USA-365's Week-8 NW Indiana High School Football Poll

MERRILLVILLE (10-11-2005) I want to suggest something to some local athletic directors who may not have considered the possibility. ADs are used to this. I'm about to ask them to do something that will not hurt them but will not greatly benefit them either. It's an experiment, brought about by a special situation that won't happen in 2006. The only people who will like this are those of us who like to watch the biggest high school football games.

The way I'm looking at the 33rd state football tournament in NW Indiana, five things appear almost certain to happen:

In Class 1A, undefeated West Central (8-0) and undefeated Whiting (8-0) are in opposite ends of the bracket and seem certain to meet in the Sectional 33 championship game. I believe that game will be in Whiting.

In Class 3A, Andrean and Griffith are also in different ends of the eight-team sectional pairings and will surely meet in the 11th week of the season, the Sectional 17 championship, in Griffith.

In Class 4A, rivals Hobart and Lowell seem on a collision course to meet for the sixth time in three seasons in the Sectional nine title game in Lowell.

And in Class 5A, LaPorte (7-1) and Penn (6-2) are lined up for a Nov. 4 meeting, and perhaps the biggest game of all will send arch-rivals and neighbors Merrillville (6-2) and Crown Point (8-0) onto the same field in the final game on the eight team sectional one playoffs.

These five games have one thing in common. They are ALL scheduled to be held the night of Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. The exact same date at the exact same time. No one will see more than one of these games unless the schedule is changed.

I'm asking two (or four) of the schools involved to switch their sectional championship games to Saturday night, Nov. 5 at 6:00 p.m., so more people can see them.

Now ADs, I am aware that the host school does not get gate receipts from these games so the certain sellout crowd you would draw may mean nothing to you. It is my understanding that the over-hyped Andrean-Griffith regular season game on Oct. 7 was NOT a sellout. Probably because Lowell-Hobart, Merrillville-Lake Central and Highland-Morton were all on the same night. The worst things high schools do is market their product.

I am also aware that it is difficult to get concession and security workers on Saturday nights. ADs don't want to work Saturday nights. Neither do I. And I would have to be there. Some coaches may object because the winner will (unless they can get the regional title game pushed back to Saturday as well) will have one less day to prepare for the regional championship. It should be noted that the 3A, 4A, and 5A state championship games are all scheduled for Saturday and many semistates are held on Saturday due to the distances involved. Playing Saturday is not a big disadvantage.

I am also aware that Nov. 5 is the date of state volleyball championships. No offense, but I don't think eight of the 10 schools involved (Penn and LaPorte are volleyball powers) will reach the state finals. The soccer season ends on Oct. 29, as does the cross country season. Golf is already over and tennis ends on Oct. 22. You're not stepping on the toes of any other sports and school officials don't have any other place to be. It's a day off.

But here's a chance to do something out of the ordinary for the people of the communities who want to see the football showdowns and for the popularity of the sport. Crown Point people would like to see Andrean play. Andrean and Griffith folks like to see Lowell-Hobart. Lots of fans in Lake County have never seen Whiting.

I can guarantee you that Merrillville's 8,000-seat stadium, which, to my knowledge, hasn't been full for football since the 1991 showdown between No. 1 Hobart and No.1 Merrillville, would be overflowing for the CP-Merrillville rematch IF it is held Saturday night.

MERRILLVILLE - How many teams does Merrillville have to shut out by a four-TD margin before people stop calling them overrated? The Pirates' 4th shutout in eight games was 28-0 over Lake Central last Friday and all of the games have seen the Pirates winning by 28 points or more. The Pirates led 28-0 at the half and coasted against the outmanned Indians, who were held to 53 total yards and four first downs. The Merrillville offense still struggled with three turnovers and only 261 yards gained. The Pirates have lost nine fumbles in eight games and that's too many for a championship team. But Merrillville has not been scored on in eight quarters and the defense has given up just 71 points and nine touchdowns all season.

