High School Football Preview:
CROWN POINT  (2-0) at  Merrillville  (1-1)
A USA-365.com special report by Mark Smith


Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 - 7 p.m.

TICKETS:   $5  (Please note the new price this season)
Radio-TV:  WGVE (88.7) FM
WEATHER:  Uncomfortable.  Upper-70s

PARKING:   Plenty. Merrillville's Demaree Stadium has approximately 7,200 seats and I have never seen their parking lot full.

HISTORY:   Merrillville leads this series 28-24-1 on the strength of four consecutive wins. Merrillville and Crown Point traditionally opened the season against each other throughout the 1980s even before CP joined Merrillville in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC). When the IHSAA expanded the regular season from 8 to 9 games in 1997, Crown Point and Lowell signed to play the season opener and CP vs. MVille became the DAC opener in week three.

Merrillville dominated last year's game along the defensive line, wining 26-3 in Crown Point. Merrillville has outscored CP 115-26 in the last four meetings.

LOWELL - Crown Point comes in with high hopes after beating Lowell 23-0 and East Chicago 49-21.   This will be their biggest test of the season. The Pirates turned back rival Lake Central 20-10 in week one and lost 38-14 last week to 4A No. 3 McCutcheon.

Throw out all results so far.  Crown Point can't do what McCutcheon does (few teams can) and Lake Central actually should've beaten Merrillville, leading 10-7 in the fourth quarter.

East Chicago did not play a competitive varsity game against Crown Point.

Crown Point's 72 points have been based on an opportunistic defense (7 takeaways) and vastly improved offensive line play. As well as some of the Bulldogs have done so far, especially Bobby Rutherford  (unofficial 35 carries, 320 yards), CP's nonconference all-stars have to include center Nick Hoffman (5-9, 190), guards Riste Jakimoski (6-2, 215) and Mark McInerney (6-2, 295) plus tackles Corey Bush (5-11, 220) and Steve Ellingsen (6-3, 245).  The Bulldogs had over 575 total yards after two games because they're getting effective blocking on most plays.

But they've got to deal with Temidayo McCarthy (6-5, 240), a Division I 1999 transfer from Chicago's Whitney Young high school. McCarthy will join CP' Sean O'Drobinak and 2002 Merrillville grad Riley Larimore at Ball State University in Muncie next year.  The Pirates have a lot of speed defensively and you can't bet your Northwestern football season tickets that there won't be any 50 or 60 yards touchdowns by CP Friday.

The Pirates will start four secondary people who are as fast or faster than anybody CP has, with the possible exception of Rutherford, a 4.7 sprinter.

You worry about this match-up, the CP offense against the Pirate defense because the Pirates only gave up 113 points all last season. Getting smoked for 38 by McCutcheon's 'west coast' offense, the Pirates will be out not only to beat CP but to totally shut them down.

Crown Point has gotten outstanding play from linebackers Chris Kutanovski, Brad Wilson  and Eric Gulbrandsen. Neither Lowell or EC scored against the first-team Bulldog defense and Merrillville is not going to score 20-30 points on this team, even with hard-running junior backs Brandon Mosely (5-10, 180) and Jerry Williams (5-10, 180) and four returning offensive linemen.

Pirate QB Adam Tegtman has been a better-than-expected passer so far completing 13 of 27 for 254 yards  including a 60-yard TD to Williams. The Pirates have turned the ball over only twice all season but they have committed 14 penalties in two games.

Crown Point's defensive line can't get blown off the ball here. Merrillville does have breakaway speed in the backfield and, while McCutcheon stuffed them (38 carries - 69 yards) last week,  the Pirates can pop a big TD run inside the tackle.



WHAT WILL HAPPEN?  The Pirates have been outscored 31-7 in the first half after two games while CP has outscored their two foes 65-0 in the first half. While Merrillville's two opponents are vastly superior to CP's, the Bulldogs are ready to go at showtime while Merrillville has been asleep at the switch.

