USA-365's Week-6 NW Indiana High School Football Poll

MERRILLVILLE (9-27-2005) After most of the month of September, who is it who's strong in NW Indiana high school football? The teams that met for the 5A regional title last year, Penn and Merrillville both have two losses, although one of Merrillville's was in overtime and Penn lost one to a nationally-rated team from Ohio.

In Class 5A, Crown Point and LaPorte are both undefeated but both also have questions. CP has been shorthanded all season and their offense is very average. No one goes very far in the state tournament averaging 20 points a game. CP is averaging 20.3 and they have four sophomores starting on offense. Once they face a good team with 10 or 11 senior defenders, what happens?

LaPorte is on the other side of the street. The Slicers have a wonderfully watchable bunch of offensive skill position players but they've allowed 20.5 points a game against a soft schedule and that dog wont hunt either. What got lost in last week's 38-35 overtime win (an overtime win is really a tie game) over Merrillville is that the LaPorte gave up a hellacious 423 yards and 25 first downs. Teams that give up 400 yards in a game more than once (LaPorte also gave up four fields of green in the 38-27 win over Chesterton on Sept.9) probably are going as far in the playoffs as teams with four sophomores on offense.

Griffith has also smoked out six foes (five of them are sub. 500) but with a pass defense that's allowed 900 yards in six games against traditionally run-oriented foes, the Panthers have about as much chance of having an undefeated 'second' season as Kelly Monoco did in 'Dancing With the Stars.' Nobody in NW Indiana prep ranks wants to consider the dark possibility that Griffith's 6-0 says more about the six teams they played than it does about Griffith.

Andrean is a physical 3A team but they average 26 points a game against a much softer schedule than Crown Point has played. The 59ers have scored 20 or more in three games and 20 or less in three others. They are clearly a work in progress.

Whiting is almost guaranteed to go 9-0 but, if the 1A Oilers want to go deep into the state tournament, they have to hope that alien space monsters invade the season-ending game between undefeated Pioneer and unbeaten West Central on Oct. 14 and kidnap BOTH teams. And then hope the space ship drops by undefeated defending state 1A champ Seeger and snatches those boys up, too.

In a year where Highland and Munster have both taken 50-point defeats, perennial powers Merrillville and North Judson both have taken two losses, consistent winners Lowell and Portage are 2-4, big 5A schools East Chicago and Chesterton are 1-5 and almost nobody but Judson and Rensselaer play anybody outside the region, the question still stands. Why has NW Indiana football tailed off so much this season? Injuries? Population declines? The emergence of NW Indiana soccer and cross country? Or just a roller coaster that will rise again next year?

MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville 'lost' a 38-35 overtime game to LaPorte, committing four turnovers to drop a contest they dominated statistically. The Pirates held D-1 rusher Airrence Shark to 40 yards on 12 carries, but fumbles and interceptions paved the way for the undefeated Slicers as it did three weeks earlier against unbeaten Crown Point. The Pirates had a rash of turnovers three or four years ago and it blew up what could have been a good season.

If you judge totally by wins and losses in exhibition games, Merrillville is as low-rent as the Indianapolis Colts who were 0-5 in the preseason. That awful Colts team is 3-0 now, aren't they?

I'm not convinced. The Pirates gave up 279 yards passing but how can you bump LaPorte ahead of them when the two teams tied and LaPorte gave up 423 yards. The Pirates are obviously operating with a less productive James Aldridge (17 carries, 57 yards) who was held below 100 yards for the third time this season. Either he's still suffering from a 2004 knee injury or his blocking line is having trouble. But again, 423 yards gained? How bad was the Merrillville offense? Nothing is wrong with them that can't be corrected in three weeks, especially since the soft portion of Merrillville's schedule is the final two weeks against Lake Central (2-4) and Chesterton (1-5).

Can we talk? There are some make-believe polls that have Griffith ahead of Merrillville, which they can get away with because Griffith doesn't play any quality 5A teams and the theory can't be proven wrong. No coach or player who has seen both teams thinks for a second that Griffith could come within 14 points of Merrillville in a real game.

