Week 13 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Class 5A, Regional Championship Preview: Crown Point (9-3) at Penn (12-0)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

11-10-2011

Freed Field, home of the Kingsmen at Penn High School.

When:  6:30 p.m. CST, Friday, November 11, 2011. (Note the starting time is 1/2 hour earlier than normal due to location in the Eastern Time zone.

Where:  Penn High School's Freed Field, 56100 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545.
NOTE: It is not easy to get to Penn, especially in the dark (and it's dark by 5 p.m. this week) so get detailed directions or you'll end up in Elkhart. Penn is 90 miles east of Crown Point. Allow two hours to get there and you'd do best to leave in mid-afternoon so you can drive in the daylight.

TV/Radio/Internet: WLTH (1420) AM, WEFM (95.9) FM, live updates of all local scores all night on WLPR (89.1) FM. Live Internet audio stream on www.USA-365.com.

TICKETS: $7 (regular regional price). You'll also need money for the toll way.

ENROLLMENT: CP - 2,532; PENN - 3,394.

WEATHER: Very cold. The daytime temperature won't get out of the low 40s, so we'll be in the low 30s by the second half. No rain is expected, but we're at the point where old folks (other than me) and small children probably need to stay home and wait for us idiots to come back in out of the cold. Yes, this is one of those games which could and should be played on Saturday afternoon. Freed Field does has artificial turf as most of the Duneland Conference does, so midweek rain will have no affect on this game. Winds were very high at mid-week, and a windy night may shift the game as both teams have top flight kickers.

PARKING: There's not that much parking at Penn near the field. Not enough for two large schools' football fans. Penn has two campuses and you can park some distance from the field on school grounds. Just another reason why you need to leave very early.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: If Penn wins, they travel to Hamilton Southeastern or host Snider. If Crown Point wins, they host either HSE or Snider probably the night of Friday, Nov. 18. The game will almost certainly be Friday. CP has never shown any desire play on Saturday afternoon or night under any circumstances.

HISTORY: None. While the Crown Point Lady Bulldogs basketball team did travel to Penn for a pre-season scrimmage last Saturday, this regional game will be the first ever meeting of Crown Point and Penn in football. Penn is listed as being in Mishawaka and much of the Penn district is, but I believe the school is actually is in a 'suburb' community called Osceola.

Osceola was an Indian warrior from the early 1800s and if you are a college football fan, you know the Florida State University mascot is named Osceola and modeled after the Seminole Indian legend. Penn high school opened in the late 1950s and it's an almost 4,000-kid monster somewhat by accident. Penn had 17 students according to the 1987 IHSAA guide and is now over 3,500 and reportedly still growing. The school is in the northeast corner of St. Joseph's County and there's nothing north of them to the nearby Michigan state line. Just as schools like Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers in what used to be rural Hamilton County outside Indianapolis, Penn bloomed in what used to be farm area. I don't know this, but I suspect that families migrated out of the South Bend and Elkhart area in the same way that CP, Lake Central, Merrillville became very large schools with folks who use to live in Hammond and East Chicago 30-40 years ago.

Penn is so large (they are far larger than any other high school north of the Indianapolis area), like Lake Central, it probably should be two schools. But word is they have resisted that. There are no other high schools with more than 2,000 students anywhere in the South Bend-Elkhart area. But Penn has elite facilities and there is no reason parents will stop moving their kids there. The football program blossomed under coach Chris Geesman (309-29), who won over 300 games from 1973 to 2002 and in the 1990s, they broke through on a state level winning three state titles in four years. Penn is very good in a lot of sports (they won the state volleyball title last weekend), but the state titles validated them as a superpower. Penn plays in 7,800-seat Freed Field next to the school and the home atmosphere is reportedly like 1970s, 80s and 90s Hobart on steroids. The Kingsmen expect to defeat Crown Point this week because Penn expects to beat everybody at home. In 14 and 15-game seasons, Penn has won at least 10 games in 20 of the last 24 seasons. At a school which is used to great athletic success, Penn football is the school's crown jewel.

