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Class
5A Sectional 1 Semifinal
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Week
11 - Football Game of the Week Preview |
Class
5A Sectional 1 Semifinal
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10-26-2005
When:
Friday, October 28, 2005.
Where: Crown Point High School, 1500 South Main, Crown Point, IN.
Tickets: $5 (Plenty will be available at the gate.)
TV/Radio/Internet: www.USA-365.com, WHLP (89.9) FM
Weather: Low 50s, dry.
PARKING:
Chesterton won't bring many fans, but the weather forecast
is good so a capacity crowd is expected. CP can conceivably only have one
more home game after this so local fans might want to turn out to see the
undefeated Bulldogs again without traveling.
THE SERIES: CP’s win three weeks ago gave the Bulldogs an 11-10
all-time lead in this series, which began in earnest when CP joined Chesterton
in the Duneland Athletic Conference in 1993. These schools have no rivalry,
but two bits of trivia do tie them. The final game ever at the old Crown Point
high school was a 34-14 win over Chesterton on Oct 25, 2002. The final game at
the old Chesterton high school was a 56-28 win over Crown Point on Oct 8, 1999.
Present CP athletic director Bill Dorulla was Chesterton’s head coach that
night.
To be honest, neither of these schools has ever been a football power for an extended period of time, even going back to the days when both played in the old Calumet Conference. Chesterton has nine winning seasons in 30 years and they've never won a sectional title.
Chesterton did not play football from 1946 to 1959 for reasons that are not explained. They were 66-24-2 in the 1960s but have never approached that level of success again. When the Bulldogs were at a peak going 43-13 from 1987 to 1991, Chesterton was going 13-41 in those same years. But when CP was losing 22 games in a row from 1999-2001, Chesterton was 21-11 in those three years.
The
Trojans are 10-20 all-time in playoff games. Crown Point has 20 winning seasons
in 50 years and they have been beyond the regional level in the state tournament
only once. Neither of these schools has ever won more than 10 games in any
varsity football season.
Chesterton and Crown Point have never been strong in the same period of time,
which explains the lack of memorable games and the lack of animosity or rivalry
between the two schools.
5A No. 2 Crown Point (10-0, 7-0 DAC)
Coach: Chip
Pettit (28-24, 5th year at CP;
33-31 in 7th year overall)
Enrollment:
2,190
Sectional
titles (2) 1981, 88
Regional
titles (1) 1988
2004
record: 4-7
Lost
Sectional 1 semifinal at home 34-19 to eventual
sectional
champion Merrillville.
Crown
Point Bulldogs (10-0, 7-0 DAC)
8-19 (W) 16-6 at Lowell (6-4)
8-26 (W) 26-0 Hobart (5-5)
9-2 (W) 13-0 5A No. 10 Merrillville (8-2)
9-9 (W) 23-0 at Lake Central (2-8)
9-16 (W) 31-21 at Portage (3-7)
9-23 (W) 13-10 Valparaiso (5-5)
9-30 (W) 35-7 5A No. 9 LaPorte (9-1)
10-7 (W) 34-17 at Chesterton (2-8)
10-14 (W) 47-7 Michigan City (6-4)
5A Sectional 1 playoffs
10-21 (W) 45-20 at Valparaiso (5-5)
10-28 (Fri) vs. Chesterton (3-7)
11-4 (Fri) at Merrillville (8-2) or Michigan City (6-4)
Class
5A Chesterton (3-7, 3-4)
Coach: John Snyder (5th
year - 27-26)
Enrollment:
1,833
Sectional titles (0) none
2004 record: 7-4
Lost the 5A Sectional one quarterfinal game 35-28 to Portage
Chesterton Trojans (3-7, 3-4)
8-19 (L) 14-17 at 3A No. 4 Andrean (8-2)
8-26 (L) 6-56 3A No. 1 Griffith (10-0)
9-2 (L) 35-49 at Michigan City (6-4)
9-9 (L) 27-38 5A No. 9 LaPorte (9-1)
9-16 (L) 21-35 Valparaiso (5-5)
9-23 (W) 28-14 at Portage (2-8
9-30 (W) 31-0 Lake Central (2-8)
10-7 (L) 17-34 at 5A No. 2 Crown Point (10-0)
10-14 (L) 23-35 at 5A No. 10 Merrillville (8-2)
5A
Sectional 1 playoffs
10-21 (W) 49-28 Chesterton (2-8)
10-28 (Fri) at 5A No. 2 Crown Point (10-0)
11-4 (Fri) at Merrillville (8-2) or Michigan City (6-4)
Chesterton (3-7) at 5A No. 2 CROWN POINT (10-0)
Chesterton Offense: 25.2 ppg. Defense: 31.2 ppg.
CROWN
POINT Offense: 28.3 ppg, Defense: 9.5 ppg.