I know there are three undefeated teams in NW Indiana, but Whiting beat Clark 6-0 last week and that speaks volumes. Merrillville and Crown Point (8-0) are heading for 'Judgment Day' on Nov. 4 and anyone who thinks that Griffith would beat Merrillville has been smoking some really strong weed. The Pirates have eight interceptions in the last two weeks and that is bad news for pass-happy Chesterton, which travels to Merrillville this coming week.

Merrillville has allowed just 70 rushing yards per game and one of their losses was in the IHSAA's phony tie-breaker. Unless you feel that Crown Point is better man-for-man, you have to rate Merrillville number one. And let's be honest, everybody in this region knows Merrillville has had the best team for two years now.

The Bulldogs' Jeremy Plummer #1 is about to throw a block on LaPorte's Andrew Muller #66 on punt return by Ryan Forney #12 that went 55 yards to set up CP's second TD in their 35-14 win over LaPorte 9-30-2005.

CROWN POINT - The Bulldogs are one game away from the school's first-ever Duneland Athletic Conference football championship after a 34-17 win over Chesterton last week. QB Matt Jansen was 11 of 19 for 172 yards and a TD.

Senior HB Donny Keiser ran for two second half touchdowns and kicked his 12th field goal of the season, one short of the state record. Junior Ryan Forney caught seven passes for a career best 146 yards and a TD.

The Bulldogs have the No. 1 rushing defense in NW Indiana and the No. 1 scoring defense among teams in NW Indiana. It is a concern that Chesterton's all-out passing attack completed 28 passes for 284 yards against CP, but the Bulldog defense shut out Chesterton in the second half. The Bulldogs have shown that you can pass on them but they have not shown that is the way to beat them.

No CP boys team has even won an undisputed DAC championship. Basketball and baseball have won co-titles. The 1984 and 1987 Bulldog football teams won 10 games in a row at the start of the season. The 2005 Crown Point team, a big favorite over Michigan City (3-5) in the home finale Friday, should do better than that.

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 - Griffith clinched a share of the LAC championship with a 42-21 win over undefeated Andrean Friday. The Panthers were held to a season-low 167 yards rushing. But they got a 58-yard interception return for a TD from senior Drew Rogowski, who has scored 21 TDs.

The Panthers again proved vulnerable through the air as Andrean's Jesse Repay was 17 of 30 for 161 yards, with three interceptions but two touchdowns. Griffith is 8-0 for the first time since 1994, but they failed to establish a dominance over Andrean to the point that the 59ers cannot win a rematch.

When you look down the line you see only (Mishawaka) Marian (7-1) as a team with a 50-50 chance to keep the winner of the Andrean-Griffith rematch from the 3A state title game and a matchup with seven-time state champ Bishop Chatard (7-1). There's no way New Prairie (5-3) comes as close to beating Griffith as they did Andrean in the 3A Northern Semistate last year. But anybody who thinks that Griffith, with that pass defense, could stop Crown Point is either a graduate of Griffith or an illegal alien who just got here from Fantasy Island.

The Panthers get just what they need this week, a physical road game at Hobart (4-4). That'll give the Panthers some real exercise in front of the state tournament. And any team that gives up 21 points from scrimmage in a key game still has a lot of work to do.

RB Airrence Shark #34 scored a TD against CP on 15 carries for 52 yards for LaPorte, but the Slicers lost 35-14 to the Bulldogs, 9-30-2005.

LaPORTE - LaPorte was impressive in a 42-10 destruction of a Michigan city team that had been having a good year. QB Lance Juergensen was thought to be injured, but he hit 6-of-6 passing for two TDs against an overwhelmed MC defense.

Junior LaPorte HB Airrence Shark smoked MC for 180 yards on 18 carries. The Slicers bounced back after a 21-point loss at Crown Point on Sept. 30 and they re-established themselves as a sectional title contender.

The Slicers still gave up 250 yards rushing, which has been a season-long problem. But there's no question LaPorte responded from a loss by paying it forward to the next team they saw.

LaPorte will almost certainly be playing Penn (6-2) in LaPorte on Nov. 4 for the Sectional two title and they've got to get ready.

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 42-21 to Griffith, but the wiped out the myth of the Panthers' invincibility. QB Jesse Repay (17 of 30, 161) found receivers in the Panther secondary and the Niners moved the ball on a bad weather night.

