Week 10 Picks:  2006 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

October 19, 2006

WEEK (9) NINE RECAP:  The weather (40 degrees and 15-20 MPH wind) only brought scores down slightly.  Lowell scored 47 points and New Prairie scored 42 because the wind didn't affect them.  They don't throw the ball on warm nights.  Only CP's Blake Mascarello (11-of-15 ) had a good percentage.  Wheeler rested their starting QB Devin Schluter for the playoffs by not playing him against Noll.  A smart move.  A smart move I wish I'd have known about before I picked Wheeler to beat Noll.  Clark just outplayed Gavit.  Give them credit.  Merrillville just can't be consistent on offense.  Andrean also rested key players for the playoffs (I don't know why more teams don't do that), and that's why that game was close.  A lot of folks thought Portage would upset LaPorte, but few thought North Judson would shut down Twin Lakes.  KV should not have given up 35 points to Whiting and Griffith should have scored more than 17 on Hobart.

BIGGEST WINNER - WEEK (9) NINE:  HOBART.  To lose an offensive lineman like they did against Lowell in week eight and then survive a shaky game by the QB to win a big one on the road shows Hobart that they can overcome anything.  No defense has stopped Griffith all year and the Brickies looked good again.  Only Crown Point and Andrean have scored consistently on Hobart and these are big time offenses.  Nobody wants to say it out loud, but Hobart has the best TWO offensive players in the entire LAC.

RUNNER UP: WEEK (9) NINE:  PORTAGE.  Other than that LAC title that Hobart got, nobody got more out of week nine than Portage did as they became the first team to totally shut down LaPorte's 40-points-per-game offense.  At the stat of the year, almost everybody thought Portage was simply better than LaPorte so this wasn't a big surprise.  Portage held 1,400-yard rusher Airrence Shark to under 100 yards in a 24-7 verdict.  Why wouldn't this team, which, you should remember, has virtually the entire defense back from last season, not feel confident that they can stop anyone, anytime?

WEEK 9 (2006) PIX recap

WEEK 1:  9 of 13 = 69.1%
WEEK 2:  10 of 15 = 66.7%
WEEK 3:  11 of 13 = 84.6%
WEEK 4:  11 of 14 = 78.6%
WEEK 5:  9 of 12 = 75.0%
WEEK 6:  10 of 13 = 76.9%
WEEK 7:  11 of 12 = 91.7%
WEEK 8:  10 of 11 = 83.3%
WEEK 9:  7 of 12 = 58.3%
2006 Season to date:  88 of 115 = 76.5% 
2005 (final) OVERALL:  170 of 233 = 72.9%

Northwest Indiana
WEEK 10 (TEN) PICKS, 10-20-2006

(10-20-2006)  WEEK (10) TEN -  This is the annual Geneva Convention week where teams that should not be in the playoffs get tortured right up to the legal limits.  I don't know why the same people who would NEVER wish for all teams in pro or college football actually want all high school teams to make the post-season.  All it does is create some unpleasant beatings and lots of hard feelings.  Obviously 0-9 and 1-8 teams should walk away before they get hurt again.  Again, if only winning teams make the playoffs, some teams that have had a bad season can actually finish with a win.  As it is, virtually everyone loses their last game.  But no.  We don't want that.  We want broken down players to get nine more touchdowns piled on them in front of small crowds on cold nights.  We call it giving everybody one more chance.  One more chance to get kicked in the head.

Some of the worst mismatches send Wirt to 3A No. 6 Andrean.  River Forest is forced to play the same South Central team that beat them 48-6 last week.  And North Newton has to walk the march of death up to Hammond to get massacred by Bishop Noll.  The worst of the state-sponsored executions in the all-inclusive playoffs will be South Bend Adams taking cruel and unusual punishment from 5A No. 7 Penn.  The real playoffs begin on Oct. 27.

IN THE CLOSET:  Just like at the House of Representatives in Washington, the closet is officially closed.  To make the playoffs means you are on stage and that means your show can be canceled due to bad reviews.  All games will be predicted and, especially this first week, I ask you not to be too sensitive.  I promise not to pick anything more than an eight touchdown spread.


