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Class 5A, Sectional 1 Semifinals:
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Week 11- Football Game of the Week Preview
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Class 5A, Sectional 1 Semifinals:
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10-27-2010
When: 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 29, 2010
Where: Munster High School, 8118 S. Columbia, Munster, IN (about 1-block east of
Calumet Avenue and three blocks south of Ridge Road).
Enrollment: CP - 2,442; Munster - 1,652.
WEATHER: Cold and dry. Mid-50s during the day. Upper-40s by the
end of the game. Munster has artificial turf now so any rain during the week is
not an issue. There have been high winds all week and I do not know if that will
continue Friday. High winds would neutralize Brett Bayer, CP's junior place
kicker.
TICKETS: Sectional playoff tickets are $6 (the IHSAA says so) and
there will be tickets available at the gate. Munster simply is not a DAC-sized
school and they do not have a large athletic campus. Even with the cold
conditions most of the week, Munster should bring a good crowd for this game so
you need to arrive early or you will be parking behind the school and walking
some distance. Again, tickets are $6, not $5 as they have been during the
regular season.
All-time series: Munster leads 17-13. Crown Point won 35-9 at
Munster on Oct. 19, 2007.
HISTORY: Munster is the affluent town of 22,000 at the western
edge of central Lake County. The average family income at the last census was
$75,000, which is more than any other place in NW Indiana.
The Munster school system is one of the top performers in the state and Munster High School is the crown jewel. Folks say that having a lot of money does not mean quality education and quality schools, but those folks usually haven't seen really poor schools. I think the reason Munster is growing (they had 1,300 students five years ago) is the condition of the aging, and under-funded school systems in Hammond and Lansing, Ill. (immediately west across the border from Munster). With the high school consolidation in south Hammond stalled and the disco-era facilities they have at Hammond and Gavit, I'd move my kids to Munster too, if I could.
The Mustangs were conference buddies of CP in the old Lake Suburban Conference (1970-to-1992), but CP grew to the present size and jumped to the big school Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) in 1993. Munster stayed in the Lake Shore and now the Northwest Crossroads Conference. Since Munster is now the largest school in the NCC, there is talk of the Mustangs becoming a school in the Duneland Athletic Conference.
While I can't imagine what's in it for Munster agreeing to join a conference with two teams (LaPorte and Michigan City) 50 miles to the east, teams like Lake Central, Merrillville and Crown Point would appreciate more conference games close to home. I don't believe that Munster high school will continue to grow while CP, Lake Central and Merrillville probably will. Could Munster play in the DAC in football? Not right now. They swept two games from Lake Central, but LC was seventh in the DAC this year. Playing in the DAC is not winning one or two games from DAC schools like Munster and Lowell do. Playing in the DAC means playing against 75-to-100-man squads seven weeks in a row. But Munster plays 3A and 4A schools during the regular season and then tries to defeat 5A schools in the state tournament. That dog not only won't hunt. He won't even get in the pickup truck.
Any school would appreciate Munster athletic teams on the
schedule because they don't really have a weak program in the school, especially
in individual sports like tennis, swimming and golf. But Munster probably
appreciates the rare opportunity to play Merrillville and Crown Point in
football and the athletic department certainly appreciates getting a check
(sectional gate receipts are shared) from the DAC sectional. But Munster folks
sometimes don't show up for football and they rarely see CP anymore.
Take a close look at Friday's crowd. These are rivals of another generation and
I don't think either wanted to give up that date with the other. The Munster-CP
series was a victim of circumstances. Regardless of the outcome, a standing room
only crowd Friday night in 45-degree weather and the talk of Munster moving to
the DAC becomes a little louder.