Sagarin Computer rankings: Crown Point by 22
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| Seniors DE Chris Rutherford #3 and LB Nick Ciochina #35 help anchor the Bulldogs' "35" defense, shown here on sidelines during CP's 45-20 win over Valpo, 10-21-2005. (Photo by Mark Smith.) |
CROWN
POINT (10-26-2005) Crown
Point may quietly be very happy to see Chesterton instead of Portage in the
sectional semifinals because they know what the Trojans want to do.
Everybody does.
Sophomore quarterback Alex Beierwalter (159 of 290, 2,078 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs)
throws 30 passes a game and they won’t change that Friday night. The Trojans
will spread four or five receivers on every play and try to wear you out. The
trouble is, they wear their own defense out and that’s why Chesterton has
allowed 31 points per game.
Still, there's no other way to go. Travis Anderson (5-11, 170) caught 39 passes
during the regular season for 333 yards. Adam Nallenwag (6-1, 160) caught 38 for
424 yards. But the Trojans deepest threat is Adam Hutnick (5-10, 160), who has
plus speed.
Beierwalter (6-1, 175) will, barring injury, lead this squad on offense for the
next two years and the experience he is getting now is invaluable. There were
only 16 seniors on the pre-season Chesterton roster. So while other teams in the
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) graduate the majority of one unit or another,
the Trojans return more than everybody in 2006.
But what about Friday night? What was unsaid about Chesterton’s 49-28
win over Portage last week was the fact that Portage gained 466 total yards and
22 first downs. That was no fluke. On the year, the Trojans, admittedly playing
one of the state’s top-30 schedules (this will be Chesterton's 6th game
against a top-10 team), has allowed over 3,700 yards. The Trojans trailed CP
20-17 at the half on Oct. 7th, but were shut out in the second half as the
Bulldogs rushed for 192 yards.
The perceived systemic flaw in CP's '35' defense (three linemen, five linebackers) is that there are only three defensive backs on the field. Opposing teams figure the way to beat them is to throw on early downs against the corners, who probably cannot get help other than linebackers. A multiple wide receiver formation automatically gets a wide receiver on a linebacker, which is a QB's dream.
But CP' outside linebackers, especially Jordan Rhye, are more like big safeties who can cover. It doesn't work because you have to be perfect. A couple of bad throws and you quickly punt the ball back to the CP offense. The CP defenders dare you to go deep because they know you don't have time against the blitzing 3-5 front. It's a front you can't block because 1.) You don't know who's blitzing and 2.) Because you've spread out so many wide receivers you have no backs to pick up the blitz.
The real way to attack the 3-5 is the way Valparaiso tried to; establishing the threat of the pass, double-teaming the nose guard and trying to get a standoff with the end and inside linebacker so your runner can pick up good gains.
Look for the Trojans to do just that with big Patrick Small (6-2, 200), who gained 83 yards on 11 carries last week in the 49-28 win over Chesterton. Chesterton may invert their offensive philosophy, throwing on first down and running on second and third down. I would also not be surprised to see Beierwalter run the ball himself a half dozen times out of four and five wide receiver formations.
Thee is also a chance that the Trojans run some option plays, just to blow up their tendencies. Beierwalter can't just stand back there and throw the ball. That dog won't hunt against one of the state's top defenses. Watch for the Bulldogs to throw heart, home and mom's apple pie at Beierwalter, who truthfully needs 350-400 yards passing Friday to beat CP. One man to watch is Rhye, who has 9.5 sacks and three interceptions, including two returned for TDs.
Nobody has to tell Chesterton they are a bad defensive team so look for some unorthodox defensive fronts and blitzes to disrupt CP’s young offensive line. I think you have to bring a lot of pressure against Jansen (44 of 66, 673 yards, 5 TDS, one INT) and risk CP hitting big plays in the hopes of getting some negative yardage plays or turnovers. You need to take control of the clock away from CP and you do that by forcing the issue defensively. You've got to get the Bulldogs out of their comfort zone.
To
sit back with six defensive backs or drop eight men into coverage against an
offense this potent is like being on death row. You know you're going to get
executed, you just don't know when.
And honestly, CP's running backs Donny Keiser (134, 869 yards, 11 TDs) and Jon
Sertich (124 carries, 705 yards, 6 TDs) will set the table here with solid gains
early. The Bulldogs will keep the Chesterton passing attack on the
sidelines with ball control. Beierwalter tosses an early TD but a couple
of interceptions will lead to a 17-7 CP lead early.
Crown Point is 10-0 with seven wins by 10 points or more with relatively low totals of 26 quarterback sacks, 22 takeaways and only 29 points a game. How? The defense, which doesn't substitute and calls signals from the sidelines, simply locks you down as the game goes on.
The Trojans may score first and last but the Bulldogs will score a lot in between. A 150-yard rushing game for Donny Keiser will push him over 1,000 yards and, in honor of the White Sox, this week's 'Pick to Click' is fullback Tommy Parks, who will get 125 combined yards running and catching. Defenses don't pay much attention to him.
On a good weather night, Crown Point goes to 11-0 for the first time in school history.
CROWN POINT 51, Chesterton 24
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reserved.
Revised: October 26, 2005
.