USA-365's Week-11 NW Indiana High School Football Poll

MERRILLVILLE (11-2-2005) It's good to finally, after 11 weeks, get to games that mean something. Games where they will give away trophies at the end.

So many teams in high school sports speak of everything they've accomplished during the regular season. The truth is, other than the good exercise, body-building and all those other wonderful sports and life lessons, you don't accomplish anything as a team during the regular season. To be a great team, you must win championship games. In Indiana high school football no championship games are played until the 12th week of the season.

Friday, Nov. 4 is week 12. You either step up or you step aside. The basketball and wrestling coaches will be waiting for you Monday afternoon. So who's going to win these 40 championship games?

Is it the "Year of the DOG?" Among teams still remaining in the tournament, in 5A, there's the Crown Point Bulldogs, the Carmel Greyhounds and the Evansville North Huskies. In 3A, Hamilton Heights is the Huskies, Batesville is the Bulldogs and, of course, Frankfort is the Hot Dogs.

Or is it more likely the year of the cat? The big cat. 5A No. 1 Snider is the Panthers. 3A No.1 Griffith is the Panthers. 1A No. 1 Pioneer is the Panthers. In 5A powerful Evansville Reitz is the Panthers. Eastbrook, Northwood, Knightstown and 1A Riverton Parke are all Panthers. North Harrison is the Cougars. Probably cousins of Panthers. Evansville Mater Dei, Lawrence North and Jasper are Wildcats. Probably second cousins to Panthers.

But the 12th week is when you start to find out if you've played in a tough league, or a schedule that's tough enough to allow you to be a champion. It doesn't matter how hard you've worked or how badly you want to win. Those things are a given at this point. If you have not been required to go hard every week, or at least every other week, you probably won't be going much further.

Again, every NW Indiana game is on Friday night which will limit what any fan can see. All of the 3A, 4A and 5A schools could conceivably move their games to Saturday night to attract more fans because the 3A, 4A and 5A state finals are on Saturday. Outside of one game in Fort Wayne (South and Dwenger will play Saturday, Nov. 5), every single game will be held Friday night at 7 p.m., which almost certainly prevents anyone from seeing more than one championship game.

But fans in the stands will be listening closely to the public address system because most of the state is now an hour ahead of NW Indiana and final scores and future foes will be known by the middle of the third quarter.

MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville got it going in he second half and smoked out Michigan City 49-12. All-stater James Aldridge (178 carries, 1,190 yards, 19 TDs) gained 163 yards on 18 carries. The Pirates posted a season-high 371 rushing yards and four more pass interceptions give the Merrillville defense 18 interceptions in the last five games.

The Pirates' total of 189 yards rushing is still not where it should be. The Pirates average 190 yards per game rushing, which is low for a 9-2 team. Merrillville did not commit a turnover and that has been an issue. The Pirates lost a total of nine turnovers in their two losses. Freshman soccer star Ryan Stokes was 7-of-7 on extra points. Two fumbles show the Pirates haven't solved that weakness. But it all doesn't matter.

It's time for the championship game against Crown Point (11-0). Merrillville has waited nine weeks since a 13-0 loss at Crown Point. The Pirates are Top-10 in the state and they have won six in a row. But with the expectations they had, Merrillville needs to win this game to have a successful season. It's as simple as that.

The Bulldogs' Matt Ernest #15 goes up into the air to pull down a Matt Jansen pass as Ryan Forney #12 runs a counter pass pattern against Valparaiso in CP's 45-20 win 10-21-2005.

CROWN POINT - The Bulldogs coasted by Chesterton 34-0 after Trojan QB Alex Beierwalter was knocked out of last Friday's 5A Sectional one semifinal. Crown Point's Donny Keiser became the first CP back in eight years (Brian Parker - 1997) to rush for 1,000 yards and the senior booted his state record 16th field goal.

