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5A
No. 3 Crown
Point
(12-0)
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Week
13 - Class 5A, Regional Championship Football Preview|
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5A
No. 3 Crown
Point
(12-0)
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11-8-2006
When:
Friday, November 10, 2006
Where: at
Kiwanis Field, a few blocks east of LaPorte high school - 602 F St., LaPorte IN
46350.
Tickets: $6 - (for everyone).
Kick-off: 7:00 p.m. (CST); LaPorte and Crown Point are both on Central Standard Time.
TV/Radio/Internet: WWLO (89.1) FM, www.Indiana-Sports.com and www.USA-365.com, WEFM (95.9) FM. When you get to LaPorte County, you can listen to 'The Eagle',WCOE (96.7) FM, the country music station that carries LaPorte football, basketball and baseball. WWLO (89.1) can also be heard in LaPorte.
WEATHER:
Low
50s and a slight chance of rain. Far better than we deserve in mid-November.
Rain would help LaPorte.
PARKING: LaPorte
is like the old Crown Point high school tucked away in the neighborhood on the
west side of town. Turn south at 6th Ave. If you park at the high school,
understand that you will walk two blocks east to LaPorte's Kiwanis Field.
You'll see the lights of the field. It is not next door to the school like the
Slicers' baseball field is. Because 95% of the state's teams have been
eliminated, you will see an overflow crowd here. The listed capacity at
LaPorte is 4,800 but those would have to be very small people. More like
3,500. While lots of people (an unusually large number) walk to the game
in LaPorte, you are going to have a lot of people standing Friday night and you
are going to have a lot of people parking six blocks away. This is
probably the biggest football game ever in LaPorte.
THE SERIES: Since Crown Point entered the DAC, the Slicers are 9-5 against them overall and 5-2 in LaPorte County. These have been high-scoring games, but this is the first post-season meeting of these two schools.
RIVALRY: There
is not a lot of history between LaPorte and
Crown Point, even though both played prep
football virtually throughout the 20th
Century. In the early 1900s LaPorte
occasionally played CP and Lowell probably
because there was nobody else. There's a
record of a forfeit win by LaPorte over CP
on Oct. 26, 1907, but in those days that
could have meant that the Bulldogs' wagon
train couldn't find LaPorte in the
wilderness. LaPorte beat Crown Point 13-7
on Sept. 19, 1931 but there was no I-94 in
those days and I would guess a home-and-home
series wasn't practical. The teams did not
meet again until a 46-13 LaPorte win on Oct.
23, 1959.
LaPorte is not a twin City with Michigan
City, which is 10 miles to the west on the
Lake Michigan shore, but they are in the
same county and they are spoken of, almost
in tandem. LaPorte has the lakes, though,
which is probably why it exists where it
is. There are six lakes that touch the
LaPorte city limits including giant Pine
Lake, the lake you see if you travel to
LaPorte on I-94 and come in to town from the
north off Route 35. As you drive to LaPorte
from any direction, you drive through
tree-lined roads and woodsy, stereotypical
rural Indiana areas.
Oddly, there are more similarities between
LaPorte and Crown Point than there are
LaPorte and Michigan City. Both have
populations of about 21,000. Both were
incorporated in the 1830s. CP and LaPorte
are both the head of county government.
Both have very affluent areas and distinctly
older sides of town. The residential areas
are especially similar. Before CPHS moved
to the edge of town, so were the high
schools. You can still walk out of the door
at LaPorte, walk 100 yards in any direction
and be in some homeowners living room. Foul balls at the baseball field
actually hit houses in the neighborhood (much to their dismay). You can
watch football from the upstairs areas of surrounding homes.
LaPorte football has a little bit of a persecution complex about football, but they don't have to look far for blame. Slicer football has never had the success that LaPorte baseball (eight state titles) and LaPorte basketball (27 sectional titles) has had. Getting past Penn at the sectional level was a giant sized hurdle. LaPorte is known as a baseball school and, until they win the state title, that won't change in our lifetime. But the Slicers have always had a huge following in all sports and they could mount massive orange-clad crowds to follow their boys in uncharted territory this month.
Since Crown Point entered the DAC, the Slicers are 9-5 against them overall and 5-2 in LaPorte County. CP's 14-7 victory at LaPorte on Oct. 4, 2002 and the 42-41 win this fall are believed to be the only times that the Bulldogs have ever won at LaPorte. These teams are actually not rivals at all. While the Slicers have the best record in DAC play over the last six seasons, have never won an undisputed league championship and CP denied them that honor with the one-point verdict in September. LaPorte coaches and players would never be honest about this right now, but they are probably shocked to be here. They'll brag in the paper this week but coach Bob Schellinger spent all pre-season preaching about how LaPorte lost 18 starters from last year's team and that you shouldn't expect them to go 9-2 (2005's record) like they did a year ago. Last week's win over Penn came as a major surprise and it probably has ignited a swell of support in the LaPorte community. The Slicers are an especially entertaining team and they know they have a chance against CP. LaPorte has every psychological edge coming into this rematch.
