Week 2, NW Indiana HS Football: Crown Point 34, Hobart 20

Friday, Aug. 25, 2006, 81 degrees, cloudy, 70% humidity at Hobart's Brickie Bowl

1st Qtr: HOBART (7-0) Andrew Jackson, 1-yard run. 80-yard drive, 15 plays after opening kickoff. Jeremy Cartagena kick. 5:38 left.
2nd Qtr: CROWN POINT (7-7) Jon Sertich, 8-yard pass from Blake Mascarello. 80-yard drive, 10 plays. Michael Lipton kick. 8:48 left.
3rd Qtr: CROWN POINT (14-7) Tommy Parks, 2-yard 4th down pass from Mascarello. 65-yard drive, 8 plays after second half kickoff. Michael Lipton kick. 7:53 left.
CROWN POINT (21-7) Matt Ernest, 25-yard interception return. Michael Lipton kick. 6:39 left.
CROWN POINT (28-7) Tommy Parks, 6-yard run. 40-yard drive, 5 plays following Andrew Szymborski interception. Michael Lipton kick. 2:19 left.
4th Qtr: HOBART (14-28) Bobby James, 8-yard, 4th down pass from Josh Miracle. 52-yard drive, 9 plays. Jeremy Cartagena kick. 11:09 left.
CROWN POINT (14-34) Tommy Parks, 41-yard run. 41-yard drive, 1-play. Kick blocked by Chris Fussell. 3:14 left.
HOBART (20-34) Bobby James, 27-yard pass from Josh Miracle. 70-yard drive, 7 plays. 2-point pass incomplete. 1:52 left.

Andrew Jackson (HB) 21-85 yards, TD, fumble; Josh Huddleston (HB) 7-48 yards; Steve Gascy (HB) 3-3 yards; Josh Miracle (QB) 1-6 yards.

Tommy Parks (FB) 18-151 yards, 2 TDs; Jon Sertich (HB) 13 -108 yards, Evan Nikrin (FB) 1-4 yards; Blake Mascarello (QB) 4 (-1 yards) one sack (-5)

PASSING:

Josh Miracle (Hobart) 14-27, 152 yards, 2 TDs, 2 interceptions
Blake Mascarello (CP) 4-10, 33 yards, 2 TDs, 0 interceptions.

Ryan Forney (CP) 2-23 yards, Jon Sertich (CP) 1-8 yards, TD; Tommy Parks (CP) 1-2 yards, TD.

TURNOVERS:

HOBART (8-25-2006) - This was much better. It was no secret that Crown Point didn't look very good in the season opener against Lowell, even though they won 17-0. So a near capacity crowd at Hobart's ancient Brickie Bowl probably was stunned when Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) power Hobart held CP to a 7-7 tie at halftime Friday night.

But in the second half, we got the first glimpse of the big, scary Bulldog monster. In a span of six minutes, Class 5A No. 7 Crown Point (2-0) snatched two interceptions and banked three touchdowns to blow open a tie game they would eventually win 34-20 in front of 5,000 fans.

The Crown Point Bulldogs football team runs onto the field of the Brickie Bowl in downtown Hobart, lead by head coach Chip Pettit (red shit and khakis) and field coordinator Jeff Qualizza (red shirt and baseball cap), 8-25-06.

Hobart QB Josh Miracle #18 takes the snap from center as he leads the Brickies on an 80-yard opening drive for a first quarter 7-0 lead over visiting Crown Point, 8-25-06.

Crown Point defensive back Ryan Forney #12 lines up with Hobart wide receiver Michael Brown #1 in first half play at the Brickie Bowl, 8-25-06. Brown had 4 receptions for 52 yards for the Bricks.

Crown Point running back Jon Sertich #27 tries to evade Hobart's Chris Fussell #5 while being pursued by other Brickies, including Nate Trinosky #36. Sertich finished with 13 carries for 108 yards in CP's 34-20 win at Brickie Bowl, 8-25-06.

An estimated 1,500 Crown Point fans packed the visitors bleachers at Brickie Bowl to witness the Bulldogs 34-20 win over Hobart, 8-25-2006. (All photos by Mark Smith.)

The two pivotal plays were quarterback Blake Mascarello's two-yard cross field, fourth-down touchdown pass to senior running back Tommy Parks that made it 14-7 with 7:53 left in the third quarter and Matt Ernest's interception and 25-yard touchdown return of a Josh Miracle pass three plays later that made it 21-7 with 6:39 to play. When junior linebacker Andrew Szymborski intercepted another pass and Parks scored on a 6-yard run with 2:19 to go, the game was effectively over.

"I think our experience worked in our favor tonight," said CP coach Chip Pettit. "A lot of our seniors tonight played here two years ago in a game we felt we let slip away. This was probably a game they (Hobart) felt they let slip away."

Hobart had some good numbers. Junior running back Andrew Jackson carried 21 times for 85 yards. Quarterback Josh Miracle was 14 of 27 for 152 yards and wide receiver Bobby James caught 10 passes for 100 yards. But the same Crown Point offensive and defensive lines that were losing the battle in the first half won it decisively in the second half as the Bulldogs ended up in the winner's circle for the 13th time in 14 games.

"We were lucky to be tied at halftime," Ernest admitted. "We had a bad first half and we were really lucky. We got the ball to start the third quarter so we still felt like we could be ahead. But we just started running the ball. Parks and Sertich just started running the ball."