The Bulldogs have won 11 consecutive games for the first time in school history and they are 9-0 against Duneland Conference teams. No turnovers. 300 yards. The Bulldog scoring defense is still No. 1 in the state among 5A schools.

The Bulldogs are confident heading into the sectional title game because they didn't have QB Matt Jansen and WR Matt Ernest nine weeks ago when they won against Merrillville nine weeks ago. But Merrillville didn't have the same James Aldridge they do now.

If Crown Point isn't ready, you wouldn't know it from watching these last few games. There are no excuses and Griffith is not at this level. Barring an overtime, the No.1 team in NW Indiana will be decided this week.

GRIFFITH - Griffith romped over Gavit 63-0 last week (Oct. 28) in a game that can only help them next year because it allows the subs to play. It's nice to get a playoff week off against an overmatched opponent, but Griffith has had three or four of them. Senior halfback Drew Rogowski (28 TDs) ran for four TDs while soph fullback Doug Ashenbaugh ran for 100 yards. Gavit is 3-8. It's very hard to tell if Griffith is playing really well or if the competition is really weak.

The Panthers host Morton, a team that can score but one that has defensive issues. This will be a chance for the Panthers to work on pass defense but Griffith is 20 points better than Morton and both sides know it.

It appears the Panthers will face a top passing team in Hamilton Heights at the regional on Nov. 11, but several of the Top-10 northern contenders (Andrean, Marian, Twin Lakes) in 3A state wide have been defeated. I'll say it again.

The only concern for the Panthers is that they've basically had two weeks off since the season-ending win over Hobart. This is another week when only Griffith can beat Griffith.

LaPORTE - LaPorte dropped out after a 24-14 loss to Elkhart Memorial. The Slicers' season-long problem, an inability to stop the run, cost them here as Memorial rushed for 210 yards and controlled the game in the second half. LaPorte did not score in the second half despite a 2,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard pass receiver. I don't know why the usually tough LaPorte defense was so soft this year, but if you cant stop the run in August and September, you can't stop it in October and you're probably not playing in November. Still, could Valparaiso or Andrean beat them. Obviously, not.

Valparaiso's Hollis Ballard #23, who had over 1,100 yards rushing this season, returns for the Vikings as a senior running back in 2006.

VALPARAISO - Valparaiso's 5-5 season is validated as No. 10 Merrillville, No. 7 Penn and No. 2 Crown Point, teams that handed Valpo four of their five losses (the other was to LaPorte) advanced to sectional championship games.

The Vikings did get 1,100 yards rushing from junior Hollis Ballard (186-1,031 yards, 8 TDs) who will return in 2006. The Vikings averaged 302 yards a game and they found an excellent place-kicker in Colin Krupchak. VHS loses fullback Aaron Biggs (107-788 yards) and star lineman Paul Kasperan (6-5, 280) plus QB Carl Hoefler (54-115, 733 yards, 3 TDs). But Valpo returns a full compliment of receivers, a young QB prospect in Alex Sarkasian (6-1, 163) and about half of their linemen. This will be looked back on as a good year, even though the Vikings don't think that way now. Two (or three) of the Vikes losses will be to sectional champions and one (or two) will be to a regional champ.

Would Valparaiso beat Andrean (8-2), Lowell (7-4) or Morton (8-3)? Anybody who's seen these teams knows the Vikings would be favored by at least 10.

Andrean's QB Jesse Repay #12 throws pass in direction of John Kennedy #11 in 7-0 win over Lowell, 9-16-2005.

MERRILLVILLE - The 59ers lost a 10-8 lead in the fourth quarter and lost in sectional play at Morton 24-10. It's the first time in five years that the 59ers have not won the sectional title.

Defensive back Chris Skinner could not play due to an injury suffered in the Griffith game on Oct. 7, but that may not have been the difference. Andrean had some major off-the-field issues (un-related to any present player) that had to upset the squad. The 59ers were not sharp in the final two games and actually should have lost to Munster on Oct. 14.