You can't put LaPorte ahead of Merrillville after they tied and LaPorte gave up 423 yards against the only winning team they've faced all season. That's right. I said it. An overtime game is a tie. You all know that and you are NOT better than somebody just because you beat them in the IHSAA's Mickey Mouse 10-yard scrimmage overtime format. The toughest third of the schedule for LaPorte begins Friday. Crown Point would be No.1 but they've been outgained in total yards each of the last two weeks against teams .500 or below. I know of no one at Crown Point who feels the Bulldogs are better than Merrillville.

The question still stands. If Merrillville played LaPorte (6-0), Crown Point (6-0) or Griffith (6-0) in a playoff game tomorrow, who would your money be on? Merrillville. And you know it's true.

QB Blake Mascarella pitches football to Donny Keiser #37, as Ryan Forney #12 and Ryan Walsh #80 move into position on the double reverse option pass that scored in the first 30 seconds against Hobart on Aug. 26 in the 26-0 win at Crown Point.

CROWN POINT - The Bulldogs are 6-0 for the first time in 18 years after a dramatic 13-10 come-from-behind win over Valparaiso. It was the second consecutive 4^th quarter rally for victory by CP and the second consecutive game where they were outgained in total yards.

The Bulldogs are No.1 in the state among 5A teams in points allowed but in high school football, defense beats bad teams. Offense beats good teams. All the top teams average 30-40 points a game and there's just not much offense here right now. Valparaiso truly shut the Bulldogs down until soph QB Blake Mascarello connected with junior Ryan Forney on a miraculous desperation pass in the final two minutes.

Senior kicker Donny Keiser has a school record 11 field goals in six games. The state record is 13. But all football fans know that 11 field goals in six games means your offense is not cutting it. I heard someone refer to Crown Point as a state contender last week and, let me repeat something that's obvious. While the CP defense is fun to watch and the long-suffering Bulldogs are the feel-good NW Indiana story of the year, they have as much chance of winning the sectional averaging 20 points a game as Kyle Orton does of being the NFL MVP. Crown Point must improve greatly on offense very soon now and they all know it.

With that said, the Bulldogs have gone all season without senior quarterback Matt Jansen (133-242, 1,976 yards, 15 TDs in 2004) and junior wide receiver Matt Ernest (47 catches, 1,031 yards in 2004) Every single team in NW Indiana has injured players who could come back, but it's a good bet that nobody in the state has that type of offensive talent on the disabled list.

The other seven teams in Class 5A Sectional one have been keeping a very nervous eye on the two tall boys on the CP sidelines.

LaPORTE - The Slicers escaped 38-35 in two overtimes at Merrillville despite giving up 423 yards. Star QB Lance Juergensen was 15 of 29 for 279 yards and four TDs as LaPorte found a way after the Pirates held the Slicers rushers to just 34 yards on 25 carries.

LaPorte is doing a lot of talking about how no one gives them any respect and nobody thinks they have any talent. Who are they kidding? HB Airrence Shark and kicker Nick Ford are both D-1 and QB Lance Juergensen is a certain college player somewhere as are both receivers if they wish to be. The Slicers have been in the top-5 in this poll all year and are Top-10 in every state poll. This team is moving the ball better than the Indianapolis Colts. I seriously doubt anybody feels they 'don't have much talent', like the Slicers have been quoted as having heard. That sounds like something the coaches make up to motivate their players.

But if the Slicers plan on being a championship team, they can't brag about an overtime win where their defense got whipped like a government mule, allowing 423 yards and 25 first downs at Merrillville. The Slicers know the numbers. The LaPorte defense has been pushed around, allowing almost 2,000 total yards and a frightening 110 first downs in six games.

But let's tell the whole truth. Nobody cares (or should care) about the DAC title. What isn't being said is that everybody in the LaPorte program certainly saw the reports of Penn getting horsewhipped 41-19 by that elite team (St. Ignatius) from Ohio last week. St. Ignatius did it by throwing the ball to tall wide receivers and it's clear the Slicers have the air game to toast the inexperienced Penn secondary like those nasty raspberry Pop Tarts that the kids like.

LaPorte has never advanced beyond the sectional level in the state tournament, largely because Penn has blocked their way. That could set up an the ultimate achievement. Forget the DAC, this could be the year LaPorte wins the 5A Sectional 2 title.