Parks, a 205-pound senior power runner and Sertich, a 175-pound speed runner both cleared 100 yards. Sertich gained over 800 yards in 2005 and 116 yards on 23 carries in week one against Lowell. But Parks' 151 yards on 18 carries was a revelation.

"He finally put dropped his shoulder," explained CP senior Ryan Forney. "He usually stands up (when he gets to the line) and gets hit. Tonight he just dropped his shoulder."

Parks ran over some Brickies and carried some others. There were hints of it in the first half as the senior baseball infielder picked up 20 yards on four carries in the first CP touchdown drive that tied the game in the second quarter. Hobart had gone 80 yards with the opening kickoff as junior Andrew Jackson gained 43 yards on nine carries including a one-yard TD with 5:38 left in the quarter. The Brickies were patient and effective early behind the line of center Josh Parsons (6-2, 215), guards Don Brown (6-0, 250) and Roy Hall (6-0, 245) and tackles Zack Vurva (6-3, 250) and Kevin Koselke (6-3, 240), plus a double tight end set of juniors Stephen Zimmer (6-2, 215) and Andrew Walsdorf (6-3, 215). The physical attack with Jackson (6-2, 225) was a jolt to Crown Point, which isn't especially big up front on defense.

After CP tied the game with an 80-yard drive, Hobart mounted a 13-play drive that ended when junior halfback Josh Huddleston fumbled to the Bulldogs' Jon Sertich at the Crown Point 5-yard line with 1:56 left in the half. Hobart got the best of play in the first half, but there was a reversal of fortune after halftime.

Sertich, who gained over 100 yards for the second consecutive week, broke tackles on a 33-yard run on the first play of the second half. Mascarello then hit two passes to Forney to spark a 65-yard drive. On 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Mascarello threw his best pass of the night, a cross field strike to Parks in a do-or-die situation, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the night.

Three plays later it was 21-7 and eight plays after that it was 28-7. That's the combined offensive and defensive explosiveness that CP had in 2005, although it was the first time it had been shown this fall.

"I don't know if there's a carryover from last year," said Forney, who has been started for two seasons. "We've got to get our own identify. I mean. What have we done? This senior class has to do something."

Ernest added, "The younger kids know the success we had last year. We're still in that. But we haven't won anything yet."

As both sides shook hands at the center of the 67-year-old stadium, everybody knew that these were strangers passing on this night. What Hobart and Crown Point will be this season has nothing to do with each other. These are non conference foes who will not meet again until the new year.

"Tommy was definitely a physical presence tonight," observed CP coach Chip Petit. "I thought (defensive tackle) Zack Brumm was really good tonight. We got worked over in the first half. He really played well. Ernest had a big pick. We have one kid going both ways. Ernest and Forney rotate with Anthony (Stahl). They've got a lot of kids going both ways and we wore them down. That's a well-balanced Hobart team and they're well skilled. We have a lot of work to do. We're not as bad as people thought after last week. We improved a lot, but we'll need just as big a step forward next week."

Ernest was careful with what he said. "Merrillville's always a great team. They're awesome."

DOG NOTES: This was the 12th time in two seasons that Crown Point has won a game by 10 points or more. Crown Point scored 34 points twice last year, both times against Chesterton.

New kicker Michael Lipton had made six consecutive extra points before Hobart's Chris Fussell blocked his seventh attempt in the fourth quarter.

Ernest has nothing but bad memories of last year's 16-13 loss at Merrillville in the sectional championship game. It stands as the only Crown Point varsity football loss in the last two seasons.

"There were so many things," he said Friday. "The touchdown they scored just before halftime. The punt hitting (Chris) Schillo in the back and they received it. The touchdown they scored just before halftime. So many things."

Mascarello's mediocre numbers of 4-for-10 for 33 yards would have been much better had not Ryan Forney dropped what should have been an 89-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. Mascarello had four TD passes in two games and he wasn't asked to throw much at Hobart.

"The quarterback had a pretty good game tonight," Pettit said. "If Forney doesn't drop that one, he has three touchdowns. And his throw to Parks on fourth down was a real good throw."

Crown Point's offensive line may eventually be the strongest part of this team. With center Matt Polus (6-1, 240) between Matt Childress (6-2, 245) and Cody Blue (6-3, 210) on the left or Kurt Wermers (6-5, 270) and Andrew Krumwied (6-5, 245) on the right with tight end Zach Cecich (6-2, 220), the Bulldogs have produced three 100-yard rushing games in the first two weeks. Four of those players are juniors and three are first time starters.

"Our young guys like (Matt) Childress and (Matt) Polus are learning," said Ernest. "By the end of the year, they're going to be really good."

There was talk that the recent construction accident at the site of the new Hobart high school has delayed the opening of the new school, which was planned to debut in the fall of 2008. If the new Hobart high at the south end of town does not open until 2009, then CP will have one more game in the Brickie Bowl in August of 2008. The new 'under construction' Hobart field house collapsed in a thunderstorm earlier this month.

Lowell, the team Crown Point defeated in week one, ran over Calumet 63-6 in week two, rushing for 500 yards and gaining 32 first downs. Gary West Side, the team Hobart beat 45-7 in week one, blasted Englewood of Chicago's Public League by the score of 53-6.

Merrillville, which defeated East Chicago 39-3 on Aug. 18, beat Highland 26-0 on Friday. This is the fourth consecutive season that Merrillville has started with a 2-0 record. In each of the previous three seasons, Merrillville has lost in the third week to Crown Point.

Team	1	2	3	4	F
CROWN POINT (2-0)	0	7	21	6	34
Hobart (1-1)	7	0	0	13	20