It's difficult to rank Andrean because they almost certainly had a better team than Morton, but the Governors were ready to play in week 10, and the 59ers, for whatever reason, were not. Some will consider this an off season but actually, the 2004 state championship team also lost twice and the defeats were worse than the 2005 losses. With QB Jesse Repay (97-162, 1,248 yards, 12 TDs, 6 INTs) and receiver Ron Burton (30-377 yards) coming back in 2006, the 59er offense, which was lacking in 2005, will be much-improved. The 59ers might be a better team next year but the record might not be as good. This was a down year in the LAC Black Division.

Michigan City's QB Kevin Collyard #18 takes snap from shotgun formation against CP, where he was 11 of 17 for 175 yards passing. But bad snaps and sacks resulted in 6 carries for minus 45 yards in their 47-7 loss to CP on 10-14-2005.

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City was within 14-6 in the third quarter but the Wolves got rolled over 49-12 and the season ended. MC needs to look at it like Valparaiso should. MC lost to No. 2 Crown Point, No. 9 LaPorte and No. 10 Merrillville twice. Ryan Fics gained 223 yards on 28 carries and he finishes the season with an unofficial 2,040 yards on 237 carries, making him the third runner (Antoine Brown-2003, James Aldridge-2004) ever to gain 2,000 yards playing a Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) schedule.

The immediate future might be a little rough in 2006. MC loses Fics and some good linemen plus QB Kevin Collyard to graduation. But if they can keep producing big, strong linemen, the Wolves' day in the DAC sun is on the horizon.

I've done a top-10 poll for 15 years and this is the first time I've even had a Michigan City team in the final Top-10. And they make it easily. They'd beat Chesterton. They're better than Portage and they'd run Morton off the field. Would they nip Lowell and their tough run defense? It's close, but the size difference would give it to MC

Dustin Warren #88, Daniel Remboski #42, Scott Gray #6, Steffan Peck #31, Eric McGee #78 and the rest of the Lowell Red Devils enter the 'Inferno' for their Class 4A Sectional 9 semifinal game at home versus Kankakee Valley. The Devils won big-time 41-6, 10-28-2005.

LOWELL - Lowell coasted past Kankakee Valley 41-6. How odd is this? Lowell has scored exactly 41 points in four of their last six games. The final score last week is probably more of a statement about how poorly KV played than it is a commendation of how week Lowell did. I wish the Kougars had given Lowell more of a game because that's what you need.

Halfback Scott Gray (228 carries, 1,619 yards, 22 TDs) gained an unofficial 167 yards on 21 carries in what might have been his best game of the year, considering how well he ran the ball.

The Red Devil defense seems to be back to full strength and they are displaying a little much-needed depth on the corner positions. Lowell will need four and five defensive back formations in the next two weeks as they hope to play Hobart and Plymouth or Concord (both top passing teams).

The bottom line is, the Devils have the bar set very high. A 7-5 record and no championships is not something the Devils will be at all satisfied with. The goal this season was a third consecutive sectional title and Lowell must beat Hobart for the second time this year (and the fifth time in three years) to get it done. It's hard to beat a good team that many times.

QB Josh Miracle #18 passes over Lowell's Jeff Barker #34 in Hobart's 14-7 loss to Lowell, 10-7-2005.

HOBART - The Brickies walked over Gary West Side 42-0 in what ended up being an easy game. They led 21-0 at the half. Junior QB Josh Miracle (125-259, 1,584 yards, 12 TDs, 17 INTs) continues to improve and he faces his biggest test this week against the blitzing Lowell defense.

Hobart's goal has always been the sectional title and they haven't won one since 1997. The Brickies certainly have been working to beat Lowell for two weeks now and they need at least 75-100 yards rushing from halfback Ryan Valclavik (20 carries, 131 yards last week) who is back off the disabled list.