But the traditionally strong blitzing Slicer defense has been flattened more often than a Louisiana trailer park and they've got three weeks to do something about it. This week's DAC first place showdown at Crown Point (6-0) is a big chance for the defense to get up to speed, but it can't be the end all and be all of the season.

The big day for LaPorte can be Sunday when they could (and should hope to) draw Penn in the Sectional 2 quarterfinals.

Griffith's David Alexander #20 moves in to tackle Lowell's RB Scott Gray #6 in the Panther's 21-0 win at Lowell, 9-2-2005.

GRIFFITH - If points were king, Griffith would already be world champions. The Panthers have scored 319 points (53.1 per game) in six games after a 71-0 execution of injury-riddled Highland last Friday.

Senior halfback Drew Rogowski scored five more TDs giving him 17 on the season. Speedy soph WR David Alexander, a future star, caught six passes for 69 yards. But that game was less of a contest than Michigan State vs. Illinois.

Expect Griiffith people to start spouting a consistent chant of how tough the LAC Black Division is, even in one of the league's weakest seasons. But behind the scenes, they have to be worried that they aren't ready for post-season play outside NW Indiana. Is anybody else concerned that Griffith has played five losing teams plus Morton (4-2), a perennial Panther patsy?

Maybe coach Russ Radtke should remind the Panthers of his 1985 North Judson team which shut out everyone during the regular season and set a state rushing record. That Judson team was eliminated at the regional level. Or the 1996 Griffith team that beat Calumet 83-0, Highland 64-12, Hammond 71-27 and Gavit 56-17... before losing the sectional title game 7-0.

Who does Griffith plays this week? Hammond ? 0-6 Hammond? I don't want to hear about it. All these games do is make a lot of quality players overconfident and ripe for an upset. This might (might?) be a week to rest key players who have minor injuries. Griffith hopes to play eight more times after Friday (9-30-2005).

Smearing local rivals is great for bragging rights if you play in a strong area. Is NW Indiana strong this year?

VALPARAISO - Clearly this is a strong team which moves up in the poll despite a 13-10 loss at undefeated Crown Point last week. They should have been higher to begin with. The Vikings are a physically strong team with two top runners in Hollis Ballard (123 carries, 748 yards) and Aaron Biggs (59 carries, 449 yards).

The Vikings have lost by seven at LaPorte (6-0), by three at Crown point (6-0) and by 10 at Penn (4-2). Remember, it's not about who you beat, it's about who you play.

Senior QB Carl Hoefler (41 of 77, 549 yards) should improve steadily as his rookie season goes on. Biggs became the first runner to gain 100 yards against Crown Point's top-ranked (in Class 5A) scoring defense. The Vikings are gearing for the playoffs now and they might welcome a Merrillville team that may be having some doubts.

There has been nothing so far to indicate that Valparaiso could not win 5A Sectional 1 in November. They have had the tests to be the best. They've paid the cost to be the boss.

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

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean's 20-10 win over rival Hobart was impressive in that they held the larger Brickies to an unofficial eight yards rushing. The Niners' win was sparked when Chris Skinner ran the opening kickoff back 98 yards for touchdown. The 59ers gave up 200 yards passing, but grabbed four interceptions to give them 13 pickoffs for the year.

It isn't talked about as much, but Andrean is winning in the same manner that Crown Point is, with a quick and active defense and just enough points on the board. Coaches never seem to enjoy the game but privately, coach Brett St. Germain and his staff have to be very pleased with the Niners second 6-0 start in three years.

I wish the Andrean offense was in a game where they fell behind so they'll know what it's like before the playoffs. I think that wish will be granted in two weeks.

Here's another squad that can use the final game with Munster (2-4) as a chance to rest injured players. That's a benefit that LAC teams get that Duneland Athletic Conference teams do not have. In the DAC, you can't rest a key player and still be certain of winning.

How big Andrean's Oct. 7 game with Griffith (6-0) is depends on whether or not they draw Griffith in the Class 3A, Sectional 17 quarterfinals when the matchups come out on Oct. 3. As the 59ers taught Griffith last year, the regular season really doesn't count.

PORTAGE - For the fourth time this year, Portage had a lead they couldn't hold and lost 28-14 to winless Chesterton. The Indians rolled up 350 yards and 21 first downs and somehow scored just 14 points.