Crown Point Bulldogs (9-3)

Coach Chip Pettit (72-50, 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 (5-5)

Aug. 26 (W) 45-6 Hobart (3-8)

Sept. 2 (L) 20-21 Merrillville (8-4)

Sept. 9 (L) 7-26 at Lake Central (8-2)

Sept 16 (W) 42-0 at Portage (4-6)

Sept. 23 (L) 14-21 Valparaiso (5-6)

Sept. 30 (W) 42-0 LaPorte (3-7)

Oct. 7 (W) 28-6 at Chesterton (5-6)

Oct. 14 (W) 24-7 Michigan City (1-9)

Class 5A Sectional 1

Oct. 21 (W) 21-10 Munster (5-5)

Oct. 28 (W) 12-10 Valparaiso (5-6)

Nov. 4 (W) 42-21 at Merrillville (8-4)

5A No. 3 Penn (12-0)

Coach: Cory Yeoman (95-22) 9th year

2010: 7-5, 2009 (10-2), 2008 (10-4)

Sectional titles: (19)

Regional titles: (12) last in 2008

Semistate titles (9) last in 2003

State titles: (5) 1983, 1995, '96, '97 and 2000

*LAST YEAR: Lost 5A sectional 2 championship 14-7 in overtime at Mishawaka

Aug. 19 (W) 21-10 at Valparaiso (5-6)

Aug. 26 (W) 31-14 Mishawaka (7-5)

Sep. 2 (W) 41-21 (Mishawaka) Marian (9-3)

Sep. 9 (W) 31-13 (Fort Wayne) Snider (9-3)

Sep. 16 (W) 42-6 at (South Bend) Clay (5-5)

Sep. 23 (W) 17-6 (South Bend) Washington (9-3)

Sep. 30 (W) 28-6 at (South Bend) St. Joseph's (10-2)

Oct. 7 (W) 38-7 South Bend Riley (3-8)

Oct. 14 (W) 26-14 at South Bend Adams (2-8}

Class 5A Sectional 2

Oct. 21 (W) 42-0 South Bend Adams (2-8)

Oct. 28 (W) 58-28 Elkhart Memorial (5-6}

Nov. 4 (W) 31-8 at (Fort Wayne) Carroll (8-4)

Nov. 11 (Fri.) Crown Point (9-3)

Penn (12-0) Update:

OSCEOLA (11-11-2011) Penn is based on a strong running game with junior center Gabe Miller (6-0, 240), senior tackles Matt Boil (6-3, 260) and Christian Verhamme (6-6, 235) leading the way for senior back Jamil Davis (5-11, 190). Davis (141 carries, 861 yards, 13 TDs) leads the way for a conservative Valpo-like offense that throws 10-15 times a game, but smothers you at the defensive end.

Zach Oakley, a part-time WR, has 739 yards on 82 carries and he caught a 27-yard TD pass last week. Chad Gindelberger (5-10, 175) has run 77 times for 360 yards and 9 TDs while passing for almost 900 yards. Gindelberger was 9-of-13 for 145 yards and two TDs last week in the 31-8 road win at Carroll. He ran for a third TD in the 31-8 win over Carroll in the sectional 2 title game. There is a lot of balance here. I don't know if Penn has a great offensive player, but like Crown Point, they have many who can score. But Penn isn't an offensive powerhouse. They stop you. Penn held Carroll to 228 yards and just 62 yards rushing. Valparaiso to 203 yards, They held arch-rival Mishawaka to 14 points. The Kingsmen held 4A sectional 10 champ South Bend Washington to seven points and 5A Sectional champ Fort Wayne Snider to 13 points. Penn has won every game by 10 points or more. They haven't won any close games because they haven't been in any.

Defensive end Dylan Hayveart (6-2, 220), Linebacker Sam Laidig (5-10, 160) and Jordan Hancock (6-0, 205), and Zach Hiss (5-11, 180) led the defense, which is more quick than big. Penn shut out four teams last season when they were 7-5. This is an excellent defense and parts of this senior class (Penn has more than one feeder school) was undefeated in sixth seventh and eight grades. Penn has trailed only twice all season. Once, when Adams scored a first quarter TD on a punt return to take a 7-0 lead in a game the Kingsmen won 26-14. And later when Washington took a 6-0 lead on a TD by state leading receiver Gehrig Dieter in a game Penn won 17-6. What they call the 'Wild Bunch' defense has allowed just 133 points (11.1 per game) all season against an elite schedule. They have given up just 13 points in the third quarter all year and they have not trailed in the fourth quarter all season. The only weakness on paper for the Kingsmen is that Penn has given up two kick return TDs. Penn gave up 250 yards rushing to Mishawaka, but the Cavemen have a tricky option offense. Elkhart Memorial threw for 256 yards on Penn but lost 58-28.