The Brickies have battled through injuries, especially at running back and it isn't certain how healthy they are. But it's down to one game now and everybody will come to play. At the start of the year, it was projected to be Lowell and Hobart for the 4A NW Indiana title in week 12. That's exactly what we have. And if you're wondering, Morton was lucky to beat the Brickies. Hobart is the better team.

HAMMOND - Morton romped by weak Hammond 52-18 with 396 total yards. The Governors have stepped up the running game in recent weeks and they posted 216 yards on the ground against Hammond. Wide receiver Andre London (48 receptions for 784 yards) goes almost unnoticed with the attention paid to QB Robert Dutton (107-218, 1,660 yards), but it's not that easy to get the ball to a 6-foot-3 pass catcher. The Governors have wins over Lowell and Hobart, who are facing each other, so Morton will end the season with a win over a sectional champ.

But the end is near. The worry is that the Governors have allowed over 2,000 rushing yards in 11 games against a mediocre schedule. What does that mean when they face Griffith, a team that averages over 350 yards rushing every week? The Panthers won the earlier game 58-13 and are at least a 20-point favorite Friday. But if Griffith doesn't take Morton seriously and Dutton can throw for 300 yards against a shaky Panther secondary, the Governors can keep it close. But if it rains, well, that's just not good.

PORTAGE - There were lots of personnel problems that hid the efforts of Rhein (129 of 236, 1,918 yards, 17 TDs, 15 INTs) and WR Shane Dixon (50 catches, 896 yards), both of whom are seniors. This team averaged 21 points and gave up 25 a game. Portage averaged 360 yards gained per game and gave up about 260 per game. Those numbers alone indicate that Portage should have done better. They did lose to 5A No. 2 Crown Point, 5A No. 9 LaPorte and 5A No. 10 Merrillville as well as a St. Joseph's team that is still playing in November. But 2-8 is 2-8. You get tired of explaining why you lost.

Portage's seven-game losing streak is their longest since the Indians went 0-9 in 1955. The Indians return junior runner Nate Milligan (134-605 yards) and WR-DB Billy Doll (38 catches, 628 yards, 7 TDs plus 4 interceptions on defense). The Indians always have a QB ready, as they did in 2005. I don't think Rhein played one game before this season. Anybody who thinks Rensselaer or Whiting could beat Portage does not understand the game. The Indians are also better than Chesterton. I don't care if the Trojans beat them twice. Portage is better.

RENSSELAER - QB-PK-FS Jake Kiger saved Rensselaer with a last second field goal to beat arch-rival North Judson 24-22. How much further the Bombers are going is up in the air, especially after Judson ran for 250 yards against the Bombers' defense.
The systemic flaw to Rensselaer is that they are not big and physical. They rely on speed. As the weather gets rougher, the going will get tougher for them. Kiger, who has scored 132 points and has thrown for 16 TDs, has to continued to score. The Bombers host Winamac this week and they should be able to advance. But Jimtown has five consecutive shutouts and they should be waiting on Nov. 11.

WHITING - Whiting barely survived at LaVille 12-8 in the Sectional 33 semifinals last Friday (10-28-2005) and I'm not sure what's happened to their offense. The 6-0 win over Clark four weeks ago was played in the rain. It was cold but dry at LaVille. Matt Kobli was 9-of-14 for 135 yards and that's not going to get it done. Eight penalties losing 95 yards may have had something to do with it. But there's not time to worry about it now.

Whiting lost 14-13 at home in the Sectional championship game against LaVille one year ago and they publicly vowed to be back. They're back as promised, but the rematch is on the road at Francesville Friday night and the Oilers must stop the 300 yards per game rushing attack of small-but-quick West Central (10-1). The Oilers do not seem ready for the championship game. But hey, the White Sox looked terrible in September and look what happened to them.

USA-365's

Week 11: NW Indiana High School Top-10 Football Poll