(1A) CULVER (10-20-2006)  A pretty difficult game to call.  Whiting has to take the two-hour drive out to see a Culver squad that's been on and off after a 3-0 start.   The Oilers' Anthony Dumezich threw for over 350 yards last week  but Culver doesn't have to sit on the bus half the night and they are coming in off a 20-0 shutout of LaVille.  Whiting breaks a tie game open late.
                            Whiting (7-2) 28,  Culver (5-4) 14


(1A) FRANCESVILLE (10-20-2006)  West Central has been shut out four times. They gained 46 yards on 33 carries last week against Pioneer. Lake Station has been shut out six times.  Here's the first game to draw the question: "Why does this game have to be played?.".  Lake Station boys will spend this week asking, "Where on earth is Francesville?"
                            West Central (3-6) 35,  Lake Station (1-8)  0


(1A) LAKEVILLE (10-20-2006)  Is this a serious match up?   South Newton averages 41 points a game and has an all-state QB in Eric Watt (15-of-19, 184 yards, 4 TDs last week against North Newton) and LaVille has been held to seven points or less seven times.
                            South Newton (9-0) 42,  LaVille  (2-7) 0


(1A) UNION MILLS (10-20-2006)  What did River Forest do to deserve this?  SC beat them 48-6 last week at RF and this week they have to head to union Mills for a rematch.   River Forest which allows 53 points per game, might be the state's worst team.  This is cruel and unusual punishment.
                          South Central (4-5) 56 ,  River Forest (0-9)  0


(2A) WINAMAC (10-20-2006)  Big Chief Winamac wants heap big explanation why 3-6 teams have to play anybody anymore.   Guerin Catholic is the new Catholic school in rich kid Hamilton County so they'll have a really nice bus to drive two hours to Pulaski County.  The Warriors have won their last two.  Guerin has allowed almost 35 points a game.
                            Whiting (7-2) 28,  Culver (5-4) 14


(2A) KNOX (10-20-2006)  Knox got crushed by New Prairie last week but Rensselaer isn't New Prairie.  This might seem like an upset because Knox has been way down and Rensselaer has been way up. But look at this year. Knox moves on.
                            Knox (5-4) 16, Rensselaer (3-6) 12


(2A) HAMMOND (10-20-2006)  A 48-minute waste of time.  North Newton surely wants  to move on but the format requires then to drive two hours to north Hammond to get slaughtered again.  North Newton has as much chance of winning this game as Rex Grossman does of being MVP of then NFL this year.
                            Bishop Noll (6-3) 48, North Newton (1-8) 0


(2A) NORTH JUDSON  (10-20-2006)  Too close to call and too good a game to be a sectional quarterfinal.  But we're Indiana and we just don't know enough to seed the sectional tournament like they do in civilized states.  Forget what Wheeler did last week because QB Devin Schluter didn't play. Judson has found new live running the ball in the second half of the season.  This one could go to overtime.
                           North Judson (8-1) 21, Wheeler (5-4) 20


(3A) HAMMOND (10-20-2006)  Clark has been competitive in almost every game while Calumet has had a long walk between drinks of water.  On a decent weather night, this game isn't that close.  Clark is going to the sectional final and they know it.
                            Clark (4-5) 42, Calumet (2-7) 14


(3A) HAMMOND (10-20-2006)  Hammond has lost 25 consecutive regular season games but, I cant believe it. they're going to win here.  Gavit has struggled all year with a slow defense..and Hammond for an 0-9 squad, is playing a little better.   Now, once Hammond wins this game, they should call a press conference, declare 'Mission Accomplished' and move on to basketball.
                            Hammond (0-9) 28, Gavit (2-7) 20


(3A) MERRILLVLLE (10-20-2006)  Here's the 15th example of why you should have to qualify for the state tournament. Come on.  This isn't a real game.  Wirt's gonna get whipped like a government mule and no one will watch. No one will care and, hopefully, no one will get hurt. 
                            ANDREAN (7-2) 56, Wirt (3-6) 0


(3A) GRIFFITH (10-20-2006)  Say goodbye to Morton. They got a bad break when they drew Griffith at Griffith.  They got another bad break when Griffith lost last week. The Panthers can run. Morton cant stop the run. Just a bad matchup.
                           Griffith (8-1) 56, Morton (5-4) 20


(4A) HOBART (10-20-2006) The Brickies have been hitting harder recently than suspended University of Miami football players dominating for a half against Andrean, blanking Lowell at Lowell and controlling Griffith.  Nobody's coming in off a better three weeks of conquests.   Munster is 2-4 after a 3-0 start and they are not experienced enough for this game. 
                            Hobart (8-1) 42,  Munster (5-4) 20


(4A) HIGHLAND (10-20-2006)  Gary West Side didn't even bother to play nine games this year and that speaks for itself . Highland was overmatched in the LAC Black Division but now, its their turn. West Side will be overmatched when they get off the bus.
                            Highland (2-7) 35, Gary West Side (2-5) 8


