"The Renegade"

High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CROWN POINT (9-28-2003) No. 1 Portage beating No. 2 Chesterton by two points makes the poll look better than it is. I truly believe the teams aren't that close. A lot of results last week were distorted because of rain and wet fields. LaPorte over Merrillville isn't a major surprise but there is still some question about Griffith's overall quality. Keep in mind that Munster's win over Griffith was in overtime and, since Crown Point has won two overtime games, I honestly don't know where to rank them.

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 (6-0)

Antoine Brown has carried 118 times for 1,039 yards and the junior has scored 17 TDs. Portage barely survived Chesterton 21-19 in the rain with Brown carrying 32 times for 220 yards. The Indians were shut out in the second half for the first time this season and 21 points is a season-low. Still, Portage gained 278 yards rushing in a key game. The Indians have only Michigan City (3-3), Valparaiso (2-4) and LaPorte (3-3) between them and an undefeated season.

2.) Chesterton (4-2)

Chesterton stayed with Portage but didn't beat them. QB Casey Martin was 11-of-12 for 129 yards last week while running for two TDs. The Trojans only punted once and committed no penalties. They played about as well as they could statistically.
I still don't like Chesterton's chances of beating Portage but they are a powerful bad weather team and good things should continue to happen.

3.) ANDREAN (6-0)

Andrean played another quiet, dominating game, holding Hobart 80 total yards in a 21-0 victory. It is unsettling that the 59ers have scored only 168 points in six games (28.0 per game) this season. Andrean's goal is to reach the state finals and few teams get there with 28 points a game. The 59ers' defense still has not allowed more than nine points in any game since a 21-14 win in the season opener against Chesterton. Andrean has three shutouts and has won 22 regular season games in a row. QB Tommy Finn was intercepted for the first time all season against Hobart, but he carried 21 times for 154 yards. The 59ers have won 17 Lake Conference games in a row. But Highland (3-3), Griffith (3-3) and Munster (6-0) are still in the way of an undefeated season.

4.) LOWELL (5-1)

Lowell rolled over Hammond 53-6 but that means nothing. Hammond will go 0-9.
The Red Devils committed two turnovers in a game they won decisively and they just cant do that. Justin Henley (84 carries, 550 yards) gained 103 yards on 12 carries, his fourth 100-yard game this season. Fullback Toby Goetz (60 carries, 414 yards) had 84 yards on eight carries. The Lowell defense, which scored two safeties against Hammond, has allowed just 48 (8.0 per game) points all year. They rushed for 343 yards and never punted. The Red Devils' wins over Crown Point (4-2) and Griffith (3-3) are getting a little old. They need to prove something against Munster (6-0) this week.

5.) LaPorte (3-3)

LaPorte is finally playing like they're supposed to, shutting out Merrillville 14-0 last week. Halfback Gerald Sims (88 carries, 417 yards) gained 121 yards on 23 carries while 250-pound fullback Kyle Cepeda (73 carries, 411 yards) added 89 yards on 15 carries. The Slicers have gained 1,3,64 yards in their last four games. I'm not sure if LaPorte's defense was so awesome last week or if they just dominated an inexperienced backup on a bad weather night after Merrillville's Jimmy Reitz suffered a separated shoulder. The Slicers adjusted well to the bad weather but they had much higher hopes than 3-3 this season. games with Crown Point (4-2) this Friday and Portage (6-0) on Oct. 17 are contest they need to play well in before Penn (5-1) arrives at sectional time.

6.) MERRILLVILLE (3-3)

Merrillville found out what happens if you lose your starting QB to injury on a bad weather night in big school competition. You get shut out. The Pirates are still having major problems running the ball and with their backs, that just shouldn't be. If Jimmy Reitz (shoulder separation) is out for any length of time, the Pirates have problems. Merrillville needs wins against Valparaiso (2-4) and Lake Central (1-5) the next two weeks but, if Reitz is out, that won't be easy, even for a team that has only allowed 95 points in six games.

7.) CROWN POINT (4-2)

Crown Point is a freak team. In the last two years, they are 12-5, 4-0 in overtime.
In all four of those OT games, QB Matt Cowan has thrown the winning touchdown pass. Cowan (76 of 137, 921 yards, 12 TDs, 3 INTs), who has rallied the Bulldog offense from six point fourth quarter deficits in three of this year's six games, was 17-of-30 for 226 yards and four TDs in the come-from-behind double-overtime 41-34 win over Valparaiso last week.. WR Aaron Miller (44 catches, 549 yards) caught nine balls for 109 yards last week. But the Bulldogs still have very little running game and they are vulnerable defensively to the run, traits that make it almost impossible to win consistently. This is, not a great team but they can go to 5-2 with a home field win over LaPorte Friday.

8.) Griffith (3-3)

Jack Kosinski (101 carries, 877 yards) carried 22 times for 197 yards last week in a 14-7 bad weather win over Highland. The Panthers stopped a passing team for the first time all season holding Highland Kris Boyd to 14 f 36, 181 yards and 3 INTs, although the weather had a little to do with that. That is a major step forward. The combined record of the six teams Griffith has faced is 21-10, the best in northwest Indiana. Another 300 yards rushing for Griffith. Only Lowell has even come close to stopping them.

9.) Munster (6-0)

Munster continued to be solid with a 35-7 win over Morton but the Mustangs still have a lot to prove. None of the six teams that Munster has beaten has a winning record. The Mustangs gave up only 63 yards rushing against Morton, two weeks after allowing 316 yards rushing to Griffith. QB Wally Cirafesi (53 of 91, 715, 13 TDs, 4 INTs) has been so good all season but is that because he just isn't facing 'real' teams? Munster has not been scored on in the first quarter all season. But it's not about who you beat, it's about who you play. Munster plays Lowell (5-1) Friday and Andrean (6-0) on Oct. 17.

10.) Valparaiso (2-4)

The four VHS losses are to unpredictable LaPorte (3-3) and Crown Point (4-2) and powers Chesterton (4-2) and Penn (5-1). The Valpo loss to CP was in OT. Valparaiso is paying dues for the dominant teams of the past three years. But their junior-dominated lineup is improving. Folks who think Wheeler (6-0) and Bishop Noll (4-2) should be ranked here don't understand the game.

JUDGMENT Day is coming....

for Lowell (5-1)

The Red Devils rarely beat Munster, the team they play Friday night (WJOB -1230 AN, WHLP 89.9 FM). Their `93 team that went 10-0 lost to Munster. The 1999 team that went 11-2 lost 7-3 to Munster. Lowell has played well this year and is very talented. But nobody cares if they can't beat Munster, a squad that hasn't faced a winning team yet. Munster is a Section 9 foe so Lowell will get two chances to take them out in the next month. Two wins would send the Devils to the semistate at the very least. But if they can't beat the Mustangs at least once, Lowell will have to pack it in for the season.