Week 10- Football Game of the Week Preview

Class 5A, Sectional 1 Quarterfinals: Crown Point (6-3) at Munster (5-4)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-20-2011

Head coach Leroy Marsh is 197-133 in his 33rd year at Munster.

 

When: 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 21, 2011

Where: Munster High School, 8118 S. Columbia, Munster, IN (about 1-block east of Calumet Avenue and three blocks south of Ridge Road).

TV/Radio/Internet: WJOB (1230) AM. Live updates of all local scores all night on WLPR (89.1) FM. Live Internet audio stream on www.USA-365.com. 

TICKETS: $6

ENROLLMENT: CP - 2,532; Munster - 1,560.

WEATHER: Winter is here. Or, at least, near. The high Friday is only going to be in the low-50s, which means game-time temperatures will sit in the high-40s. The forecast is for the week-long high winds to die down by Friday night, but don't count on that. You can count on the fact that there will not be a muddy field, because Munster has two-year-old artificial turf. Fans will need more than a letter jacket to last through this one. Take heavy coats and hand warmers. Those are Jingle Bells you hear off in the distance.

PARKING: Not good at Munster. The field is on the east side of Columbia Ave. and most of the parking is on the west side of Columbia. Most of the parking is south of the school and there is a bit of a walk. In this level of cold, however, there may not be that big a crowd so there should not be many parking problems.

Class 5A Sectional 1 Quarterfinals - Oct. 21

Portage [3-6] at Valparaiso [4-5]
CROWN POINT [6-3] at Munster [5-4]
Chesterton [4-5] at Michigan City [1-8]
Lake Central [8-1] at MERRILLVILLE [6-3]

WHAT's AT STAKE: The CP-Munster winner probably hosts Valparaiso in the sectional semifinals on Oct. 28. If Crown Point tops Munster, they would host either Valpo or Portage. Munster would travel to Portage. The IHSAA brackets appear complicated (because they are), but it appears that a Crown Point-Merrillville rematch would be in Merrillville and a CP-Lake Central rematch would be at Lake Central.


Duneland Conference (final)
1. MERRILLVILLE 6-1, 6-3
2. LAKE CENTRAL 6-1, 8-1
3. Valparaiso 4-3, 4-5
4. CROWN POINT 4-3, 6-3
5. Chesterton 3-4, 4-5
6. Portage 3-4, 3-6
7. LaPorte 1-6, 3-6
8. Michigan City 0-8, 1-8

HISTORY: Munster has always played Crown Point. When the school first played varsity football in 1966, Munster was 8-2, losing only to Wirt and Crown Point. Munster and CP were long time rivals in the old Lake Suburban Conference from 1971 to 1992, and if the IHSAA ever allows a 10th varsity game, it might be CP-Munster. The Mustangs played CP every year from 1968 to 1992 when the LSC broke up and CP went to the Duneland Conference.

 

Munster is the "poster child" for coaching stability. They have only had two varsity coaches in the nearly five decades the school has been open. John Friend was 104-31-4 from 1966 to 1979 and Leroy Marsh has gone 197-132 in the last 33 years. Teams like to play Munster because they know what they're getting on the field as far as quality and behavior. Munster players are almost always well behaved and competitive and that is a reflection of their coach.

The Mustangs added Chesterton to their nonconference schedule this year, a nod to the fact that the school is now in the Class 5A playoffs and Chesterton, LC and CP are sectional rivals. Some who watch the games are speculating that because in 2011 Munster defeated Lowell and Morton, that they could take down bigger schools. We are about to find out.

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Crown Point Bulldogs (6-3)
Coach Chip Pettit (66-48, 10 years)
2010: 8-4 2009: 3-7, 2008: 3-7
Sectional titles: 1998, 1991, 2006
Regional title: 1991
Lost 2010 5A sectional 1 championship game 16-6 at Valparaiso

Aug. 19 (W) 27-6 at Lowell (5-4)
Aug. 26 (W) 45-6 Hobart (2-7)
Sept. 2 (L) 20-21 Merrillville (6-3)
Sept. 9 (L) 7-26 at LC (8-1)
Sept 16 (W) 42-0 at Portage (4-5)
Sept. 23 (L) 14-21 Valparaiso (4-5)
Sept. 30 (W) 42-0 LaPorte (3-6)
Oct. 7 (W) 28-6 at Chesterton (4-5)
Oct. 14 (W) 24-7 Michigan City (1-8)