Crown Point will score first and lead 3-0 or 6-0 in a defensive battle at half-time.    Power runs by Dave Swenson (6-2, 221) will enable the Bulldogs to control the ball in the early going.  But Tegtman will strike deep into the secondary, possibly to speedy Eric Morris (5-11, 175). who caught four passes for 58 yards last week. Merrillville may get a turnover or special teams touchdown. Jerry Williams ran a kickoff back 94 yards last week.  Crown Point has four turnovers after two games.

I'm seeing Merrillville rallying to tie the game in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs do not have the experience to win a close game on the road yet and they are facing an experienced defense for the first time.  This is the biggest game for Crown Point in five years and, hopefully, their fan base will display that. Crown Point could go 7-2 this year if they win this game. But they won't.   Merrillville was embarrassed last week and it won't happen again. The Pirates win on a short field goal by Michael Binder.

               MERRILLVILLE   -  17,         CROWN POINT  -   14

DOG NOTES:   Crown Point has five interceptions after two weeks. For the second consecutive week, Steve Etter turned a muffed punt snap into a touchdown with a technically correct play. The EC punter missed the snap in the second quarter and Etter, instead of going for the ball, knocked the punter down, allowing Crown Point to recover the ball, with Adam Hilliard scoring.
Etter did the exact same thing against Lowell. Few players do that. Most everybody goes for the ball.

This could be a very strong year in the Duneland Conference. After two weeks, five DAC teams, CP, Portage, Michigan City, Chesterton and LaPorte are all 2-0. The other three, Hobart. Merrillville and Valparaiso, are all 1-1, with the losses all coming to top-10 teams.

The crowd turnout at East Chicago was not especially good for a 5A school. Some of the excuses are the distance to East Chicago, 1-19 over the last two years, $5 ticket prices and the game being on tape-delay TV and live radio. There were maybe 125-150 fans. There's no TV this Friday and Merrillville is right down the street. CP should have (and needs) 10 times their EC turnout at Merrillville Friday.

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The Pirate-Bulldog 5-year record heading into the Sept. 6th Game:

             MERRILLVILLE 26,  CROWN POINT 3

(8-31-2001) The Pirates held CP to 181 total yards and just 23 yards rushing.  Adam Tegtman, a wide receiver last year, caught a 23-yard pass from now-graduated QB Nick Yack. Chris Kutanovski's 26-yard fourth quarter field goal was CP's only scoring moment.

             MERRILLVILLE 21,  CROWN POINT 10

(9-1-2000) The Pirates rallied from a 10-0 deficit with three consecutive TDs. Chris Sprehe, who intercepted two passes last week, caught a 59-yard TD pass two years ago from then-QB Bret Govert.  Crown Point was held to 185 total yards.

          MERRILLVILLE 15,  CROWN POINT 0

(9-3-99) More defensive domination by Merrillville. CP gained only 177 yards on this night and lost three turnovers. Adam Fedak blocked a punt and recovered it in the CP end zone to clinch the game late in the third quarter.

         MERRILLVILLE 53,  CROWN POINT 13

(9-4-98) One of Crown Point's worst losses in their long history. It was 40-0 Merrillville with 9:35 left in the half. University of Illinois star Eugene Wilson scored three TDs as the lead mounted to 53-0 after three quarters, aided by three CP fumbles.  I don't know if I want to say this but CP came into this game four years ago with a record of 2-0 as well.

      CROWN POINT 20,  MERRILLVILLE 17  (OT)

(9-5-97) One of CP's greatest wins in the modern era. Merrillville came in off blowout wins, 25-0 over Lake Central and 31-6 over Mishawaka but Crown Point rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit behind big tailback Brian Parker, who scored twice. In overtime, Merrillville's future Indiana State kicker Mike Megyesi booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Pirates a 17-14 lead. But CP passer Adam LaMere found tight end Mike Mucha on a crossing pattern for the game-winning TD, giving CP a 20-17 home victory and sparking CP to an 8-3 season.   That's the last time CP outgained the Pirates (260-241) in any game.