"The Renegade"

Week 13: High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report

11-11-2004

CROWN POINT (11-11-2004) - Here is the week where everybody runs the risk of getting exposed.  When you go to the regional level, the champion of one area faces the champ of another area and the results can be embarrassing. Everyone thinks their kids and their teams are better than other places, but not everybody welcomes the test to see if their prejudice is accurate. Most Lake County teams do not play games outside of Lake and Porter County all year. They could but they don't.

To be fair, North Judson does play Indianapolis Ritter, a good 'out-of-the-area' opponent. I'd like to see North Judson play Lowell and Andrean play independent Bishop Chatard. Merrillville USED to play McCutcheon. But teams have gotten so local that you can fool yourself. Until regional championship week.

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.) MERRILLVILLE (11-1)

Head Coach: Jeff Yelton (57-30, 9 years)

MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville was stone cold lucky to win last week, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes to win 44-38 in triple-overtime against rival Portage. I worry that you can contain their shotgun, one-back offense, especially as the weather deteriorates. Junior halfback James Aldridge (6-2, 215) hasn't been stopped. Aldridge (281 carries, 2,067 yards, 20 TDs) became the eighth player in NW Indiana history to gain over 2000 yards last week.

No NW Indiana team has ever won a 5A title and it's easy to see why. Merrillville faces the monumental task of beating Penn (11-1), Fort Wayne Snider (12-0) and then Warren Central (11-1) or Ben Davis (10-2). You need an extremely talented team to even hope to conquer Indiana prep football's 'Axis of Evil.' If Merrillville can revive a defense that's suddenly shaky (62 points in regulation time in 3 playoff games), they have a shot, even in front of 8,000 fans at Penn Friday.

STATUS: NOT AT THEIR BEST... and here comes the big test.

2.) Portage (8-4)

Head Coach: Craig Buzea (99-32, 10 years)

PORTAGE - Without injured HB Antoine Brown (256 carries, 1,561 yards, 21 TDs) Portage did a fine job against DAC champion Merrillville and should have won. They still don't know how they lost a 10-point lead in the final four minutes. Junior Justin Smith proved he'll be ready to roll next year when he gained 117 yards on 29 carries.

Portage lost twice to Merrillville after beating the Pirates twice last season. I thought Valparaiso had better players overall but Portage beat them twice. The Indians are No. 2.

STATUS:  8-4 is not bad... Did all they could with what they had.

3.) Valparaiso (6-5)

Head Coach: Mark Hoffman (191-127 in 28th year at Valparaiso, 193-135 in 29th year overall)

VALPARAISO - A tough year for a good team. I guess this proves that having a lot of seniors back is no guarantee of anything in the DAC. You've got to play through injuries, but the loss of linebacker Bo Gilliland, (Valpo's 2003 leading tackler) in game five of the season set these guys back. They'll need some new boys next year at most skill positions, but Valpo reportedly has a good sophomore and junior class. They lost in OT to Penn and twice by less than a TD to Portage. Sometimes things just don't go your way. HB Gilbert Allen (135-743 yards) returns but Jon Moon (119-231, 1,721 yards, 20 TDs, 7 INTs). Look out for Nate Windsor (6-1, 187), a potential QB.

STATUS: HARD LUCK IN '04... But they'll be back for more.

4.) Chesterton (5-5)

CHESTERTON - This team ended the year with a three-game losing streak, all to 5A schools by a grand total of 13 points. QB Casey Martin (108-202, 1,502 yards, 12 TDs, 8 INTs) ended a fine career on the football field but he still has basketball and baseball to go. Time ran out on the Trojans against Portage after they scored 21 second half points.

It's hard to have Griffith ranked above them because they beat the Panthers. Chesterton played a schedule ranked 18^th in the state. You have to rate teams based on the schedule they've played. As much as Lowell has done, they could not beat this team. You'd just be pretending to rate Lowell ahead of Chesterton.

STATUS: Incomplete mission... A .500 team in an elite division.

5.) LOWELL (9-3)

Head Coach: Kirk Kennedy (104-54 in 14th year at Lowell)

LOWELL - The Red Devils rolled over Highland 48-7 in the 4A Sectional championship game. Now, it's ranked teams the rest of the way.

Tailback Toby Goetz (257 carries, 1,897 yards, 27 TDs) appears to be near 100% going into the final three weeks which is the scenario Lowell hoped for. Jeff Clemens (51-612 yards) has taken to the running back position and appears to be the perfect compliment for Goetz. Clemens, with six interceptions at safety, has 22 TDs on the year. Lowell's offensive line also appears to be 90-100% healthy and that's the key to this team.