The Andean running attack had nothing to say, however, getting held to just 62 yards. You can't win any games with just 62 yards rushing. Plus, Andrean may have lost senior DB/WR Chris Skinner to injury.

The 59er defensive front held Griffith to just 187 rushing yards and they stopped Panther QB Matt Nelleman with only 6-of-16 passing for 64 yards. Three pass interceptions off Repay were the difference in the game. This outcome can do nothing but help the Niners for a rematch on Nov. 4. Andrean truly had not been tested by a strong offense and now they know what needs to be done. They only have to beat Griffith once. The Panthers must beat Andrean twice.

Valparaiso's Aaron Biggs #34 had 12 carries for 112 yard Sept. 23 against CP's top-rated scoring defense.

VALPARAISO - Valpo rejected rival Portage 21-7 to get back to the .500 mark. Remember, Valpo has lost to CP (8-0), LaPorte (7-1), Penn (6-2) and Merrillville (6-2). Was that baseball star Chooch Sizemore throwing a 17-yard TD pass to Scott Rastovic for the go-ahead score?

The Viking offense did not total 200 yards against Portage, but they also did not make any turnovers.

Valparaiso threw just three passes and made only eight first downs. The Vikings rebounded from a 30-0 loss to Merrillville, but you can't go far in playoff competition with just a defense. The Vikings have to regain the running attack they had last month and that's exactly what it will take to beat Crown Point on Oct. 21. The Vikings have the tools to beat Crown Point (8-0) in Valpo on Oct. 21 and they've got two weeks to work on the attack.

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City took a spanking 42-10 at LaPorte, a major step backwards for them. I thought this was a potential MC upset but the defenders gave up a season-high 42 points. The Wolves were helpless against the pass, giving up 7-of-7 to the Slicers. The MC attack was led by Ryan Fics who did rush for 188 yards on 25 carries, but most of the yards were after the Wolves were already deep in the cage. The Wolves are very one-dimensional. Just three yards passing last week against a very average LaPorte 'D.' MC cannot start to doubt themselves. The three whippings they have taken were by 20 points or more to Valpo, LaPorte and Merrillville. The Wolves' defense has been about as solid as Purdue's allowing 25 points a game and those numbers won't get better this week at Crown Point (8-0).

This is a crucial week for the Wolves. Once you get into October, things go wrong and the weather gets cold, you can just quit. Many teams have. MC must come up with a decent effort against Crown Point because they have a very winnable game on Oct. 21 in the playoff opener against East Chicago Central (3-5). A decent effort can be construed as completing a half dozen passes and breaking up a few on the other side of the ball.

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

HOBART - Hobart played well in a 14-7 loss to Lowell, a game they should have won. New tailback Andrew Jackson was held to 60 yards on 19 carries and QB Josh Miracle completed 17 of 39 for 158 yards. But Hobart should have scored 35 points in this game. They missed numerous opportunities. Junior WR Michael Brown and freshman Bobby James combined for 15 catches and 169 yards, but they could have had another 100 yards. The Brickies' youth hurts them in key situations and two-way tackle Adam Bailey (6-4, 330) does not appear to be 100%. But linebacker Richard Mitchell has 100 tackles and nobody really blocks him consistently. It doesn't matter what this team's record is. They figure to be playing Lowell Nov. 4 for the 4A Sectional nine championship. It's all about the playoffs now. This week's home finale with 3A No. 1 Griffith (8-0) is just for fun. The Brickies could upset Griffith and it would make absolutely no difference in their prospects for the upcoming playoffs. Hobart's sectional nine quarterfinal game at Highland (4-4) looks a lot tougher after Highland smoked out Morton 31-14 last Friday.

Lowell's Jeff Clemens #2 near the Brickie Bowl scoreboard showing what proved to be the final score, a 14-7 win over Hobart, 10-7-2005.

LOWELL - Here's the comeback of the year, not that it wasn't somewhat predictable. Lowell's 14-7 survival at Hobart evened their record after a 1-4 start. HB Scott Gray is over 1,100 yards for the season and he had 40 carries without fumbling last week. The Red Devil defense has some new faces like defensive end Jeff Barker (6-4, 180) and Josh Kuiper (5-10, 160), but they have held each of Lowell's last four foes to seven points or less. This has become a typical Lowell squad with a lot of small, quick defenders blowing up everything the other side tries to do while the run-oriented offense pounds away.

