterson had to go to running back Austin Orlich for a run-only offense.

"He couldn't throw because he has a bad shoulder," said Peterson.  "We were about to bring in a freshman.  We're going to get Ryan (Cherry) back next week.  Eric took a lot of hits tonight.  But I thought he made some nice throws.  The throw to Mussman on the season route was really good.  Crown Point is just tough defensively.  He under threw a couple and overthrew a couple.  But in a lot of ways, those are the woes of a 16-year-old quarterback.  He's continuing to progress."

"Lots of credit goes to Chip (Pettit) and those guys, added Peterson.  "I've told everybody in print and on the radio that Crown Point is still a good team."

Good team or not, this win over Portage saved CP's season regular. To fall to 1-4 would have meant that the Bulldogs realistically would be in a playoff preparation mode getting ready for the post-season.  Now, even with three road games left in the last four weeks, the possibility for CP to, at least tie for first place in the Duneland Conference, is still there.

"I thought our focus was good," said Pettit.  "Especially from the seniors.  We played with passion and emotion and we have to.  I thought our defense did a nice job keeping the Portage offensive in front of them.  That offense made some big plays earlier in the season.  I thought we rallied to the ball well and hit well."

"I thought the older kids stepped up:  Lance LaMere, Greg Schillo, Danny Osojnicki, Nate Haverstock, Even Nikrin, Nick Bruno, along with Mike Kozlowski.  Those seven guys really stepped up for us tonight."

DOG NOTES:  In numbers that may speak to the level of offense in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) this year, no one scored more than 21 point in week five, despite perfect weather.  Dry conditions.  Artificial turf fields.  Temperatures in the mid-60s.

Merrillville beat Michigan City 17-14 on a last-second field goal by Ryan Stokes.  Chesterton stopped undefeated Valparaiso 12-10 as Tony Hite's potential game-winning 57-yard field goal for Valpo fell short on the game's final play.  LaPorte won at Lake Central 21-0.

Chesterton (4-1, 3-0 DAC) plays Valparaiso (4-1, 2-1) in two weeks and CP in three weeks.  Crown Point travels to Valpo next week (Sept. 26).

"Its a stalemate," said CP receiver Danny Osojnicki.  "Its even.  But we've got a big challenge next week at Valparaiso."