"The Renegade"

High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CROWN POINT (9-14-2003) The top four teams win again but that can't happen this week when No. 3 plays No. 4. Andrean's week one win 21-14 over Chesterton looks more deceptive all the time. Chesterton appears to be the better team. The OT game involving Griffith and Munster is the same as a tie ands both teams giving up 400 yards and 42 points in regulation makes them both sound a lot like Northwestern. Rensselaer (4-0) and River Forest (4-0) are very good offensive teams, but they aren't anywhere near the area's top-10.

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 (4-0)

Antoine Brown has carried 73 times for 667 yards and the junior has scored 12 TDs.
Portage averages 37.5 per game and no one has come within 17 points of them. No one has gained more than 125 yards rushing against them. They aren't a great team because a great team has won championships and playoff games. But they just got WR Milton Rivera back after three games on the sidelines. Nobody has this much talent in our area. But back-to-back home games against Crown Point (3-1) and Chesterton (3-1) and will tell a lot abut the Indians.

2.) Chesterton (3-1)

Chesterton has gained over 1,350 yards and 71 first downs in four games. No one has really stopped them. The Trojans trailed 23-21 to LaPorte but ran away for a 42-23 victory. Quarterback Ryan Kelley returned to the lineup against LaPorte after missing 2 1/2 games with an ankle injury. He may be moved to halfback so 6-4 junior Casey Martin can keep on playing. Fullback Jim Sosnowski returns next week against Valparaiso. This is the biggest, strongest team in this region.

3.) ANDREAN (4-0)

Andrean Andrean got to play the subs in a 42-0 win over Hammond high. It was 28-0 after one quarter and the game was over. The 59ers have posted two shutouts in a row but three relatively soft foes (Noll, Morton, Hammond) didn't prepare them for undefeated Lowell. Andrean has allowed only 800 total yards but you get the feeling they haven't been tested since the 21-14 victory over Chesterton, a game where they were outgained by a worrisome 330-to-229. They're coasting while potential November rival Bishop Chatard is playing the eighth-ranked big school team in Ohio (Cincinnati Elder) and possible 3A semistate foe Bishop Luers is fighting through the tough Summit Athletic Conference (SAC) in Fort Wayne.

4.) LOWELL (4-0)

Lowell has outscored three foes 137-21 but they needed more of a fight from Morton. Toby Goetz gained an unofficial 165 yards on 14 carries and two-way star Justin Henley ran back an interception 33 yards for a TD. The Red Devils have 800 yards rushing in four games, but Calumet and Morton did not truly challenge them. Lowell did not really stop CP's Matt Cowan and the 59ers' Tommy Finn is a very similar player. Lowell needs to win a BIG game and the opportunity presents itself Friday against undefeated 3A powerhouse Andrean.

5.) MERRILLVILLE (2-2)

I don't think a one-point loss at Crown Point and a 17-point loss to unbeaten superpower Portage is a great negative. Merrillville elite perimeter people held Portage QB John Hutson to 6-of-17 for 83 yards and holding Portage to 24 points may look better as the season goes on. You haven't heard the last of this team which is still very young. Michigan City (1-3), LaPorte (2-2), Valparaiso (2-2) and Lake Central (1-3) in the next four weeks are all games Merrillville should win.

6.) CROWN POINT (3-1)

Crown Point is having more fun than anyone else with sellout crowds at home and back-to-back one-point wins over neighbors Merrillville 23-22 and Lake Central 17-16. Nobody knows for sure, but Aaron Miller (35 catches, 440 yards) may lead the state in total receptions after four games. Matt Cowan (57 of 96, 654, 8 TDs, 2 INTs) is breaking CP passing records and starting weekly fourth quarter rallies. But this team does not have the type of running game they need to beat undefeated Portage Friday. There's no question they've been lucky so far and this is not a league where you can be lucky for very long.

7.) LaPorte (1-3)

LaPorte lost a game they could have won at Chesterton last week, giving up 21 fourth quarter points to fall 42-23. Soph QB Lance Juergensen (10-21, 171 yards) threw four interceptions in his second career start. How can a team EVER lose to New Prairie and beat Valparaiso in football in the same year? But this is still a highly talented team and, if they can upset the Pirates in Merrillville Friday, they have winnable games against CP and Michigan City before they host Portage on Oct. 17. Kevin Brandy (2 TDs last week) and Jerome Vann (5 catches, 71 yards last week) are still game-breaking threats. The Slicers must think big picture, which is a late October match with Penn (3-1).

8.) Valparaiso (2-2)

The season truly starts for this young team this week. They did not figure to beat Penn or LaPorte but the Vikings could not have lost to Michigan City or Gary Roosevelt. None of those games were at all close and no conclusions can be drawn from them. We'll find out a lot Friday when the Vikes travel to mighty Chesterton. They could go 7-2 or 2-7.

9.) Munster (4-0)

I'm not sure Munster is better than Griffith. They certainly didn't prove it last week in a 49-42 overtime victory. QB Wally Cirafesi had a career night hitting 16 of 30 for 314 yards. Munster is somewhat of a barometer for the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Black Division a whole. Andrean and Lowell are undefeated, Hammond and Morton have taken big-time whippings and everybody else is 2-2. The Munster schedule has been as weak as Notre Dame's offense. If the Mustangs are good, the league is pretty good. If Munster is overrated, the whole league is.

10.) Griffith (1-3)

Griffith lost QB Rich Lehmann to a concussion against Lowell but, led by backup QB Matt Nelleman, Griffith smoked Munster with 316 yards rushing and should have beaten them last Friday. The Mustangs scored two late fourth quarter TDs to send the game to overtime and won 49-42. The Panthers' pass defense took another hit allowing 314 yards to Munster passer Wally Cirafesi, who is NOT the best QB they'll see. But Griffith has rushed for 1,133 yards in four games. And the second half of their schedule (Morton, Highland, Hammond, Andrean and Hobart) features only one winning team.

JUDGMENT Day is coming....

for River Forest (4-0)

River Forest has scored 140 points in four games (35.0 ppg.) and no one has come within 17 points of them. But down in Royal Center, Indiana, Pioneer has crushed four foes by a combined score of 131-29. The scary victory in that bunch has been a 22-8 victory over Lafayette Central Catholic. River Forest hasn't beaten anyone we know is good and they'll be on the bus for a couple of hours to get to Pioneer Friday. Nobody needs to be undefeated and RF won't be after this week.