MUNSTER (7-3)
Coach Leroy Marsh 191-128 (31st year)
2009 Record: 7-3
Sectionals (5) 1985, 86, 87, 1993 and 1996
Regionals: (1) 1986
Last 5 seasons: 25-26
8-20 (W) 17-7 at LC (2-8)
8-28 (W) 62-21 Bishop Noll (3-7)
9-3 (W) 49-6 at Highland (1-9)
9-10 (L) 28-29 Andrean (7-3)
9-17 (L) 21-25 Morton (9-1)
9-24 (W) 19-14 Griffith (6-4)
10-1 (W) 24-7 Hobart (5-5)
10-8 (L) 17-24 Lowell (6-4)
10-15 (W) 57-7 Kankakee Valley (1-9)
5A Sectional (1) One
10-22 (W) 21-14 at Lake Central (2-8)
10-29 (Friday) vs. Crown Point (7-3)
11-5 at Valpo (11-0) or Merrillville (9-2)
CROWN POINT (7-3)
Coach Chip Pettit (60-46, 10 years)
2009 record: 3-7
Sectional titles (3) 1988, 91, 2006
Regional titles (1) 1988
Last 5 seasons: 37-19
8-20 (W) 37-6 Lowell (6-4)
8-27 (W) 48-14 at Hobart (5-5)
9-3 (L) 21-24 at MERRILLVILLE (8-2)
9-10 (W) 42-21 LAKE CENTRAL (2-8)
9-17 (W) 24-7 PORTAGE (5-5)
9-24 (L) 7-10 at VALPARAISO (10-0)
10-1 (W) 40-13 at LaPORTE (4-6)
10-8 (L) 21-45 CHESTERTON (6-4)
10-15 (W) 52-15 at MICHIGAN CITY (1-9)
5A Sectional (1) One
10-22 (W) 23-21 Portage (5-4)
10-29 at Munster (7-3)
11-5 (Fri.) at Valparaiso (11-0) or (home) vs. Merrillville (9-2)
Munster Update:
MUNSTER (10-29-2010) Munster has struggled offensively against good
teams all year. But they haven't lost any games by more than seven points and
they haven't allowed more than four touchdowns to anyone. Munster has defeated
only one winning team, Griffith (6-4), a team with very little manpower.
So the Ponies control the ball with their
old-school double-wing offense which lets them use a lot of misdirection plays.
The closest thing CP has faced like this is Chesterton and the Bulldogs didn't
do well against them. You have to be very careful about running past the ball
carrier or taking yourself out of the play with a misstep.
Munster's somewhat smallish defense pivots around nose guard Tyler Mosgrove
(5-9, 185) and big senior end Jack Seamon (6-5, 235). The linebackers are also
both seniors with Garrett Peck (6-0, 200) and Lukas Nossem (6-3, 225).
Cornerback Nate Egan, who is a good reason to run the ball if you face Munster,
has seven interceptions in 10 games.
Munster gave up 10 points a game last year and they've allowed just 15 points a
game this season. The number must be flavored with the fact that the Mustangs
play no other 5A schools and that 2A Bishop Noll is an easy win. If they keep it
close, Munster can win the game with a field goal. Senior Jake Smith (6-1, 160)
has connected on four field goals this season and he is reliable on extra
points.
When you look at the numbers, no matter what formation they use, Munster QB Mark
Strbjak either passes or runs on most plays and he is the one who has to beat
you. Strbjak has run 91 times and passed 106 times. The junior is an excellent
ball-handler and faker. But keep in mind the ball usually ends up with him.
Strbjak has eight TD passes but two of them came
last week against Lake Central when he was 7-of-15 for 116 yards. Munster is not
a quick strike team, so if they milk the clock and keep the game scoreless or
close, the more confident they will become.
Crown Point Update:
CROWN POINT (10-22-2010) The Bulldogs are
lucky to still be playing. It took a tipped pass from Joe Hopman to Austin
Atherton on the final play of the game to save CP at home 23-21 over Portage, a
team they should have defeated by 10 points or more.