5A LaPorte (9-3)
Coach: Bob Schellinger (73-65, 14th year)
Enrollment: 1,923
2005 record: 9-2*
Sectional titles: (1), Regional titles:
(0)
*Lost 5A Sectional 2 semifinal 24-14 to
Elkhart Memorial
5A LaPorte (9-3)
(L) 33-39 at New Prairie (11-1)
(W) 42-13 Elkhart Central (6-4)
(W) 57-56 (2 OT) at VALPARAISO (4-6)
(W) 34-21 CHESTERTON (5-6)
(W) 35-28 at LAKE CENTRAL (4-6)
(W) 41-14 MERRILLVILLE (7-5)
(L) 41-42 Crown POINT (12-0)
(W) 39-13 at MICHIGAN CITY (1-9)
(L) 7-24 at PORTAGE (6-5)
5A Sectional 2 playoffs
(W) 51-21 Mishawaka (5-5)
(W) 28-14 Elkhart Central (6-5)
(W) 27-7 at Penn (9-3)
5A REGIONAL
10-11 (Fri) CROWN POINT (12-0)
5A SEMISTATE
11-17 (F) at Carmel (11-2) at Homestead
(12-1)
5A Crown Point (12-0)
Coach: Chip Pettit (35-25, 5 seasons)
Enrollment: 2,387
2005 record: 11-1
Sectional titles: (3) 1988, 1991, 2006
Regional titles: (1) 1988
Lost Sectional 1 championship 16-13 at
eventual regional champion Merrillville.
5A Crown Point (12-0)
(W) 17-0 Lowell (7-5)
(W) 34-20 at Hobart (10-2)
(W) 17-2 at MERRILLVILLE (7-5)
(W) 31-14 LAKE CENTRAL (4-6)
(W) 17-10 PORTAGE (6-5)
(W) 42-28 at VALPARAISO (4-6)
(W) 42-41 at LaPORTE (9-3)
(W) 41-21 CHESTERTON (5-6)
(W) 45-13 at MICHIGAN CITY (1-9)
5A Sectional 2 playoffs
(W) 49-0 at Lake Central (4-6)
(W) 14-13 Portage (6-5)
(W) 27-7 Merrillville (7-5)
5A REGIONAL playoff
11-10 (F) at LaPorte (9-3)
5A SEMI-STATE playoff
11-17 (F) vs. Homestead (12-1) or at Carmel
(11-2)
CROWN POINT
(11-10-2006)
The spread here is probably because CP defeated Portage twice and Portage
rejected LaPorte by 17 points. But LaPorte is coming off a victory
over 11-time sectional champ Penn and that spillover cannot be measured.
The Slicers cannot be more confident than they are now, but they have to
equal last week's emotion and you can only do that so many times.
What a season for rookie QB Adam Creed (123-226, 1,875 yards, 14 TDS, 11
INTs), who was 13 of 17 for 238 yards and a TD vs. Penn's strong defense.
Of course, it helps to have senior HB Airrence Shark (6-0, 217), who has
gained 1,892 yards and 31 TDs on 324 carries. Only Portage has stopped
him. Crown Point didn't. Shark gained 281 yards on 26 carries in
the 42-41 loss to CP in September and the Bulldogs appeared powerless to
stop him. Two years ago, Shark carried 24 times for 198 yards as
LaPorte beat CP. CP has to find new lanes to attack the ball carrier and
make tackles because LaPorte wins if Sharks gains another 200 yards.
 |
| All eyes will be on LaPorte's halfback Airrence Shark #34, seen in this file photo from 9-30-05 when CP held Shark to 52 yards on 15 carries when CP won 35-14. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
The
unsung heroes are LaPorte's offensive line of Mike Berdowski (6-2, 200), Brandon
Cosby (6-0, 187), Tyler James (6-4, 273), Grant Hofer (6-2, 205) and Ricky
Salary (5-9, 262), because the Slicers need to score consistently.
LaPorte receiver Marcus Phelps (54 catches, 968 yards) caught nine passes last
week so TE Matt Mizia (30 catches, 407 yards) may come into play this Friday.
The Slicers average 36 points a game and they have a lot of balance.
Still, you want Creed to throw the ball, especially in bad weather. He will do
some damage and he is good rolling out. But you have a better chance stopping
him than you do stopping Shark.
Defensively, I still have my doubts. The Slicers gave up 22 points a game
last season and 24 points per game this year. The win over Penn last week was
impressive, but it will be much warmer this week and Crown Point has a more
versatile offense than LaPorte does. Coaches always talk up the defense and
rematches tend to pump up the defense. But CP scored almost at will in the
first game and I expect a lot of different LaPorte formations and shifts just
before the snap. Crown Point had 461 total yards in only 42 offensive plays.
