VALPARAISO
(8-12-2011) When you start writing a pre-season poll you don't want to put
the same team at the top of the poll that finished at the top the year before.Why? Because it's lazy. You took the easy way out. You didn't think about it. Plus, you're sissy boy. Going with the front runner. Afraid to take a chance. The worst kind of loser.
So, knowing all that, I've been looking in the last couple of weeks for someone other than Valparaiso, the team that went 13-1 and went undefeated in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) last season. The Vikings didn't exactly kill the opposition last year, winning two games 10-7, one 16-6 and anther 21-14.
VALPARAISO:
Valpo brings back seven offensive starters including QB Paul Andrie (6-3, 170)
and running backs Andrew Kittridge (6-0, 190), who carried 174 times for 883
yards last season and Byron Duncan (5-9, 180) who carried 114 times for 789
yards. Lineman Drew Schooler (6-2, 260) was a first-team all-starter last season
and he is one of four returners in the line. Valpo won't go 13-0 again, if only
because they've added Carmel to the schedule in coach Mark Hoffman's last
season. But it's hard to make a good argument for anyone else being No. 1.
CROWN
POINT: The Bulldogs lost twice to Valparaiso last season or they'd have won
5A Sectional 1. Crown Point returns QB Joe Hopman (105-187, 1,897 yards, 20 TDs,
12 interceptions in 2011) along with two veteran offensive linemen (plus two
tight ends), kicker Brett Bayer (9 field goals) and two of three defensive
linemen. 2011 will be another winning season. The running situation will be very
interesting with power back Pete Parks (6-1, 240) or sophomore rookie Tristan
Peterson (5-10, 170), who is highly-regarded. Baseball refugee Zach Plesac 6-1,
175), basketball forward Braxton Rice (6-6, 170) and tiny Tyler Wells (5-9, 140)
lead a new wave of receivers who will get their chances. CP will know by Labor
Day (after they play at Lowell and host Merrillville) whether they have enough
to challenge Valpo for the DAC crown.
MERRILLVILLE:
Merrillville lost almost all their skill position players from last season's 8-3
team that lost only to Warren Central (8-3) and Valparaiso (13-1), so they may
not score many points early against Warren Central, Andrean and Crown Point. But
the Pirates will be sectional contenders by November. Senior halfback Darryl
Peppers (5-6, 175) could get 1,00 yards behind returning linemen Brian Walker
(6-0, 270), Mike Nickson (5-10, 226) and Anthony Disco (6-0, 252) while the new
QB (there are three candidates) gets settled. But Merrillville's defense will
bring pain from day one with junior all-stater Kourtney Berry (6-0, 202), who
may be moved to safety. Linebacker Michael Dicken (6-1, 202) had 58 tackles last
season (Berry had 62) and defensive end Kevin Wilkerson (6-0, 212) had 46
tackles. Junior kicker Matt Warren was 47 of 53 on extra points last season. The
Pirates know that they are not favored in the opener against Warren Central. But
everybody they play seems small and slow after that game.
LOWELL:
The Devils had their seven year run of sectional championships broken and thy
are anxious to start a new steak. What's odd is: Lowell beat Morton 40-26 and
Morton (12-1) won the regional title. Lowell beat Munster and Andrean, both of
whom had solid years. But they lost to sub-.500 Hobart and Griffith (6-5). Some
of their results didn't make sense. The Devils return three offensive linemen
and they are good ones: Jake Hayden (5-11, 266), Luke Mitrisin (6-3, 308) and
Tyler Wright (6-4, 245), who missed most of last season with a knee injury. Add
Scott Pitrowski (6-3, 276) and center Wroe King and tight end Nick Kijurna (6-3,
226), who also missed most of last season with injury and that's a big line that
can do damage. Lowell doesn't have one dominant back, but they have three quick
ones in Nick Hamilton, Clark Mikesell and Zach Wolfe, all of whom can gain big
yards behind the Devil line. Lowell is breaking in a new QB, junior Bryan Thomas
and they don't have experience at the kicking positions. The Devils' problem is
that they are now Tiger Woods. Shooting even par isn't any good because we all
know what you've done in the past. Lowell may have trouble early with CP and
Morton, but barring injury, you don't want to play them late in the year.