Portage led St. Josephs, Merrillville, Crown Point and Chesterton, only to watch the other side come-from-behind. They led CP and Merrillville late in the fourth quarter.

The Indians, who have more than one absence at running back, were unlucky last week because Chesterton is not strong against the run.

I do not know the situation with top running back Justin Smith, who has been out three games for non-injury related reasons. He may be back Friday against Valparaiso but the Indians must be lacking confidence at this point. They are far better than the record indicates.

In this poll you are ranked by how strong you are, not what your record is. But the record may not improve soon as the Indians finish with Michigan City (4-2), Valparaiso (3-3) and LaPorte (6-0).

Here's where polls are funny. Everybody knows that Portage would beat 1A Whiting (6-0) or 2A Rensselaer (6-0) by 30 points but it's not politically correct to say that out loud.

QB Josh Miracle #18 drops back to pass in Hobart's 26-0 loss to Crown Point, 8-26-2005.

HOBART - Here's another head-shaker. It's no big deal to be 4-2 one way or another. Hobart will finish with a winning record this season and that's the base goal for every season.

I just don't know how a big and strong Brickie team can be held under 100 yards rushing twice, by Crown Point and Andrean. Let's not get too carried away. Both of the Brickie losses are to undefeated squads. But it's not the losses, it's the lack of running ability, thought to be Hobart's forte'.

Junior rookie QB Josh Miracle was 19-of-38 for 205 yards but he was intercepted four times. Hobart had no running game and the Brickies had to throw too much. With all due respect to the defenses of CP and Andrean, the Hobart offensive line should be firing faster and harder than Donald Trump.

This team has two games coming up that could go either way, at Morton (4-2) and home against Lowell (2-4), But the Brickies could draw Lowell Sunday in 4A Sectional nine playoff matchups.

I'm still looking for Hobart to bust loose with a 300 yard rushing game and, with the weather getting colder, it could happen against defense-challenged Morton Friday night.

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City stopped a two-game losing streak by blasting Lake Central 38-16. Senior halfback Ryan Fics gained 250 yards on 32 carries to put him over 1,000 yards for the season.

Here's another squad that will get better as the weather gets worse, because they are not a good passing or pass defense team yet.

But the respect they crave in publicized statements cannot come to MC until they beat someone with a winning record.

The Wolves have gobbled up Gary Roosevelt (2-3), South Bend Clay (3-3), Chesterton (1-5) and Lake Central (2-4). The time has come for Michigan City to seek tougher nonconference foes. The program is on the move and playing Roosevelt and Clay holds them back.

How about Griffith and Lowell for pre-season foes? The upcoming LAC breakup allows for some new matchups.

The Wolves can guarantee they will not have a losing season when they play the home finale Friday against slumping but dangerous Portage. This is a crucial game for MC and they must approach it with a sense of urgency. I phrase it that way because MC closes the season with road games at LaPorte (6-0) and Crown Point (6-0) and they will be hard-pressed to handle either one.

RENSSELAER - The Bombers have slid a little in recent weeks, winning 21-9 over Twin Lakes (3-2) and 17-14 over West Lafayette, but understand that Rensselaer is 2A and they are facing quality 3A teams.

This might have been the biggest win of the year as Rensselaer trailed 14-3 in the third quarter before they rallied to win. Once again, if you have not trailed in the second half of a game yet, you only THINK you have a good team, you don't know.

Senior all-stater Jake Kiger score all 17 points with a 34-yard field goal and two second half TD runs to win the game. Rensselaer rushed for 270 yards so I'm not sure how badly they played here.

The NW Indiana MVP is Kiger, who is punter, place-kicker, QB, safety, leading rusher, leading scorer, leading passer and kick returner for his team but no NW Indiana media is going to say that, because they can't. They've never seen him play.

The Bombers have Delphi (1-5), Benton Central (1-5) and Sheridan (5-1) left so they are truthfully one win away from going 9-0 again and Rensselaer can rest players against BC in the road finale.

I'm still campaigning for Lake and Porter County teams to schedule Rensselaer like they did in the old days. But a Rensselaer-Noll playoff game might bring Jacob Kiger up into Lake County.

