This is one of the toughest weeks of the tournament because you have teams that have had great or near-great seasons.  But some of them will simply run out of gas at this point.  It happens every year.  Unlike pro and college teams that get 'bye weeks', high schools play every week and the teams wear down.  I've said this in previous years, but the teams that get to this point seem to have the state title as a goal, not any particular other team.  If your goal was to win the sectional and you did, you don't go much further.

So when teams are from vastly different areas and play vastly different styles, like Lowell and Bishop Dwenger or Rensselaer and Bishop Luers, have state finals aspirations, it's hard to figure who will be able to impose their will.  Teams that lose this week feel worse than they should because it can be a long ride home and no one remembers the team that lost the game before the state finals.

I am very surprised that all 3A, 4A and 5A teams do not play on Saturday afternoon to get an extra rest and practice day after 13 weeks of play.  Remember that the state 3A, 4A and 5A finals are on Saturday, so you do not lose preparation time.  But these are the best games.  Out of sight of the state TV cameras and long after many schools have gone on to basketball. This is the last pure week of high school football.  And Northwest Indiana gets a rare football present.  Two semistate games on back-to-back nights.  Whether you go to Merrillville or Rensselaer on Friday night at 7:00 p.m., you can still go to Lowell Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. and see two match ups of Top-10 teams.  The weather looks good in the Northern half of the state and there are some major match ups involving teams that have met at this level before.

CLASS 1A SEMISTATE

Lafayette Catholic (13-0) at Southern Wells (11-2)

PONETO (11-20-2009) Catholic is a dominating team led by quarterback Chris Mills, who is the fifth ranked passer in state history in yards gained with 9,000 passing yards and 95 career TDs, including 38 this season.  Lafayette Catholic has allowed just 29 points all year and they average 52 per game.  Anything can happen on the road, but Catholic has played a tougher schedule and they've done better against it.  Unless Lafayette Catholic gets bad directions to Poneto (wherever that is), this just isn't fair.

Lafayette Catholic 35, Southern Wells 14


Fountain Central (13-0) at Clinton Central (9-4)

MICHIGANTOWN (11-20-2009) Clinton Central has already lost 45-0 to Lafayette Catholic so they'd better not win here.  Fountain Central dominated Linton-Stockton 21-7 last week and they led 21-0 in the fourth quarter.  I do not know how Clinton Central, which gained just 103 total yards, beat Indianapolis Lutheran last week.  Lutheran gained 355 yards with just 10 first downs and did not score, almost a mathematical impossibility.  Think about that.  How do you gain 355 yards and just 10 first downs and not score even one point?  Fountain Central, which is 7-0 on the road, can run on Clinton Central all night long and both sides know it.

Fountain Central 31, Clinton Central 0

 

Rensselaer (11-2) at Bishop Luers (8-5)

FORT WAYNE (11-20-2009) Luers lost 62-0 to Bishop Dwenger (13-0) and that's why they're not in the Top-10.  Luers has scored 202 points in the post-season and Rensselaer cannot stop them.  They must keep the ball away from them.  The Bombers can hold the ball for an entire quarter, but they must find a way to do something like that here or they have no chance on the road.  The Bombers rushed for 394 yards last week against Fairfield, but this is not an unproven playoff team.  Luers plays in a cutthroat conference and now they've got the knife.  Rensselaer has had a good year, but I think they've achieved all their goals.

Bishop Luers 27, Rensselaer 0


Paoli (13-0) at Monrovia (13-0)

MONROVIA (11-20-2009) I would pay cash money to see this one.  Tiny town titans go head-to-head south of Indianapolis.  I cannot explain to you how remote Paoli is.  It's in Orange County, a place you won't find by accident.  All 4,000 of the town residents may be at the game Friday.  This could be a classic.  I've never been to Orange County and nobody else has either.  Monrovia, which has allowed just 68 points all year, has 240 students which is odd because, in the last census, the town only has 632 residents.  But none of that matters.  After the results of last week, one of these schools is guaranteed of taking an undefeated record to the state finals for the first time in school history.  Paoli, which won the sectional for the first time in 32 years, has allowed just 77 points all season.  This game has been moved to the artificial turf at nearby 4A Plainfield high school because (they say field conditions, but the truth probably is) Monrovia is just too small a place for this big a game.  Watch for this score.  One tiny part of Indiana will be sitting on top of the world late Friday night.

Monrovia 20, Paoli 10


CLASS 3A SEMISTATE

Jimtown (12-1) at West Lafayette (13-0)
 

WEST LAFAYETTE (11-20-2009) Jimtown has won four close games in their debut year in Class 3A.  The three-time 2A state champ has not scored more than 17 points in any playoff game.  The Jimmies must have some excellent defensive coaches because they seem to adjust during games to swallow whoever they play.  Since a 21-point loss to Concord, Jimtown has allowed just 40 points in seven games.  That cannot continue against superpower West Lafayette.  West Side led 28-0 over undefeated Eastbrook last week on the way to a 35-14 victory. Somebody has to stop 'West Side' quarterback Danny Wodicka, who has rushed for 24 TDs and thrown for 19.  West Side is 24-1 in their last 25 games and no one has come within 14 points of them all season.  I don't see any way Jimtown can win two hours from home.  But then again, I didn't see any way they'd defeat Andrean either.
 