Junior QB Joe Hopman (91 of 158, 57.6%, 1,698 yards) has 19 touchdown passes and
nine interceptions. But he threw four of those nine interceptions in the fourth
quarter of last week's game. Senior halfback Cody Bacon has run 208 times for
1,269 yards while senior receiver Austin Atherton has gained 987 yards on 50
catches. Kicker Brett Bayer is 38 of 42 on extra points and he has booted seven
field goals and 33 touchbacks on 53 kickoffs.
Defensively, CP is still strong considering the
fact that the offense has become turnover-prone in the last three weeks. The
linebackers have the tackle numbers. Jordan Jurasevich (6-3, 205) has 63 tackles
including nine for losses. Senor linebacker Scott Hannon (6-1, 170) leads CP
with 97 tacklers. Defensive end Billy Van Cleef (6-2, 200) has 14 tackles for
losses including six QB sacks.
The Bulldogs went scoreless in the second half of
a three-point loss at Valparaiso. They gave up a game-winning TD with 20 seconds
left in a three-point loss at Merrillville (8-2) but they scored on the final
play last week to defeat Portage. CP has won six games by 17 points or more. The
7-3 record is just about what CP should have.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
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PORTAGE (5-5) |
7 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
21 |
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CROWN POINT (7-3) |
7 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
23 |
Friday, October 22, 2010, 55-degrees, some rain, Class 5A Sectional 1 Quarterfinal in CROWN POINT, IN
1st
Qtr: PORTAGE(7-0)
Rashaan Coleman, 19-yard run. Brendon Swindle kick. 7:10 left.
CROWN POINT (7-7) Cody Bacon,
9-yard run. Brett Bayer kick. 4:54
left.
2nd Qtr: PORTAGE
(14-7) Rashaan Coleman, 24-yard pass from Zac Huston. Brendon Swindle kick.
11:53 left.
CROWN POINT (14-14) Cody Bacon,
60-yard run. Brett Bayer kick. 11:32 left.
3rd
Qtr: PORTAGE
(21-14) Rashaan Coleman, 40-yard pass from Zac Huston. Brendon Swindle kick.
8:04 left.
CROWN POINT (17-21) Brett Bayer
32-yard field goal. 3:11 left.
4th Qtr: CROWN
POINT
CROWN POINT (7-3) at MUNSTER (7-3)
Sagarin ratings: Crown
Point by 12
MUNSTER
(10-29-2010) This is all strength of schedule. The only common opponents
here are Hobart, Lowell and Lake Central. Munster has played 2A Bishop Noll
while CP has had to deal with Merrillville and Valparaiso, both 5A Top-10
schools. Neither team is playing especially well this month, but even the last
place team in the DAC (Michigan City) is rated 14 points better than the last
place team (Kankakee Valley) in the Northwest Crossroads Conference and those
were the week nine opponents for CP and Munster.
W
HAT WILL HAPPEN: Crown Point begins the game carefully with Cody Bacon testing the Mustang defense. Brett Bayer will put CP on the board with a first quarter field goal in what will be somewhat of a defensive struggle. Munster will take the lead on a second quarter pass from QB Mark Strbjak to Matt Collison. CP will control time of possession, but the offense will stall inside the 20 again and a Bayer field goal cuts the lead to 7-6 at the half.On a cold night after some shaky passing weeks, Crown Point will stay with Bacon runs and short passes, converting on a long third quarter drive for a Joe Hopman keeper and a 13-7 lead. A CP interception will set up Crown Point for a TD run by Bacon, who will have another 100-yard night.
Trailing 20-7, Strbjak will drive the Mustangs down the field and he'll scramble into the end zone for Munster's second TD of the night. CP just isn't going to throw the ball around 20 times on this night and another extended drive against the tiring Mustangs will set up a final Brett Bayer field goal in the middle of the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs have suddenly become turnover prove with eight giveaways in their last three games. It's tough to be favored on the road in the post-season against a team with nothing to lose. Nobody's going to be very impressive on a night like this. But running the football against a physically smaller team will allow the Bulldogs to live to play another day.
CROWN POINT 26, Munster 14