"The Renegade"

High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CROWN POINT (8-24-2003) As always, 'The Renegade', with no allegiance to any school or any sponsors (not yet, anyway) can tell it like it is about local prep football. All schools in the six county Northwest Indiana region count and records are irrelevant. These are the BEST teams.

1.) Portage (1-0)

It's going to be hard for coach Craig Buzea to keep saying that he has other running backs as good as Merrillville-transfer Antoine Brown. The league 100-meter dash champ on the DAC gained 141 yards on 16 carries in his varsity debut last Friday. It may be November before anyone stops him. The Indians smoked Hobart 47-7 to start the year and junior QB John Huston (8-12, 144 yards) made a strong debut. Portage will be in the state top-10 this week and they'll stay there all year. Hobart isn't that bad. Portage is that good.

2.) Chesterton (0-1)

Throw out the result of Chesterton's 21-14 loss to Andrean on opening night. Nonconference games don't matter and season openers are very misleading. The Trojans showed good strength on both sides of the ball rolling up 330 total yards and holding Andrean to about 225. An injury to senior QB Ryan Kelley could make this night a major loss (no word on his condition), but Chesterton completed 16 of 25 passes with no interceptions against a quick secondary. Griffith may be getting something they can't handle this Friday.

3.) ANDREAN (1-0)

Andrean was lucky to beat Chesterton but junior QB Tommy Finn (8 of 15, 78 yards, 3 TDs) made a nice debut. The 59ers gave up far too much through the air (16 of 25) to a team not known for passing skill and they lost the battle up front against the bigger Trojans. It wasn't a great first game but this was a confidence-builder for the 59ers, who are introducing new players at key positions on offense and defense. Andrean did not move the ball against Chesterton as well as they will against LAC teams. But in the last 2 years, Andrean didn't play any teams like Chesterton and it showed in the state finals. The 59ers need to start stopping people on defense when they play Bishop Noll this week.

4.) LOWELL (1-0)

Lowell started well...leading 20-0 and holding off a 4th quarter rally to beat Crown Point 20-14. Halfback Justin Henley (22-115 yards) and fullback Toby Goetz (16-74 yards) excelled against a larger, stronger team. Lowell's kicking game looks better than average with Korey Kildares (2 FGs: 29, 36) and punter Jeff Clemens. The Devils' offensive line was strong but they didn't get the ball to top receiver Jim Jeffries. The Red Devils have to take Calumet seriously this week even with rival Griffith looming on Sept. 6.

5.) Griffith (1-0)

Griffith stomped Bishop Noll and looked good doing it. QB Richard Lehman leads the traditionally strong Panther running game. Lehman and halfback Jack Kosinski both scored twice last week. The Panthers completed only one pass and they'll need a lot more than that this week against Chesterton. Griffith's defense held Noll to 107 yards rushing but it will take a miracle to hold Chesterton to 100 yards. Ignore what happens this Friday... Griffith is still a potential semi-state team.

6.) MERRILLVILLE (1-0)

A new spread offense makes Merrillville and QB Jimmy Reitz more dangerous but Merrillville's got to play better than they did Friday in the 27-0 win at East Chicago. The Cardinals dropped two TD passes and this should have been a close game. But the talent is clearly there for the Pirates. They have more team speed than anyone in the DAC and they made no turnovers in game one. Another warm-up game Friday night with weak Dunbar high of Chicago.

7.) LaPorte (0-1)

The story is that LaPorte, a passing team, dropped pass after pass against New Prairie, a fairly decent 3A team in a 28-3 loss. All-stater Jerome Vann dropped two touchdown passes. To lose your home opener 28-3 to a school one third your size is stunning, but don't write off LaPorte yet. Watch the score against Elkhart Central this week. The Slicers may have problems in the offensive line (only 34 yards rushing on Friday) but they were throwing a lot trying to rally all night. LaPorte needs to be strong-minded. They moved senior Kevin Brandy from QB to WR and the temptation is to move him back when things go wrong. They must resist that temptation.

8.) Valparaiso (0-1)

The 27-7 loss to Penn was a good debut for about 18 new starters. Penn gained 396 total yards but only scored four TDs. Valpo did not turn the ball over and they committed only four penalties. That's what you look at with an inexperienced team.
New QB Jon Moon tossed his first TD pass in the final quarter. Valpo will rout outclassed Roosevelt this week and the future will be bright for this squad. Remember... the Valpo schedule is set up so they begin 1-1. One super tough game and one super easy game. This is a learning year for the Vikings. What do I mean by learning? With one playoff win? 5-6 or 6-5.

9.) Lake Central (1-0)

Lake Central got a fast start from halfback Ryan Goodman who gained 155 yards on 19 carries against South Bend Riley. The kicking game appears strong with Andy Lawrence, who booted field goals of 25 and 34 yards. The Indians held Riley to just 150 yards. LC's boys can't get carried away by what happens to them this week in Wilmette, Illinois against giant (2,350 kids) Loyola Academy of Chicago's Catholic League. They might win big (unlikely) and come home flying high. They might get spanked (likely) and walk home. Just hit it and forget it because DAC league play is coming up fast.

10.) CROWN POINT (0-1)

The scary thing about the new-and-improved Duneland Conference is that, mathematically, somebody's going to have to finish at 3-4. Even if Michigan City goes 0-7, which is likely, two teams are going to have to finish at either 3-4, 2-5 or 1-6. Crown Point needs to prove they aren't going to be one of those teams. And it needs to start Friday. The offensive line play, supposedly a CP strength, was a weakness at Lowell. There's nothing wrong with QB Matt Cowan and halfback Dave Swenson. And the Bulldog defense largely contained Lowell's high speed runners. But the big Dogs need to start blocking like they can or CP will drop off the radar screen quickly.

NEXT in Line.....
Munster (1-0)

If there was a top-11, Munster would be here. The Mustangs rolled up 27 first downs against overmatched Kankakee Valley in a 48-0 win. All hail the prince! Junior halfback Prince Kwateng (6-0, 202) is another in the line of hard-running Munster backs. Kwateng had 123 yards on 13 carries at KV. QB Wally Cirafesi threw for two TDs and Munster's good-sized offensive line looks strong. But it could just be an illusion. It'll be hard to tell anything for certain about Munster until they play Griffith on Sept. 13.

JUDGMENT Day is coming....
Morton (1-0)

The Governors were 10-2 last year, playing in the Blue (small school) Division of the Lake Athletic Conference. But they needed a miracle to beat Lowell in the sectional and were bombed by Griffith. Now Morton is in the black division and they must play Lowell (Sept. 12) and Griffith (Sept. 19) in league play. The Governors also get two-time region 3A champ Andrean on Sept. 5. They beat Clark 34-12 to open the season and looked good doing it, gaining 223 yards rushing and 231 yards passing to post 25 first downs. But four turnovers make you nervous. Seven penalties make you a little uneasy. Because for Morton, judgment day is coming.