The RENEGADE 2009 NW Indiana High School Top-10, Week-12 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

11-01-2009

MERRILLVILLE (11-06-2009) The first two weeks of the state tournament have been good for the polls.  The top three teams in this poll are still alive and, more significantly, the top five teams in the five polls, 5A Carmel, 4A Cathedral, 3A Bishop Chatard, 2A Ritter and 1A Lafayette Catholic are all alive and doing very well.  Four of the five are private schools and Carmel is Indiana's richest community so the idea of a balanced playing field isn't the reality.

But, as has been said here many times, this is a problem that can be corrected by simply asking private schools with unlimited (or in Indianapolis) semi-unlimited areas from which to draw students, to move up one class in the state tournament.  Not only would that keep the private schools from dominating schools that are their size or smaller, it would also allow them a strong opportunity to succeed.

Cathedral would not dominate 5A (as they are likely to in 4A), but they would be competitive.  Bishop Chatard, a nine-time state champ, would be in the mix for the title in 4A, but they would face larger schools that could collect talent equal to what they have.

This move would also end the argument.  If Lafayette Catholic, with 300 students but a potential enrollment pool of the entire Lafayette-West Lafayette area, could defeat public schools with 600 kids to choose from, they should get the title.  Actually, sports other than football have more severe overmatches.

In volleyball, Muncie Burris (38-0) will win the state 2A volleyball title this weekend.  How to I know that?  Burris has won EVERY 2A volleyball title since class sports was installed in 1997.  In 1A, Marquette has reached the state title game nine years in a row, winning seven times.  The titles lack legitimate accomplishment.  At the very least, Marquette should have been bumped up out of 1A, which has the smallest schools.  I don't want to match Burris against Marquette so one can't win.  I want them to move up so they can find competition.  If it's not good competition, athletics is a waste of time.

Locally, Andrean has rolled to two easy wins heading into this Friday's sectional title showdown with private school Culver Military, the first team with a real chance to defeat them.  But they would have been challenged by Lowell or Morton.  Teams they COULD beat but would not overmatch.  When the IHSAA football tournament goes to six classes as they must in 2011, that would be the time to bump up private and Charter schools (Bowman Academy can accept any student in Gary and Hammond is planning a charter school) one class.

It would reestablish the true small school playing field for the tiniest schools in Class 1A and create true championship brackets in the other levels.  I think it can eventually happen and, again, it would end this argument.

Another argument that ended last month is whether artificial turf was worth it for your football program.  Very muddy fields at Lowell, South Central, Lake Central and Chesterton certainly affected the way the game was played.  I don't think mud-pie fields can cause injury, but I think that there is a certain sanitation problem.

Meanwhile, the Griffith-Morton and Hobart-Hammond games were played on a clean, firm surface because Morton and Hobart have the 'Field Turf'.  Colder weather (in the 30s) would solidify the muddy turf but that's not in the forecast for next week.  I wouldn't mind seeing games moved from mud fields to the artificial turf homes of schools that have already been eliminated.

But the odds of Lowell moving this week's Concord game to Crown Point just to get a dry field are about the same as ESPN swearing off running stories about Brett Farve.
 

MERRILLVILLE:  The Pirates had a tough time in the mud at Lake Central before winning 20-13.  Here was a game that was affected by the conditions, but the Pirates advanced to a rematch with DAC rival Portage (6-5).  The Pirates don't have a big strong running back who can hammer his way through the mud.  In fact, their offense does not include a fullback at all.  They need to stay out of the mud-pie fields and, in that respect, there are storm clouds on the horizon.  If Merrillville survives against Portage this week they will play the regional on the road at either Penn (11-1) or Mishawaka (11-1).  And if it's Mishawaka, that field will be mushy.  But let's not get too far ahead.  Portage's Jake Dixon (23 TDs) is the most dangerous player in the DAC and Merrillville's defense has to shut him down.

 

LOWELL:  The Devils got 274 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries from Brandon Grubbe (26 TDs) and a 100% effort defensively to turn back South Bend Washington 24-7, for the second consecutive year.  I do not remember two teams facing each other in the post-season two years in a row and creating the exact same final score, but Lowell won 24-7 at Washington last year as well.  The Devils held pass-happy Washington to 14 of 36 for 176 yards, but they face a better passer in Concord's Anthony Yoder (9 TD passes in the post-season so far) this week.  You suspect Lowell's offense will be more productive this week than they were last month, but Concord's passing game will cause them major problems.

3.)  3A Andrean (8-3)
2008 (6-7), 2007 (9-4), 2006 (8-3), 2005 (8-2), 2004 (13-2)

MERRILLVILLE:  The 59ers won on the road 28-0 at Know and now they face a strong-looking Culver Academy (9-2) team.  Richard Schmidt (133 of 227, 1,948 yards, 24 TDs) continues to pass through any weather conditions and the 59er defense has dominated as expected in the early going.  Culver will play conservatively and not be intimidated on the road.  Their defense has consecutive playoff shutouts.  Andrean has to rise to the emotional level of a championship game here.  They may have coasted the first two weeks of the sectional, but there will be a trophy in the house Friday.

 

PORTAGE:  Jake Dixon scored on an 80-yard pass and the Portage defense posted its fourth shutout as the Indians won at Chesterton 14-0 in the mud.  Truthfully, this wasn't an upset.  The Indians lost the earlier meeting 31-28, but had the ball inside the 5-yard-line when the game ended.  Dixon (6-1, 180) has 23 TDs and he will be a much bigger factor on the artificial turf at Merrillville this Friday.  Portage and Merrillville have played the toughest schedules in NW Indiana this season so they should be in this game.  Merrillville beat Portage 49-27 in September, but the Indians certainly have changed since then.

CHESTERTON:  The Trojans lost 14-0 in the mud at home to Portage.  Chesterton did not score many points (51) the last five weeks.  I'm surprised at that because their option should have been effective in bad conditions, although they could not have expected their field to deteriorate the way it did under a month of rain.  Chesterton returns QB Jon Watson for 2010 as well as place kicker Kyle Schmidt (field goals).  They have some younger players with promise, but a quality QB and a state class kicker is a good start.

6.)  5A LaPorte (6-4)
2008 (4-8), 2007 (8-3), 2006 (12-1), 2005 (11-1), 2004 (4-7)

LaPORTE:  LaPorte's season ended early, but losses to Merrillville (10-1) and Mishawaka (10-1) can't be overlooked for strength of schedule purposes.  The Slicers also defeated Portage (6-5), a sectional title game finalist.  Nick Latchford finished with an official 1,047 yards and 13 TDs on 155 carries and he'll return in 2010.  LaPorte was 5-0 at home and 1-4 on the road.  In the last four seasons, the Slicers are 16-7 at home and 7-16 on the road.  If I told you I knew why that was, I'd be lying to you.

7.)  5A Michigan City (6-4)
2008 (4-6), 2007 (2-8), 2006 (1-9), 2005 (6-5), 2004 (4-6)
 

MICHIGAN CITY:  Michigan City played without 1,000 yard-rusher Adam Harmon and lost 23-0 at Elkhart Memorial.  For purposes of the final rankings, though, we include Harmon, who gained 1,264 yards.  Forget the last game.  MC defeated South Bend Washington (8-3), Chesterton (7-4) and Valparaiso (5-5) and they were very competitive all season until the final game.  Big QB Rodney Washington (57 of 114, 960 yards) returns for 2010.  It won't be that easy to find an all-round player to replace Harmon next season but you can't convince me there isn't running back talent at Michigan City.  I've seen the track team.  MC can be better in 2010, but they'll have to be.  The DAC will be very strong in 2010.