Crown Point Preview

 Coach Pettit pumped over strong turnout for Bulldogs

Look to improve DAC standings in 2002
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CROWN POINT  (Aug. 7, 2002): It's easy to be optimistic on the opening day of the season but everything looked positive.

"We have 79 kids out," says second year coach Chip Pettit. "And 79 is about as many as we've had out in a long time. We feel good about it. We feel like we've made some strides in the off-season. I'm encouraged. I think we've closed the game on everybody (in the Duneland Conference) except for maybe Portage and Valpo."

Crown Point had some distance to close. They ended a 24-game losing streak with a victory last October over Michigan City. Crown Point's three-year record of 4-26 has been embarrassing for one of the 25 largest schools in the state. Even in the DAC, probably the toughest football league in northern Indiana, the Bulldogs feel they must do much better than that.

"I really feel good about where we are," said Pettit. "We're not just going to be competitive. I'm going to be disappointed if we don't win games. We've got a good group of seniors. A good group of leaders. Our four captains,  (Bobby) Rutherford, (Sean) O'Drobinak, (Chris) Kutanovski and (Nick) Hoffman. Those are four quality kids that we have leading us. They've  done a nice job and stayed focused during a long off-season."

"We all feel we've made strides and we're anxious to see it on the field. Whether it's the practice field or not. We're really not going to know anything for sure until Aug. 23.

"Our backup QB is O'Drobinak at least at the beginning of the season. Sean is more than adequate as a back-up quarterback but we lose him at another position (tight end).

"Sean has done everything we've asked him to do. It's been a neat transformation. It's been fun to coach him. Was he that hot on the position switch (QB to TE). Probably not. But he did it and he didn't whine about it. I think his parents are very happy.

"Whenever you uproot a kid from where he's comfortable and move him, you like to see it work out.  The nice things is, we finally feel we have kids who can match up with the top players in the Duneland. When you take Kutanovski, Rutherford and O'Drobinak and add them to juniors like Cowan, McInerney and Swenson, we've got kids who can play. I'm not saying we don't have holes. But, at least our top guys can match up with other teams top guys. We're not just out there getting pushed around."

"Swenson's doing great. I think he's going to be a surprise to a lot of people. Not the ones around here but people in the area. He's 6-2, 220 and he was about 200 last year.  We're going to run him at tailback.  He's put on good weight. Weight room-type weight. The key to us being a good team will be the offensive line with Nick Hoffman at center. We've got some kids  who are young but we've got talent. We're not playing guys who should be at fullback and linebacker like we did last year. Like  (Kelly) Fricke and (Chris) Kutanovski."

"We'll probably start a sophomore at tackle, Steve Ellingston. About 6-3, 245. Kids that probably have a head start are Riste Jakimoski and Corey Bush, We're probably looking at a senior, three juniors and a sophomore.   We've got an underclass-laden offense and a senior-laden defense.  We're looking at starting six or seven juniors on offense but we might put a defense out there that doesn't have junior on it."

"Kutanovski will play linebacker and some fullback but he'll get his rest on offense.  We're planning on playing Kutanovksi at linebacker and Troy Bush on the defensive line. And they'll share the fullback position. They'll both get their rest on offense. We want McInerny at 290, Ellingston at 250, get Troy Bush or Chris Kutanovski in front of them. And we're going to go with that."

"We're going to try to power people. If we can't, we're going to run the option with (Matt) Cowan and if we can't do either one, we're going to do the wacky stuff. Believe me, if you see us doing a lot of wacky stuff, you'll know the other stuff failed."

DOG NOTES: Crown Point will scrimmage at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14. CP scrimmages Griffith on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m..  Sophomore defensive back Matt Long may be out with an ankle injury. Junior James Fastero may need surgery on a wrist.  Senior linebacker Eric Gulbransen, a potentially significant player, who had decided not to play his senior year, has changed his mind and is working his way back onto the squad.