West Lafayette 28, Jimtown 7


Evansville Memorial (10-3) at Bishop Chatard (12-1)

INDIANAPOLIS (11-20-2009) Memorial pulled the upset of the 2008 playoffs when they eliminated top-ranked Chatard 27-14 in Evansville.  Those chickens have come home to roost.  All-state Chatard halfback Ari Pappas is quoted in the Indianapolis Star as saying, "We'd love to play Evansville Memorial again."  Who cares who some loser with a funny name thinks?  Ari Pappas has carried 169 times this year for 1,469 yards and 39 touchdowns.  Memorial has allowed 20 or more points eight times in 13 weeks and even with an extra day to think about it (this is a Saturday night game), if they're give up 20 or more this week, they'll ride the loser's bus back to Evansville.
 

Bishop Chatard 28, Evansville Memorial 7
 

CLASS 4A SEMISTATE

(Indianapolis) Cathedral (12-1) at (Evansville) Reitz (13-0)

EVANSVILLE (11-20-2009) A battle of superpowers.  Nobody's going into this game saying, "Nobody respects us.  Nobody thinks we have a chance!!."  Reitz went 15-0 and won the 2007 state title.  Cathedral won the 2006 and 2008 Class 4A state championships, but they'll recall a 35-34 loss at home to Reitz in 2007.  This game may fill the 10,000-seat Reitz bowl, which is where the Panthers have not lost since 2006.  Reitz has two all-staters on defense in Tony Ewers (6-3, 220) and junior linebacker Brandon Kemp (6-2, 215).  But Cathedral has also dominated everyone defensively.  They are the only team to defeat 5A No. 1 Carmel and 3A No.1 Bishop Chatard.  The Fighting Irish have faced four winning teams in the playoffs and dismissed all of them by 15 points or more.  This is a game that should be Saturday night.  Playing on Friday is a big advantage to Evansville and I think that could be the difference in another close battle.
 

Evansville Memorial 26, Cathedral 20


Bishop Dwenger (13-0) at LOWELL (12-1)

LOWELL (11-20-2009) This is another one of those games where the public school appears overmatched by the powerhouse private school.  But it doesn't always work out that way.  Dwenger has won a state record 16 regionals and they feature halfback Remound Wright, who has carried 199 times for 1,813 yards and 38 touchdowns.  Wright, who is being recruited by Notre Dame (and they need him), has 16 TDs in four playoff games.  The Saints' quarterback is Wade Markley (6-4, 180), who was 74 of 138, with 15 TDs and just 3 interceptions before last week's 49-12 romp over undefeated Delta.  Senior Landon Feitcher (5-11, 175) has 24 catches for 467 yards.  Dwenger has shut out six different teams with a defensive line that includes tackles Tony Bobay (6-3, 275) and Domonic Sewell (6-1, 275) between ends Brian Habet (5-3, 210) and Tony Springman (6-8, 240).  But they'll be hard pressed to blank Lowell's Brandon Grubbe who has 2,077 yards on 339 carries and has scored 34 touchdowns.  Lowell has five shutouts and has already defeated three Top-10 teams and are led by defensive line standouts Joe Bell (6-4, 207), Nate Cleveland (6-4, 215) and Jay Trappani (6-4, 210).  The Devils also have a distinct home field advantage in South Lake County, and on what could be a muddy field, this should bog down into a defensive struggle.

Bishop Dwenger 16, LOWELL 10

INDIANAPOLIS (11-20-2009) The 2008 5A state champ against the seven-time big school champ.  Warren is led by Shakir Bell (5-8, 185), who has 2,303 yards on 298 carries.  QB Derek Hart (6-5, 205) is asked to throw just enough to keep the defense off the line.  Center Grove is a big physical team that got somewhat of a pass when they drew Floyd Central, a glorified 4A school, at the regional.  I do not think they have the speed to cover Warren's running game.  That means Bell, who had 206 yards on 30 carries in the 14-6 win at Brownsburg last week. WC's pass attack is weak so this will be close.  But Warren beat Center Grove 28-14 late in the regular season, and on a dry field, there's no reason it won't happen again.  This is almost an entirely new team from Center Grove's state champs of 2008.  Bad weather could flip this game like a Bill Belicheck blunder, but Warren sounds hungry.  They want another shot at Carmel, a team they lost to 24-22 in September.

Warren Central 35, Center Grove 21


Carmel (12-1) at MERRILLVILLE (12-1)
 

MERRILLVILLE (11-20-2009) The Greyhounds lost their season opener, but they've won 12 in a row and have allowed 108 points all season.  Merrillville lost the opener to Warren Central and they've also won 12 in a row.  Carmel dominated Merrillville in the semistate game two years ago, but the Pirates have not reached the state finals in 33 years and they have junior stars in Zach Raspopovich (2,000 yards passing) and Denzel Pierce (1200 yards rushing).  Carmel has held 10 teams to 10 points or less led by all-state linebacker Brian East (6-4, 200).  Merrillville barely survived Mishawaka (11-2) last week 28-27, but they know this is it.  The Pirates defense, led by DAC wrestling champ James Travis (6-1, 245), has to contain Carmel's talented, but struggling attack.  Carmel has defeated both the other two teams (Center Grove and Warren Central) in the 5A playoffs, but they are at a big disadvantage driving three hours after school to play in Merrillville on a Friday night.  I think Carmel is short some of the offensive punch they need to win here.  Both teams lack some offense, but Merrillville only needs to produce 20 points and they will, earning a rematch with Warren Central.

MERRILLVILLE 21, Carmel 14