Senior safety Jeff Clemens is among NW Indiana leaders with five interceptions and 38 yards per punt. Linebacker Ryan King has 80 tackles and has moved to center in a revamped offensive line.

The offense still lacks confidence and I don't know why. The Devils could have scored 35 points on Hobart. They want to balance the speed of Gray and Clemens with misdirection and options run by Steffan Peck (who broke a 73-yard TD run at Hobart) and options by QB Jimmy Ritter. It should be noted that the core of this team consists of seniors who were a dominant undefeated team as freshmen. They know they can play. Lowell will open the playoffs on the road at weak Gary Roosevelt (3-5) and they could get sectional nine semifinal and championship games at home. (A mixed blessing, Lowell is 3-1 away from home and 1-3 in Lowell.) If they can regain the services of injured all-state wrestler Ethan Winel, they could peak defensively at the right time.

RENSSELAER - The Bombers failed to finish an undefeated regular season, losing to Sheridan 35-32 in a road shocker. The lack of physical strength for Rensselaer showed up as Sheridan, a 1A school, got out the whipping stick and roasted the Rensselaer defenders for 432 yards rushing. Sheridan did not complete a pass and still stopped Rensselaer. Bomber QB Jacob Kiger completed 19 of 27 for 268 yards and four TDs and the Bombers had just one turnover. But if run defense is a problem (and 432 yards would say it is), it's going to be hard for the Bombers to go deep in the state tournament. You never want to put too much stock in one game. I've got to believe that the Bombers got off the bus on this night, thought they were going to Denny's and just weren't ready to play. I hope that was it. You could play 10 cows and a goat on defense and give up less than 432 yards rushing.

PORTAGE - Portage outgained Valpo 237-177, but lost 21-7. That's the fourth time this season that Portage has outgained a team but has still lost. The Indians may have lost QB Erik Rhein, who was knocked out of the game by a QB sack in the third quarter. They have lost five in a row, but nobody has scored more than 28 points on them, even with three top-15 teams in the conference.

There have been several injuries and some playoff scenarios would have them play three sectional games on the road. Everything is stacked against them. And I know that a 2-6 resume is about as weak as Ashlee Simpson's voice. But a defensive average of 18 points a game allows you the chance to win and when you're 2-6, a chance is all you can ask for.

HAMMOND - Morton followed their biggest win, the 28-21 victory over Hobart with their biggest loss, a 31-14 meltdown at Highland. Morton outgained the Trojans 279-250, but the Governor QBs threw four interceptions after the fourth quarter began with a 14-14 tie. There are ominous signs here. On the first bad weather night of the year, Morton's offense shut down and they gave up five turnovers. The Governors only get about 28 yards a punt as well. Morton did gather 159 yards rushing and their attack was balanced, but the Governors still have not defeated anyone with a winning record and that won't change when they horsewhip Hammond (0-8) Friday. In a world where Ben Davis and Carmel are 4-4, 5-3 for Morton is great. I'm not sure this team is very talented. But the Governors should spend two weeks practicing for Andrean, the state playoff opener on Oct. 21. Time spent practicing for Hammond high is time wasted.

WHITING - Whiting's worst fears surfaced here as the first bad weather night saw a total offense shutdown by the Oilers. Whiting beat arch-rival Clark 6-0 on a fourth quarter TD run by Matt Kobli. But this team collected just 45 yards rushing and averaged only 26 yards on seven punts. Playing in the same bad weather, sectional rival West Central shelled North Newton with 300 yards rushing. The Oilers need a big-time performance against Kankakee Valley (6-2) this week (Oct. 14) to get right for the playoffs. Whiting has two walkover games before the expected showdown with West Central. But after a rainstorm washed away the Oilers offense last week, the prospect of playing a top-10 team in November by the lake might not be that inviting.

USA-365's

Week 8: NW Indiana High School Top-10 Football Poll