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USA-365's
Photo Gallery: Class 5A, Sectional 1 Semifinal: USA-365.com Photos by Mark Smith Dated: 10-27-2006 |
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Several Portage Indians discuss football plans prior to the Class 5A, Sectional 1 Semifinal at Crown Point near the south end of the field. Note the American flag is waving briskly in the steady 15-20 mph winds from the north. To the left is one of the uprights that deflected the "unlucky" extra point kick by the Indians' Raphael Martinez in overtime, that eventually gave the Bulldogs a 14-13 win, 10-27-2006. |
Portage QB Jason Melcic #16 hands of to RB Albert Evans #32 as Avery Pearman #73 tries to block the Bulldogs's LB Mike Damjanovic #45 in second quarter action at Crown Point, 10-27-06. |
Portage's sophomore QB Jason Melcic #16 lines up behind center prior to the snap of the football. Lining up on defense for CP is junior nose guard Zach Brumm #60, who had a key sack of Melcic in the closing seconds of the first half, 10-27-06. |
Portage's RB Albert Evans #32 carried the ball 36 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs in the Sectional semifinal, only to drop the game in overtime 14-13 to CP, 10-27-06. Here, CP defensive lineman Nick Hladek #93 closes in for the stop on Evans, who finished his junior season with over 1,550 yards rushing on the season. |
Portage RB Evan Albert #32 was hard to bring down, but the swarming defense of the Bulldogs held him to just 3.19 yards per carry, on average, for the night. Here, Jon Sertich #27 is joined by Mike Mohr #13 and Ryan Forney #12 in an effort to stop Evans short of the goal line, as Nick Cottrell #33 and Nick Hladek look on. |
The usually potent Bulldogs' offense was forced to rely on its running game due to high winds, a wet field and a continual misty light rain through the night. Here, Crown Point RB Jon Sertich #27 slips on the loose turf as he tries to make a lateral move behind the blocking of RB Tommy Parks #49, TE Zach Cecich and linemen Kurt Wermers #70 and Andrew Krumwied #65. Sertich eventually broke through the line for a game-tying 44-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter for CP. |
Crown Point fans in the stands and around the field were all smiles, despite the cold and light rain, after the Bulldogs pulled out the dramatic victory in overtime, 14-13 over Portage, 10-27-06. |
The postgame meeting on the field after the Bulldogs' win was one of relief and happiness that they had won the game after trailing Portage for more than three quarters. Pictured above include DB Alex Mudge #41, OL Nick Colonna #66, place-kicker Mike Lipton (who kicked the game-winning PAT in overtime) and LB Greg Schillo #90. |
It was a good night for a cup of hot cocoa, warm winter coats and good friends on the cold and light rainy night when CP beat Portage for the Class 5A, Sectional 1 semifinal in Crown Point. |
It was an off night for junior QB Blake Mascarello #6, seen on the sidelines with sophomoe DB Jake Castellanos Friday (10-27-06) night, warming up. Mascarello was only 3 of 11 passing for 28 yards in the rain and wind. But he is 17-0 as a starting QB for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons. |