Lowell's Kaleb Layman #51 pressures Andrean QB Jesse Repay in 59ers 7-0 win, 9-16-2005.

LOWELL - Lowell blasted Hammond 41-7 and they could probably beat Rensselaer or Michigan City, but the Red Devils need to get back to full strength. That may happen this week at Munster if fullback-linebacker Ethan Winel and end Joe Wojcik get off the injury list as they hope to.

Remember the numbers. Lowell is the only NW Indiana team that has played (and lost to) all three of Lake County's undefeated teams, Andrean (6-0), Griffith (6-0) and Crown Point (6-0). They held the trio to a combined 44 points so the season defensive average (96 points) of 16 points a game is legit. Halfback Scott Gray had his third 200-yard rushing game, even though all have come against defensively-challenged Hammond, Morton and Calumet.

Oddly, Lowell might actually be better suited to go into the playoffs than they've been in past years because QB Jimmy Ritter and WR Jeff Clemens have developed a fairly consistent connection. There is a school of thought that, if healthy, this is the surprise team of the post-season. You try to tell people that the regular season really doesn't matter but you're not sure if anybody believes you.

WHITING - Whiting smoked out Bishop Noll last week as the Oilers rolled up 340 yards and 17 first downs. Whiting clinched a second consecutive winning season and they seem headed for their fifth nine-win season (nine wins is a sign post because there are nine regular season games) in nine years.

It was important to get Zach Dumezich on the field for a 28-yard field goal. They will need Dumezich, who was 4-for-4 on extra points last week, in playoff games.

Things went well elsewhere as Kankakee Valley (4-2) continued to win, creating a season-ending 'big' game that the Oilers desperately need.

Also, Gavit halfback Vic Ayala gained 359 yards on 18 carries last week and he waits for the visit of Whiting up in Hammond this Friday.

Watch how well Whiting does stuffing Ayala because that will be the best hint yet of how long the Oilers' post-season is going to be. Class 1A Godzillas West Central and Pioneer all treat the forward pass like it was a felony. They run 98% of the time and that's how they would beat Whiting. Gavit has lost five in a row and, even though they traditionally play Whiting close, they have shown nothing to indicate they could possibly beat Whiting. So the Oilers could not ask for a better run defense prep than they will get this Friday.

North Judson almost got back in the poll but they lost a Saturday night game to Brebeuf Jesuit 24-19. The Jays (3-3) are at .500 and the offense simply has not been there this year on a consistent basis.

Lake Station (1-5) rolled up 542 yards rushing but still lost 50-49 to Calumet in a game that had to be a lot of fun. You'd rather lose 50-49 than 10-9.

Griffith has an odd habit of going for a two point conversion on their second touchdown of the game. The idea to create a 15-0 lead, as the Panthers did last Friday (9-23-5) against Highland, I suppose puts extra pressure on the trailing team. If you fail on the two point conversion. You still lead 13-0.

First of all, you have to be ahead to do this. Secondly, it begs the question. If you average 300 yards rushing per game, why not go for two points after EVERY touchdown?

Nate Vaughn was 9-for-9 on extra points for the Panthers last week and he doesn't want to hear that. The 38 passes thrown by Hobart's Josh Miracle might have been the most in one game in school history.

North Newton's Rich Scheidt came off the disabled list and threw TD passes to both of his twin brothers Reid and Ryan (they are triplets) in North Newton's 53-7 win over River Forest.

The David Bell who caught a 38-yard TD pass last Friday in East Chicago's 38-26 loss to South Bend Washington is the state class high jumper David Bell who was a 6-5 forward on Wes Side's regional championship basketball team last year.

Goshen, which was 0-10 last year and started the season with a 17-6 home loss to Lake Central, improved to 4-2 Friday with a 14-7 win over Warsaw in Class 4A. Plymouth went to 6-0 with a 31-30 double-overtime win over Wawasee (4-2) in the Northern Lakes Conference.

Unbeaten Mishawaka beat undefeated Marian 21-7 Friday in a crosstown battle. Mishawaka (6-0) has not defeated Penn in 30 years and they will try to end that streak Friday night in Mishawaka.

USA-365's

Week 6: NW Indiana High School Top-10 Football Poll