The RENEGADE 2010 NW Indiana High School Top-10, Week-3 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

8-29-2010

MERRILLVILLE (9-03-2010) We got a much more realistic view of teams' strengths in week two and Lowell and Merrillville bounced back as expected. Hobart and Michigan City, who played Gary schools in week one, both took a step back against stronger competition in the second week.

It will be interesting to watch Penn this year. The Kingsmen challenged Valparaiso and Ben Davis in the first two weeks and lost to both. Will it help or hurt as time goes by?
Wheeler isn't in the Top-10, but they ran their regular season win streak to 27 with a 55-0 win over KV, which has been a disappointment so far. River Forest is 2-0 for the first time in seven years.

I admire coaches Roy Richards (Morton) and Jeff Karras (South Central) for going for two points (trailing by one point) late in the fourth quarter last week. Both men lost the game, but they created excitement and, in effect, a real winner. The overtime scenario in high school football (4 plays from the 10-yard-line) is as phony as a Glenn Beck rally.

Unless it's the post-season, I would rather lose than win in overtime.

Attendance reportedly is a little down in many places, but it's harder to feel sorry for schools that simply insist on playing every single home game on Friday night at the same time. All 50 states play high school football on Friday AND Saturday.

On a perfect Saturday night, there were no games scheduled in NW Indiana. What's odd is that College football has clearly discovered Thursday night (IU opens this Thursday), but Indiana high school football people have their heads firmly stuck in the 1950s.

1.) 5A Merrillville (1-1)

2009 (12-2), 2008 (8-5), 2007 (12-2), 2006 (7-5), 2005 (11-3)

MERRILLVILLE: In the last few years, it's become tradition to rank Merrillville Number one and then drop them after they lose the opener to Indianapolis superpower Warren Central. So I decided to by pass the middleman and leave the Pirates No. 1 since you knew they were bouncing back to win in week two. Zach Raspopovich (18 of 39, 294 yards) completed four passes to his brother Jake for 48 yards. Denzell Pierce has five TDs after two weeks, but the Pirates did give up 200 yards rushing last week in the 27-13 win over Andrean. The Pirates reportedly need some 'prep time' for the new offensive line, but they've run out of time. The Pirates turn on the bright lights as arch-rival Crown Point comes in to start the DAC season Friday with a match up of Top-15 teams in 5A.

2.) 5A Chesterton (2-0)
2009 (7-4), 2008 (9-3), 2007 (6-4), 2006 (5-6)

CHESTERTON: The Trojans smoked New Prairie 58-0 in week two, gaining 302 yards on 42 carries. Can I suggest: Munster-Chesterton for week two? Just a thought. New Prairie has as much chance of beating Chesterton as Switzerland has of winning the World Basketball Championships. Who is Justin Jenks? I don't know, but he scored four TDs last week. Chesterton has won 18 of their last 25 and the Trojans, who have 600 yards rushing in two weeks, open up DAC play with Michigan City this Friday.

3.) 5A CROWN POINT (2-0)
2009 (3-7), 2008 (3-7), 2007 (8-3), 2006 (12-1), 2005 (11-1)

CROWN POINT: The Bulldogs led 48-0 on the way to a 48-14 win at Hobart. CP scored TDs all six times they had the ball in the first half. Since this series resumed six years ago, CP has won four times and the size disparity between the two schools has grown. With large crowds no longer attending (CP's crowd was small at Hobart), CP might want to seek Andrean or Munster as that second week foe. The Bulldogs have not committed a turnover in the first two weeks. CP sits at 2-0 for the first time since 2006, but arch-rival Merrillville is next. CP has not been behind all year so the question is: If Merrillville scores first, will CP show up or blow up????

4.) 5A Portage (1-1)
2009 (6-6), 2008 (6-4), 2007 (5-5), 2006 (6-5)

PORTAGE: Portage was shut out 22-0 on the road at Chicago Catholic League super power St. Rita, but it wasn't a blowout. Hey, the DAC just is not the Chicago Catholic League. Never has been. Too big. Too fast. And until CP, LC and Merrillville get over that 3,000-kid mark, they won't be able to match the Chicago land powers. All credit to Portage for playing this game. Just like when Merrillville signed to play Warren Central for four seasons in 2007, the Indians knew they would take a whipping when they signed the St. Rita contract. If no one suffered any injuries in Chicago, then Portage should be set to take on Lake Central this Friday and the new and improved Portage field.