(4A) GARY (10-20-2006)  Could be a landmark game. I don't believe Gary Roosevelt has ever won a playoff game and Wallace is 0-0 so Roosevelt's time may be now. Maybe not. But these two played last month and Velt won just 16-14.  There is a silly sentiment to think that 0-9 teams that don't belong here can win one and ride off into the sunset.
I've just got  a feeling about this one.  But then, that's what the Phoenix Cardinals said Monday night against the Bears.
                            Lew Wallace (0-9) 24, Gary Roosevelt (3-6) 20


(4A) LOWELL (10-20-2006)  This is a test of strength of schedule. KV has played nobody all year and Lowell, much to their dismay, has played everybody. The Devils have been shut out four times, all by top-10 teams. Kougar star Dustin Wilson has scored 33 TDs this year but is he better than Morton's David Wallace, CP's Jon Sertich, Griffith's David Alexander, Hobart's Andrew Jackson and Bobby James? Lowell has faced all those offensive stars.  KV won the game they wanted top win last week.  The Kougars cant stop the run and Lowell runs the ball all night long. 
                            LOWELL (4-5) 35, Kankakee Valley (8-1) 17


(5A) ELKHART (10-20-2006)  Riley is perhaps the worst 5A program in the state.  They are 11-49 over the last six seasons and they haven't won a playoff game outside of South Bend since the Clinton administration.  Central shut out Clay last week 14-0 and Clay beat Riley 21-10. Elkhart Central beat Riley just 7-6 earlier this year but I think the gap has widened.
                            Elkhart Central (5-4) 21, Riley (3-6)  0


(5A) SOUTH BEND (10-20-2006)  Clay was the best city school in South Bend this year and they play seven 5A schools including Penn. The Colonials lost to St. Joseph's 30-20 and last week's loss to Elkhart Central was a shock.   Memorial plays a lot of smaller schools and it doesn't work for them.  The Chargers are on a three-game losing steak and they'll start next year with a four game loss streak.  They are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
                            (SB) Clay (6-3) 28,  Elkhart Memorial (3-6) 14

(5A) SOUTH BEND (10-20-2006)  No contest. Adams lost 35-8 at Penn last week and the gap is larger than that. Penn would be 9-0 if they played the schedule that Adams plays.  How does a team go 7-2 and end up on the road against an 0-9 team?  Please. Seed the tournament.   It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to give Penn a home game against Adams. I don't think I'm going out on a limb here. . 
                            Penn (7-2) 56, (SB) Adams (0-9) 0

(5A) ELKHART(10-20-2006)  LaPorte got stuffed for the first time all year last week, losing 24-7 to Portage.  I'm going strong on the bounce back factor here. Mishawaka is playing with a second string QB on the road. I believe starter Ian Hinton is out for this game.  The Slicers will hear all week about they always get upset in the sectional. That wont happen this week.  This is a pride game for LaPorte after getting embarrassed last week.
                            LaPorte (6-3) 41,  Mishawaka (5-4) 28

(5A) MICHIGAN CITY (10-20-2006)  Bad matchup here. The Wolves have given up over 2000 yards passing and Chesterton QB Alex Beierwalter is the top passer in the DAC. The earlier matchup was won 49-14 by Chesterton. Nobody wants to really see them play again but they have to.
                            Chesterton (4-5) 42, Michigan City (1-8) 7

(5A) EAST CHICAGO (10-20-2006)  Merrillville has been crippled by an unofficial 24 turnovers in nine games. How much that matters here I don't know. In the middle of August , Merrillville beat East Chicago 39-3. This is the last meeting in the foreseeable future for these two. EC finds another foe next year and probably drops to Class 4A.
                          Merrillville (5-4) 35, East Chicago (2-7) 0

(5A) ST. JOHN (10-20-2006)  LC has lost five of their last six and they have allowed more points this season than they have scored.  The Bulldogs may be a little shaky on opening night because the expectations are high.  But LC doesn't have a lot defensively they can control CP with
                            CROWN POINT (9-0) 28,  Lake Central (4-5) 13

(5A) VALPARAISO (10-20-2006)  Portage beat up on Valparaiso 51-21 three weeks ago and it didn't seem right then. On the computer, Portage is a 4-point favorite. If you look back, I've said for nine weeks that Valpo is better than they have played.  Portage has a soph QB making his playoff debut.  This is an upset waiting to happen.
                            Valparaiso (3-5) 17, Portage (5-4) 14