Week 14 Picks:  2006 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

November 15, 2006

WEEK (13) THIRTEEN RECAP:  All four powerhouse teams in 3A won, setting up the best final four of all the levels.  The weather didn't affect the outcome of games, with the possible exception of CP-LaPorte.  There were no surprises in 2A and I obviously knew nothing about the Columbus East-Lincoln game.  Lowell-Concord was a long shot that was only 19-14 after three quarters.  I'm very surprised that South Newton is still playing.  Their schedule was not as strong as some of the top teams.

BIGGEST WINNER - WEEK (13) THIRTEEN:  LaPorte:  Getting a second home field chance to beat undefeated Crown Point, the Slicers survived wild weather and a big Bulldog rally to win in overtime 28-21.  The Slicers followed up their first-ever sectional title with their first-ever regional.  This is a team that also entertains averaging 35 points a game and allowing 24 points a game.  If the season ends Friday (and it might), LaPorte will still be very happy.

RUNNER UP: WEEK (13) THIRTEEN:  Jimtown:  On the road, in a monsoon, facing a team they eliminated in 2006, Jimtown still came from behind and won.  The Jimmies have drawn a lot of challengers to the throne this year and they have come on strong in the playoffs, allowing just 34 points in four games.

WEEK 13 (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%
WEEK 10:  19 of 24 = 79.1%
WEEK 11:  17 of 22 = 77.2%
WEEK 12:  16 of 21 = 76.2%
WEEK 13:  14 of 20 = 70.0%

2006 Regular Season: 88 of 115 = 76.5%
2006 Playoffs:  66 of 86 = 76.6%
2006 Season Overall to date:  154 of 202 = 76.2% 
2005 (final) OVERALL:  170 of 233 = 72.9%

Northwest Indiana
WEEK 14 (FOURTEEN) PICKS, 11-17-2006

(11-17-2006)  WEEK (14) FOURTEEN -  This is the ultimate week of the state tournament because you are one victory short of the goal.  What isn't often explored is how tough physically it is to play for 15 weeks in a row.  This certainly affects the small schools where more players play on both sides of the ball.  But this is the ultimate.  If you lose in the state finals, you still lost AT THE STATE FINALS.  If you lose at Norwell or at Perry Central, you get home about 2 a .m. and nobody cares.  Coaches get conservative in these games, not only because of the pressure, but because of the weather, which is bound to be bad somewhere.  The championship games are sanitized and jacked around by TV time outs.  This week will feature the last real football games of the season.

SHERIDAN -  I don't know how a defense that allowed 35 to Adams Central can possibly stop Sheridan's tough running attack.  The two "Air America" teams in the playoffs are Concord and South Newton and this is will be a tough night for both of them.  Sheridan controls the ball and they've held 10 teams to 10 points or less.  No 1A team has scored more than eight points against Sheridan.  I think South Newton will be the first to break 10, but they won't be close here.
                (1A) Sheridan (13-0) 42, South Newton (13-0) 21

LEOPOLD -  There's a difference in the level of competition here because Ritter plays just 1A schools during the regular season.  Perry Central looks good from a distance, but Ritter won semistate in 2003 and 2004.  This is a small, quick team that could bog down on a muddy field.  No one has stopped Ritter all year long.  They've scored 26 or more in every game.
                (1A) Ritter (12-1) 36, Perry Central (11-1) 21

ROACHDALE -  First of all, I can't believe that North Putnam is really located in Roachdale, Indiana.  Come on, now.  That's got to be a joke, right?  I guess not.  Roachdale.  Population: 975 is a town in north Putnam County.  North Putnam is No. 3 in the state, but Southridge has played a tougher schedule that includes 4A powerhouse Jasper.  I'd love to pick North Putnam because those poor kids have suffered enough.  Going to school in Roachville.  Or Roachdale.  But they need a good weather night and they might not get it.
                (2A) Southridge (11-2) 27, North Putnam (13-0) 16

ELKHART -  Two traditional powers get it on in Elkhart for a ticket to the finals.  The Jimmies have not been as prolific on offense as they have in the past, but they blasted undefeated Fairfield (11-1) in the sectional final game.  Harding fared very well in Fort Wayne's tough Summit Athletic Conference (SAC), winning 10 of their last 11 games.  This game is almost dead even on the computer.  But that's like saying Michigan and Ohio State are even and we know OSU is going to kill 'em.
                (2A) (FW) Harding (10-3) 20, Jimtown (11-2) 16

OSSIAN -  Norwell is the mystery team.  They've gone 13-0 and nobody's sure about them though.  They are big physically.  Tell and imposing.  6-6 at WR and DE.  6-4 at QB.  Griffith will be reminded all season that this is the point at which they failed last year.  The Panthers' option is very difficult to handle, but Norwell just whipped up on New Prairie last week and NP is similar to Griffith.  This is a Saturday game.  Norwell has scored 47 points or more an amazing nine times.  Griffith can't score enough points to win here.
                (3A) Norwell (13-0) 41, Griffith (12-1) 33

EVANSVILLE -  What bothers you here is that Mater Dei averages only 28 points a game and they are facing one of the state's premier defenses.  Bishop Chatard has allowed just 118 points in 13 games against a schedule that includes four 5A schools.  Chatard was embarrassed at the RCA Dome last year and it will be tough to keep them from getting back there.
                (3A) Bishop Chatard 24, (Evansville) Mater Dei 8

COLUMBUS -  This is a mismatch.  Columbus East has played that 'Chicago Bears' schedule, which gets you a lot of pats on the back until you play somebody who's really good.  Cathedral is No. 1 state wide against the top-ranked schedule in the state.  They are the only team to beat 3A No. 1 Chatard.  These Irish are solid on defense allowing only 119 points in 13 games.  East has played some really bad teams and this isn't one of them.
                (4A) (Indianapolis) Cathedral (11-2) 28, Columbus East (12-1) 0

FORT WAYNE -  Concord rolls the dice again with a 'Florida' offense in northern Indiana.  Bobby Cira tries to improve on his state-best 41 TD passes against a Dwenger team which has allowed just 71 points all year. Dwenger is just to big and physical. The all-veteran secondary averages 6-foot-3 in height.  They can keep the ball away from Concord's 'Green Storm' 41 ppg. offense.
                (4A) (Fort Wayne) Bishop Dwenger (12-1) 35, Concord (13-0) 17

CARMEL -  LaPorte has wildly overachieved behind 2,000-rusher Airrence Shark.  Carmel lost only 28-0 to Warren Central.  The Greyhounds haven't allowed a TD in four playoff games and LaPorte QB Adam Creed only completed one pass in the rainstorm victory over Crown Point.  The Slicers did win big at Penn but this isn't Penn.  The losses are to 5A No. 1 Warren Central and 4A No. 1 (on the computer) Cathedral.  This is too big a step up for LaPorte, which was lucky to win in OT last week.
                (5A) Carmel (11-2) 28, LaPorte (10-3) 7

COLUMBUS -  Here's another mismatch.  The three-time defending big school state champ of Indiana, WC has a dominating rushing a game led by Darren Evans who has 53 TDs.  No one has stopped them and Columbus East just isn't equipped.  This is one of those waste-of-time games in the ridiculously long Indiana state playoffs.  This is just another reason for folks who know better to sit out in the cold for two hours one last time.
            (5A) Warren Central  (13-0)  51,    Columbus North (9-4)  12


Copyright © 2006 USA-365.com and Meyer Multimedia Services, a division of Meyer Broadcasting Corp.  All rights reserved.
Revised: November 15, 2006 .