5.) 4A Lowell (1-1)
2009 (13-2), 2008 (13-1), 2007 (13-2), 2006 (7-6), 2005 (11-4)

LOWELL: The Devils bounced back from the opening loss at CP to take down 4A No. 9 Morton 40-26. Lowell's defense did the job with two interceptions for touchdowns while Cole Midgett's kickoff return TD answered the opening Morton score. It was a game they had to win over a rival. Midgett scored on a kickoff return, a pass interception and a 1-yard run. Look for him to score in five different ways (punt return and pass reception) this season. The Devils still have not figured out why the running game is struggling along at 100 yards a game so far. Lowell has allowed 400 yards passing in two games and they have to shore that up, too. Fortunately for them, KV (0-2) is next and they really don't see any good passing teams again until October.

7.) 3A Andrean (1-1)
2009 (9-4), 2008 (6-7), 2007 (9-4), 2006 (8-3), 2005 (8-2)

MERRILLVILLE: Obviously, I cant drop Andrean too far after they lost 27-13 to Merrillville. The Niners had 41 rushing attempts for 218 yards giving them 450 yards rushing in two weeks. Mason Zurek (6-0, 175) carried 22 times for 153 yards. I don't know what's up with Andrean's home field. They have not played there yet and they asked to move last week's game from Andrean to Merrillville. The Niners will take the road show to East Chicago this week, but in two weeks (at home, in theory, against Munster) they'll need more of a passing attack than they have shown.

6.) 5A Valparaiso (2-0)
2009 (5-5), 2008 (9-2), 2007 (6-5), 2006 (3-6), 2005 (5-5)

VALPARAISO: No one can be surprised with the Northwest Crossroads teams taking a beating from the DAC teams, but the margins of victory usually are not this high. CP over Lowell 37-6. CP over Hobart 48-14. Valpo over Griffith 34-21 (and 34-7 after three quarters). You have to throw the ball to win the DAC and QB Paul Andrie is 20 of 52 for 250 yards. The Vikings haven't found a top runner yet either. Nobody has 75 yards in any game yet. Sill, Valpo will have LaPorte and Michigan City next so don't bet against them going 4-0.

8.) 5A LaPorte (2-0)
2009 (6-4), 2008 (3-9), 2007 (3-7), 2006 (10-4)

LaPORTE: LaPorte had dominated two overmatched foes so far as HB Nick Latchford has eight TDs. The 35-7 win over Elkhart Central didn't say much as Central donated 146 yards on 10 penalties. The Slicers have 500 yards rushing and, while QB Kyle Hartson is 16 of 24 passing for 225 yards, the Slicers have been ahead all season. Once they fall behind, can they still throw the ball? We'll see at Valparaiso this week because LaPorte WILL trail in that game.

9.) 5A Munster (2-0)
2009 (7-3), 2008 (7-4), 2007 (3-7), 2006 (5-5), 2005 (3-7)

MUNSTER: Munster beat Noll 62-21. Wait a minute, didn't Munster beat Noll 62-21 last year, too? Munster is playing Bishop Noll ... uh ... why? Portage is playing St. Rita in Chicago while Munster takes on small 2A Bishop Noll? Considering last week's outcome, maybe Munster and Crown Point can look into a series. Gaining 500 yards rushing on Bishop Nol (the week after Andrean beat Noll 68-25) means nothing for upcoming games with Andrean, Lowell and even Highland this week. Munster is 11-1 in their last 12 home games and they have four of their final five games this year at home.

10.) 4A Morton (1-1)
2009 (11-2) 2008 (7-5), 2007 (6-4), 2006 (5-5), 2005 (8-4)

HAMMOND: Morton moves into the Top-10 after a loss? Remember, we're talking about how strong teams actually are, not what the won-loss record says. Morton proved more in the 40-26 loss at Lowell than they did in the narrow 28-27 escape at home over Griffith on Aug. 20. Coach Roy Richards went for two points with his team down 27-26 in the fourth quarter, but even if they make those two, Lowell probably rallies. The unseen 'big number' was Morton out-gaining Lowell on the ground, although Lowell ran the ball well late. That almost never happens. Still, two interceptions returned for Lowell TDs is scary because your QBs start throwing hesitantly. You'd have to rank them ahead of Wheeler (2-0) and Rensselaer (2-0) and LC (1-1) right now, although Morton vs. Rensselaer would be interesting.