Munster Mustangs (5-4)
Coach: Leroy Marsh (198-132, 33rd season)
2010: 7-4, 2009: 7-3, 2008: 7-4
Sectional titles (5) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993 and 1996
Regionals (1) 1986
Lost 2010 Class 5A Sectional 1 semifinal 28-10 to Crown Point

8-19 (L) 21-28 Lake Central (8-1)
8-26 (L) 0-28 at Chesterton (4-5)
9-2 (W) 29-0 Highland (2-7)
9-9 (L) 13-27 Andrean (9-0)
9-16 (W) 30-26 at Morton (8-1)
9-23 (L) 13-20 at Griffith (5-4)
9-30 (W) 41-6 at Hobart (2-7)
10-7 (W) 27-8 Lowell (5-4)
10-14 (W) 21-0 at KV (2-7)

Class 5A Sectional 1
10-21 (Fri) at Crown Point (6-3)
10-28 at Valparaiso or home vs. Portage

MUNSTER Update:

MUNSTER (10-21-2011) Munster is at a peak this season. They have some very experienced players in QB Mark Strbjak (6-4, 195), safety Luke Nossem (6-3, 220) and runner Nick Brajak (6-1, 195). The size they have this year is what you need to compete in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC). Munster plays in the Northwest Crossroads Conference, but the eight-team 5A Sectional 1 includes seven other bigger DAC schools.

Senior quarterback Mark Strbjak (51 of 127, 743 yards, 9 TDs) does not have the numbers I thought he would this season, but the Mustangs have run the ball better. Nick Brajak ran for TDs of four and 48 yards last week in their 21-0 win over KV. Fullback Chimez Okolocha (6-0, 190) and wingback Christian Leonakis (5-10, 190), who got 98 yards on 11 carries last week, are hard runners as well.

Strbjak threw for threw TDs against Morton and for two against Lowell. But they would traditionally prefer to run out of the Wing-T attack and rely on the defense, which has allowed just 17 points a game this season and no more than 28 points to anyone in any game.

Munster may sit in a 5-3 front and dare CP to throw the ball, especially if the weather isn't good. Morton is the only passing team Munster has faced and Morton's Chris McCormack completed 17 of 36 passes for 311 yards, even though the Mustangs won.

Lucas Nossem (TE/ILB) plays both ways and he caught two TD passes in the win over 4A No. 7 Morton. Munster likes to throw to the running backs on Strbjak roll outs and they want to take time off the clock. You can rush Strbjak (6-4, 195) and get there, but it's hard to get him on the ground and it's hard to disrupt his view. Kicker Colin Mudronick is good from 30 yards in on field goals. Munster is a conservative team and they can come from behind.

The Mustangs aren't going to bury you in the first quarter, but the longer you let them stay close, the more danger you are in.

CROWN POINT Update:

CROWN POINT (10-21-2011) The Bulldogs won their last three games, allowing one TD in each game. If you are facing CP, look at their record and not at the numbers. CP averages 300 yards a game on offense and the defense has allowed 93 points all year. In six games, the opposition has not scored more than one TD.

QB Joe Hopman (81 of 154, 1,149 yards, 12 TDs, 4 interceptions) has had just four interceptions on a team that has a DAC-low eight turnovers in nine games. Junior receivers Tyler Wells (24 catches, 380 yards) and Zach Plesac (17 catches, 244 yards) are all in the stat sheet every game. Basketball forward Braxton Rice (6-6, 180) has averaged 19 yards a catch.

Halfback Jake Lindeman (93 carries, 385 yards) is out with an ankle injury, but sophomore Tristan Peterson (100 carries, 519 yards, 6 TDs) has filled in without any drop off. Peterson has breakaway sped and he caught three passes last week for 27 yards as well.

Kicker Brett Bayer is 33 of 34 on extra points and he has field goals of 23, 24, 38 and 41 yards. CP has a three-year vet at kicker and QB.

Defensively, linebacker Jordan Krajci (5-10, 185) has 88 tackles while tackle Cameron Tanner (6-1, 260) has seven quarterback sacks. Safety Logan McRae has three interceptions and is averaging 40 yards per kickoff return.

The Bulldogs use a 3-5-3 formation defensively and, the five linebackers off the line can be very difficult to block. CP dares you to throw and most teams have to take that challenge and make a big play or the mobile eight-man front prevents long drives.

Other than injured (ankle) halfback Jake Lindeman, who they may need in the playoffs (it's hard to ask a sophomore to produce consistently and you need two running backs), CP does not have any serious injuries they have made public.
 

CP should be 8-1. They led Merrillville 20-14 with one minute to play and they had three chances to score in the fourth quarter of a 21-14 loss to Valpo.