By my unofficial box score count, kicker Nick Maldonado made 48 consecutive extra points before he missed one in the 58-28 win over Elkhart Memorial two weeks ago.. Maldonado also has nine field goals this season, including a 42-yarder against Mishawaka and a 47-yarder against Marian. On his home field, he'll be a significant factor in this game. High school teams only go for field goals when they have to. Penn and Maldonado clearly go for '3' when they want to.

CROWN POINT (9-3) Update:

CROWN POINT (11-11-2011) The Bulldogs have made a remarkable run through the sectional with 15-year-old backup quarterback Jake Jatis (6-4, 190), who has replaced injured senior Joe Hopman (83 of 155, 1,174 yards, 12 TDs, 4 interceptions). Hopman will not be back no matter how long CP's season lasts. He has a shoulder injury that will sideline him until the baseball season next spring. Hopman (275 of 527, 4,074 yards, 39 TDs, 27 interceptions in 32 games) was 14-7 as a starting quarterback, not counting the sectional 1 quarterfinals win at Munster three weeks ago, a game he started but left early in the first quarter. Jatis (16 of 39, 233 yards, 3 TDs, 2 interceptions) was only 2 of 10 last week and he had two intercepted. You don't have to be Vince Lombardi to figure that he's the key to this game.

Penn is going to take one look at last week's tape, watch halfback Tristan Peterson run 37 times for 204 yards, and they'll bring eight defenders up close to the line of scrimmage to pile on Peterson (178 carries, 915 yards, 10 TDs) and fullback Pete Parks. The Bulldogs have survived without a passing game in the post-season. Jatis has not fumbled once, but he has not been accurate, completing less than 50%. But he has a very strong arm and I suspect that CP will throw early and Jatis does have targets in senior Tyler Wells (26 catches, 386 yards, 3 TDs), juniors Zach Plesac (25 catches, 374 yards, 7 TDs) and Braxton Rice (17 catches, 307 yards) plus senior tight end Tyler Kral (7 catches, 121 yards).

Kicker Brett Bayer is 43 of 44 on extra points and 5-of-9 on field goals, including a 44-yarder. For his three-year career, Bayer, who just finished playing on CP's state championship soccer team, has 18 field goals. CP's offensive line of center Michael Young (5-9, 285), guards Eric Huttle (6-0 255) and Stephen Hutchison (6-1, 285) and tackles Sean Jones (6-3, 235) and Blake Pals (6-1, 245) will face their biggest challenge as Penn excels at stopping the run.

Nose guard Cameron Tanner (6-1, 260) anchors the defense with 94 tackles and 8-1/2 sacks and his ability to get into the backfield seems to set up everything else. Linebacker Jordan Krajci (5-10, 180) leads the Bulldogs with 116 tackles and safety Logan McRae (6-2, 185) has 104 tackles and four interceptions. Sophomore linebackers Brendyn McKinnon (6-2, 200) and Connor Andras (6-1, 190) both had pass interceptions last week and that pair has combined for 139 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss. Those two, plus junior linebacker Anthony Geisen (86 tackles), junior defensive end Nick Langbehn (35 tackles, 7 for loss) and junior cornerback Tyler Smith (44 tackles, 9 broken up) have given CP a very youthful defensive platoon. CP's defense has held eight teams to 10 points or less, almost an impossibility in the new-age artificial turf-laden DAC. Again, two of those teams (Portage and Chesterton) played without their starting QBs, but no one has scored more than 26 points against Crown Point all season and no offense has scored more than three TDs in any one game. Crown Point's defense may be as fast as Penn's and they are built for the artificial turf fields they usually play on. The Bulldogs aren't going to roll up first downs by the dozen, so they will rely on the defense to win.

PENN 23, CROWN POINT 13