 |
Class 5A Playoff Preview:Sectional 1 |
 |
Post-Season: High School Football Preview
|
Class 5A Playoff Preview:Sectional 1 |
|
| The Favorite |  |
Portage (7-0) |
| The Contender |  |
Chesterton (5-2) |
| Surprise Team |  |
Merrillville (3-4) |
Portage (7-0) at CROWN POINT (4-3)
Valparaiso (3-4) at East Chicago (3-4)
Michigan City (3-4) at Chesterton (5-2)
MERRILLVILLE (3-4) at LAKE CENTRAL (1-7)
PORTAGE(10-10-2003)
- Portage, with 1,000-yard rusher Antoine Brown and a quartet of elite
perimeter players, is a clear favorite, even though they defeated Chesterton
only 21-19.
That game was played on a poor field and the Trojans' lack of speed at some positions was not exposed. Chesterton crushed Michigan City 32-7 and they smoked Lake Central 45-7. Merrillville could win at LC and then would host the Trojans. The Pirates and hard running Brandon Mosely could surprise Chesterton and they played well against Portage, losing 24-7 the first time.
Portage reached the sectional title game last year, losing to Valparaiso 27-14. That is the perfect scenario for a team to come back and win. Coach Craig Buzea will remind them how they fell short in 2002. Portage might be the most complete team in northwest Indiana in several years, but they lack the experience that Valparaiso had last year.
5A SECTIONAL TWO:
Favorite (Penn),
Contender (Elkhart Memorial)
Surprise team (LaPorte)
Adams (1-6) at Riley (0-7)
LaPorte (4-3) at Elkhart Memorial (7-0)
Clay (4-3) at Penn (6-1)
Mishawaka (6-1) at Elkhart Central (5-2)
MISHAWAKA (10-10-2003) - Penn has a tough road to repeat as Sectional 2 champ. They've already defeated Clay 42-20 but the Colonials gained 446 yards. Elkhart Central has beaten LaPorte 13-10 but that was before LaPorte changed QBs and installed soph Lance Juergensen. Penn smoked out Central 28-7 in week seven and outgained them 338-97.
No. 8 Memorial won their first seven with defense outscoring the opposition 192-35. Tailback David Link gained 227 yards on 30 carries in week seven's 29-14 win over Northwood. Memorial has never gone 9-0 in any season but their present team was undefeated as freshmen. LaPorte could upset Memorial. The Slicers were shocked 47-33 by Elkhart Central in the sectional quarterfinals last year and they have not forgotten.
This is an inexperienced Penn team
but they are quick defensively. Mishawaka was to play Penn in week eight
and they allowed only 98 points in seven games. But Mishawaka has not
beaten Penn in 20 years. The Kingsmen have lost only to 5A No.1 defending
state champion Ben Davis and that was a 27-24 final. It is not realistic
to predict them to lose at the sectional level, even if they must play in
LaPorte in the title game.
STATEWIDE: No. 2 Ben Davis (6-1) and No. 3 Warren Central (6-1),
the only team to defeated two-rime defending state champ BD in the last two
years, cannot meet until the regional. Passing power No. 1 Lafayette
Jefferson (7-0), with state No. 1 passer Mike Vlahogeorge (113-237, 2,051 yards,
26 TDs, 8 INTs), could meet the winner of Sectionals one (No. 4 Portage) and two
(No. 6 Penn) in the 5A northern semistate.
No. 4 Reitz and No. 9 Center Grove cannot meet until the regional level and the winner there faces the Ben Davis-Warren Central survivor. Ben Davis is 208-40 in the last 20 years and is a 7-time state champion. Warren Central averaged 44 points a game after seven weeks.
The final 4? Center Grove,
Ben Davis, Portage and (Lafayette) Jefferson.