No one has held Wawasee under 20 points all year and Lowell probably won't be the first team to do so. But the Devils have run for 3,786 yards and 51 TDs and Wawasee probably can't stop that. One year after losing the regional final 20-13 to East Noble, Lowell again is on their home field in the regional title game. Wawasee hasn't been to a regional final in 19 years. The Devils are in the position they wanted to be in.

STATUS: THEY MUST CONTROL THE BALL... to win it all.

7.) Griffith (9-3)

GRIFFITH - Griffith never did get their pass defense where the wanted it and it cost them the sectional title. It was painful to see Andrean hit a 4^th-and 26 pass OVER THE TOP of what should have been a prevent defense with 2:06 left to score the winning TD in a 36-35 Andrean victory. That simply cannot happen. Next year, I would guess they'll move fullback Matt Nelleman (116-852 yards) back to QB, his original position. Drew Rogowski (98-920 yards) returned five kicks for TDs. He needs to get bigger and stronger and he'll be a bigger threat. Griffith will be fine. Once they forget about how the 2004 season ended.

STATUS: A SUDDEN END... but they'll win again.

8.) Hobart (9-2)

HOBART - Hobart ends the season with two losses, 24-7 to Portage (8-3) and 13-10 at Lowell (9-3). No one else in this area got as much out of their talent level. Without a true QB or much speed, Hobart was able to sweep the LAC Black Division. Marc Drobac (180 – 1,059 yards) ran over 1,000 yards rushing and Andrew Martin kicked five field goals.

The Brickies were a year ahead of schedule. The big season should be 2005 when two-way tackle Adam Bailey (6-4, 340) and LB-FB Richard Mitchell (6-0, 210) are seniors. Hobart's wins over Andrean (10-2) and Lowell (9-3) look better every week. Finally in a league where they can compete, the Brickies future is bright.

STATUS: MISSED THE BIG PRIZE... But still on the rise.

9.) LaPorte (7-4)

LaPORTE – They lost 28-16 to Penn to end the season but everybody loses to Penn, as Merrillville may find out this week.

Another very promising DAC team for 2005 with QB Lance Juergensen coming back off injury in front of tailback Airrence Shark (183 carries, 923 yards) and along side big junior receiver Kris Statts (6-2, 180), who caught 33 balls for 576 yards. All-state kicker Nick Ford (5 FGs) also returns. The class of 2006 is a team that was undefeated as freshmen. How about a team going 7-4 without the original starting QB? That doesn't happen much in high school. LaPorte is one of the reasons the DAC may have a peak year in 2005.

STATUS: AGAIN STOOD TALL... soon to win it all?

10.) CROWN POINT (4-7)

CROWN POINT – Look close at the record. CP lost to Hobart (9-2). Lost to LaPorte (7-4). Lost to Lowell (9-3), which is still playing. Split with Merrillville (11-1), which is still playing. Played an elite schedule with a largely underclass team.

Many players got experience against a schedule ranked in the top 25 (No. 18) in the state. Returning next season are WR-DB Matt Ernest (47 catches – 1,031 yards), HB-PK Donny Keiser (71-401 yards) and HB-LB Jon Sertich (119-695 yards), not to mention QB Matt Jansen (133-242, 1,976 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs), who should get some votes for the junior all-state team. The Bulldogs will return approximately 15 starters. The trouble is, all those same opponents return a lot of good boys as well.

STATUS: THEY CAN RUN AND THROW... Up is the only way to go.

11.) North Judson (11-1)
Head Coach: Kevin Cox, (31-7 in 3rd year at North Judson)

NORTH JUDSON - Remember when a lot of people had Whiting in the top-10?  North Judson was always a better choice.  It's hard to say they're better than Rensselaer after both meetings went to overtime (Judson won 16-13 last week.).  Judson won a 12^th sectional title and ran their winning streak to nine games. The Jays are Griffith-East averaging 300 yards rushing per game. HB Zach Pavlik (212 – 1,628 yards, 24 TDs) and passer Alex Zembala (57-125, 1,046 yards, 14 TDs) didn't roll over Rensselaer, but the Jays defense held the 400-yard-per game Bombers to 267 yards. This was the 5^th straight year that North Judson played Rensselaer in the sectional.

This is the team with the best chance to reach Indianapolis.  Look at the path.  With a power running game and only one player going both ways (a rarity for 2A), Judson should advance.

STATUS: ON A STREAK... They'll be playing next week.