LaPorte
was shredded the first time and they know it. There's more of a mandate
for change on the LaPorte defense than there was at the polls last Tuesday.
Crown Point has not been the offensive powerhouse in the last two weeks that they were during the regular season. But with that said, this is an offense that averages 34 points per game and has rolled up 4,075 total yards in 12 games. Junior quarterback Blake Mascarello is 122 of 202 for 1,876 yards and a CPHS school record 23 touchdowns. Senior halfback Jon Sertich has gained 1,435 yards on 218 carries and WR Matt Ernest has picked up 820 yards on 51 catches. Throw in multi-purpose secret weapon Ryan Forney, who averages 23.9 per kickoff return, 16.7 per reception (21 catches, 350 yards) and 8.2 yards per carry (14 carries, 115 yards) plus tight end Zach Cecich (15 catches, 321 yards, 6 TDs) and versatile fullback Tommy Parks (21 catches, 260 yards; 85 carries, 410 yards) and CP is very difficult to stop.
But Mascarello has four interceptions in the last two weeks and CP is feeling the pressure of the playoffs. You can also argue that CP faced two fine defenses, but two interceptions Friday night will probably be fatal, the way LaPorte can control the ball. Still, he was almost perfect (8 of 9) in the earlier game in LaPorte. CP's Jon Sertich set the all-time single game CP rushing record (20 carries, 273 yards) at LaPorte two years ago in a 37-23 Slicer win and he has over 600 yards in three games against LaPorte.
I'm trying to find a way this won't be a high-scoring game, and other than heavy rain, I don't see it. The 42-41 game was played in a light rain that should have slowed the offense, but it didn't. I believe that CP is healthy in the offensive line (you never know) and that will enable Sertich and Parks to set up the passing of Mascarello, who was 15 pf 22 against a good Merrillville secondary. CP's pre-season kicking questions have been erased. Michael Lipton is 48 of 50 in extra points with four field goals and pass catcher-turned-punter Matt Ernest has averaged a highly respectable 34.3 yards on 26 punts.
Crown Point's defense contained the weak offenses of Portage and Merrillville the last two weeks, but they will mark Shark's every step this week. The Bulldogs want to overload his usual running lanes and prevent any cutbacks. The advantage of facing the same team twice is that you have time to over analyze every player in the running game. But you still have to tackle Shark and that's CP's problem. The Bulldogs were in position to make tackles in the first game... they just didn't get it done.
In the secondary, CP will have Ryan Forney at full strength this time. I do not believe he played on defense on Sept. 29. Forney intercepted two passes last week against Merrillville and he is a key player in this game. So is linebacker Joey Patrick (5-11, 205) who had 10 tackles against LaPorte on Sept. 29 and has posted 10 tackles in each of the last two weeks. The Bulldogs have been favored for 12 weeks in a row, so sometimes they are more business-like than emotional. But that may end tonight. I think CP was embarrassed by the 463 yards they allowed at LaPorte in September, especially the 361 yards on 31 carries. It's all Airrence Shark. They know he'll get the ball 20 times. CP has to tackle him.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN: In the earlier game, I thought both defenses would be able to take CP's Jon Sertich and LaPorte's Airrence Shark out of the game. Obviously, that did not happen then, and to some extent, it won't happen this time, either. When the same back has run for 100 or 200 yards on you three times in three games, it's not because you're not trying to stop him. CP is always very aggressive early and a TD pass to Zach Cecich will open the scoring. LaPorte will answer with a passing drive that sets up a short run by Airrence Shark.
Crown Point's Ryan Forney will set up the second CP score with a long kickoff return and Forney's interception will set up the 21-7 score, a short run by Tommy Parks. The Bulldogs will bring eight men to the front against Shark consistently and LaPorte's Adam Creed will rally the Slicers with a third quarter TD pass to Marcus Phelps. One of CP's offensive strengths is to run plays horizontally that stretch the defense sideways as well as lengthwise. LaPorte has not stopped that consistently in the last couple of years. The Slicers may double-team Ernest to force the Bulldogs to go elsewhere, but a CP pass to Sertich will set up a Michael Lipton field goal and a 24-14 lead.
Down 10, the Slicers will have to throw on run downs and an interception by Jon Sertich will lead to the 31-14 touchdown. A long run by Shark will set up a pass from Creed to Matt Mizia, but the Bulldogs will control the fourth quarter, running Parks and Sertich. A Mascarello bootleg will make it 38-21. Down by three scores, LaPorte will accept a field goal on a fourth quarter drive, but a long run by Sertich will set up another Lipton field goal.
Somewhere along the line, LaPorte has to stop Crown Point. They didn't do it last year and they didn't do it on Sept. 29. Give Shark 150 yards, but Ryan Forney will gain 150 of total offense on runs, catches and kick returns.
Even when both sides have state-ranked offenses, rematches consistently go to the better defensive team. That's Crown Point.