MERRILLVILLE:
Yes, Andrean is now a 2A school and yes, that's going to be a little unfair once
the post-season begins. This is going to be a good year for the 59ers with eight
returning starters on defense, including base tackle Phil Roach (6-3, 350) and
linebacker Nick Serrato (6-4, 210) and Kyle Lesch (6-0, 195). The new QB will be
Bryan DeSomer, who played the final quarter of the regional playoff game with
St. Joseph's last season. He's ready and he has hard running Mason Zurek (6-0,
195), a 1,500-yard rusher back behind a line that includes four returning
starters including Julian Beeks (6-1, 265) and Dakota Beardsley (6-0, 280). It
will be tougher for the Niners to win the Northwest Crossroads Conference than
it will be for them to win the 2A regional. All season, the Niners will be
secretly eyeing the results from Bishop Luers, where 2A super power Bishop Luers
blocks everybody's path to the state finals.
CHESTERTON:
If Chesterton had a returning starting QB, they'd be higher in this poll. I
don't know much about junior rookies Chris Katsafouros and Michael Crowley (6-2,
175). But the Trojans should post their fifth winning season in a row as four
linemen return in Sean Matheny (6-5, 270), Ryley Harlow (6-0, 245) center Trent
Schreiber and Drew Holba (6-5, 240). And watch Joe Troop (6-0, 170), the feature
halfback in the Trojans' option offense. The Trojans have an over powering
weapon in senior kicker Kyle Schmidt, who can hit from 50 yards in. Chesterton
often can be as boring as Republican presidential debates, but that doesn't mean
they can't win in November (the Trojans, that is).
MUNSTER:
The Mustangs are still a few years away from winning Class 5A Sectional one
(just being honest), but they can take the Northwest Crossroads crown if things
go well. Veteran QB Mark Strbjak is the best pass-run combo QB in the area and
he'll have three veteran offensive linemen in Tony Cress (6-2, 220), Luke
Hilbrich (6-1, 210) and AJ Jurick (5-9, 230). Luke Nossem (6-3, 225) is an
all-state linebacker who will lead a defense that held five teams to 14 points
or less in 2010. The Mustangs. a 4A school for decades, added 5A sectional rival
Chesterton to their schedule this season and that's a move that indicates that
they understand they must ramp up the nonconference schedule to compete in the
all-5A Sectional. But Munster could go 6-0 in league play and that should be
their goal.
HAMMOND:
It's hard to buy into Morton right away. They lost the majority of last year's
first ever Governor regional title team. They have to bake a new cake. But they
have the ingredients. Regular QB Chris McCormack (6-3, 215), leads again what
should be a high scoring offense if junior linemen Seth Miller (6-0, 250),
Alfredo Gutierrez (6-1, 230) and senior Robert Hayes (6-3, 280) hold up. Morton
likes to throw a lot and senior receiver Brock Daniels (6-4, 180) should get his
chance to shine along with senior Robert House (5-11, 175). Problems come easily
with hard-running rivals Griffith and Lowell attacking the Morton defense in the
first two weeks. But by mid-season, these Governors should be inflicting more
pain than Mitch Daniels.
ST.
JOHN: Okay, I know. They've won seven games in three years. And they play in
a tough league with CP, Merrillville and Valparaiso. But nobody's down forever.
Returning QB Conner Doyle (5-10, 175), who threw for 16 TDs last year is back
behind senior center Ryan Gindl (6-5, 225) and big junior tackles Mike Oljace
(6-3, 265) and Pete Doukas (6-3, 250). They have the size and big Drew
Hollingsworth (6-2, 215) should be able to match power with most DAC squads. Ike
Spearman leads a tough linebacking group, but LC has a hurdle to overcome that
the eight teams above them in this poll do not. LC does not know they can win.
They are 7-24 in the last three years, so none of these boys have ever won at
LC. Of all the teams in NW Indiana, LC, which pens against Munster, needs to win
the first game more than anybody else.
GRIFFITH:
Griffith defeated Lowell and Andrean last season and then lost to an inferior
Hobart team in the sectional quarterfinals. If you can explain that, get back to
me. They return eight starters on defense led by Tyler Yost (6-1, 205) and Nate
McNeill (6-1, 175) at linebacker. Austin Brown (6-1, 171) is in line to play QB
in the option attack. Brown will also play corner back and punt. Even though the
Panthers are not big physically, they have a lot of potential, especially in the
junior class. Griffith is a glorified 3A school in the 4A division so, like
Munster, they aren't going to win six in a row and take the state title. But
here's another team that, if things break right, could sweep all six of its
league games.