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5A No. 3 Merrillville (2-0) at5A No. 10 Crown Point (2-0) |
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Week
3 - Football Game of the Week Preview |
5A No. 3 Merrillville (2-0) at5A No. 10 Crown Point (2-0) |
|
9-1-2005
When:
Friday, September 2, 2005
Where: 1500 S. Main, Crown Point
Tickets:
$5 - There is room for you. The
Hobart-CP game (8-26-2005) was NOT a sellout in warm summer weather. This
(CP-MV) game will be near capacity in the 5,000-seat Crown Point football
stadium, but with Andrean playing Morton back in Merrillville, Portage at nearby
Lake Central and Griffith playing
at nearby Lowell, this game is unlikely to be a sellout.
TV/Radio/Internet:
www.RRSN.com
and www.USA-365.com
Weather:
Low 70s, dry
Parking:
Arrive early, this could be the biggest crowd of the season.
Again, you are asked to stay out of the St. Matthias Church lot
immediately west of the school. Remember,
it is a long walk from the northern
ends of the parking lot to the stands. Arrive
very early or be ready to do some significant stepping.
The
series:
Merrillville leads the 57-game series 29-27-1, but CP has won three of the last
four meetings. CP's 14-point rally and 34-27 OT win in 2002 is one of the
school's greatest victories. The Pirates won a wild playoff game 34-19 last year
at CP as the defense sacked CP QB Matt Jansen seven times and Pirate all-state
HB James Aldridge gained 227 yards on 23 carries.
This
is the ultimate next-door neighbor rivalry. A few Merrillville students actually
live in Crown Point (the district boundaries are different from the town and
city boundaries). James Aldridge is listed as living in Crown Point.
These
boys play against each other from an early age so they know each other pretty
well. That could explain why CP, with somewhat less talent, has won three of the
last four meetings.
Another
factor here is that Merrillville is CP's No. 1 rival while the Pirates look at
Portage and Valpo as top rivals. The Pirates have traditionally been sectional
title contenders while CP has not been.
Merrillville
has had NFL players like Jamal Williams (92) and Eugene Wilson (99) but
they haven't dominated CP for any length of time.
The Bulldogs just joined Merrillville in the DAC in 1993 and CP has never
won the league title. The DAC began in 1970 but Merrillville and CP were rivals
in the old Lake Suburban Conference (LSC) from 1970-1974.
Merrillville was the undefeated champion of the LSC in 1973 and 1974 and
they joined the DAC in 1975.
Crown
Point was a charter member of the Lake Suburban Conference and the Bulldogs were
the 1975 LSC champions. Merrillville and Crown Point were also league rivals in
the old Calumet Conference which goes back into the first half of the 20th
century. Merrillville football began in 1946 (0-5) but they were 10-0 and
undefeated by 1949. The Pirates have always been strong in football.
Crown
Point football goes back to World War one and, except for the period when they
had four 10-win seasons in five years (1984-1989)
under coach Brad Smith and quality campaigns when present coach Chip Pettit was
the Bulldogs quarterback in 1989-1991, CP
has no long-standing history of football success.
JV
game: CP
at Merrillville -
Sat.. Sept. 3 - 10 a.m.
Freshmen
game: Merrillville at CP - Thurs.
Sept. 8, 6 p.m.
5A
No. 10 Crown Point - Coach: Chip
Pettit (20-25, 5th year)
Enrollment:
2,190
Sectional
titles (2) 1981, 88
Regional
titles (1) 1988
2004
record: 4-7
Lost
Sectional 1 semifinal at home 34-19 to eventual
sectional
champion Merrillville.
Crown
Point Bulldogs (2-0)
8-19
(W) 16-6 at Lowell (1-1)
8-26
(W) 26-0 Hobart (1-1)
9-2
- (5A) Merrillville (2-0)
9-9
- at (5A) Lake Central (2-0)
9-16
- at (5A) Portage (2-0)
9-23
- (5A) Valparaiso (1-1)
9-30
- (5A) LaPorte (2-0)
10-7
- at (5A) Chesterton (1-1)
10-14
- (5A) Michigan City (2-0)
5A
Sectional 1 playoffs
10-21
(F) quarterfinals
10-28
(F) semifinals
11-4
(F) championship
Class
5A No. 3 Merrillville - Coach: Jeff Yelton
(59-31, 9 years)
Enrollment:
2,173
State
titles (1) 1976
Semi-State
titles: (0) There was no semi-state level in 1976
Regional
titles: (2) 1976, 1992
Sectional
titles (4) 1976, 1985, 1992, 2004
2004
record: 11-2
Lost
the 5A Regional title
31-0
at Penn in 2004
Merrillville
Pirates (2-0)
8-19
(W) 82-0 East Chicago (0-2)
8-26
(W) 47-0 at Highland (1-1)
9-2
- at 5A Crown Point (2-0)
9-9
- 5A Portage (1-1)
9-16
- at 5A Michigan City (2-0)
9-23
– 5A LaPorte (2-0)
9-30
- at 5A Valparaiso (1-1)
10-7
- at 5A Lake Central (2-0)
10-14
-5A Chesterton (0-2)
5A
Sectional 1 playoffs
10-21
(F) quarterfinals
10-28
(F) semifinals
11-4
(F) championship
CROWN
POINT - The 2005
Merrillville squad might not be quite as talented as the 2004 team, but they are
more experienced and that showed as they blew away East Chicago and Highland. The
Pirates are trying to replace two all-NW Indiana players in DE Michael Neal
(Purdue) and safety Bart Woodward (Wyoming) as well as four other starters.
Merrillville's
key is their defense, led by outside linebacker Rayshon Richardson and two-way
tackle Dexter Larimore (6-2, 270), two more all-NW Indiana players.
CP
lines up Chris Wilson. Chris Schillo, Jordan Rhye, Vince Lewis and Nick Ciochina
(who is No. 35), in multiple sets that confuse the blocking of the offense.
Ciochina
(6-0, 205) is more of a run stopper and Schillo (6-0, 190) might end up
anywhere. On top of that, strong safety Jon Sertich (5-9, 170), was an outside
linebacker in 2004 when Rhye was injured. So, you don't know where he'll line up
either.
Up
front, CP's base three-man line is led by senior Nick Conway (5-10, 265), a
heavyweight wrestler who is difficult to block and has to be double-teamed to
move consistently. The
defense has not broken down in two games.
Merrillville
spreads the defense with three wide receivers and lines up Parker and Aldridge
in the backfield in a one-back shot gun set. Parker could be a halfback and he
can run a one man option with Aldridge (6-2, 220).
The problem is not hitting Aldridge, it's bringing him down. The 2004
move-in from St. Louis can take a licking and keep on ticking. Defenses can't
count on the first man hitting him to get him and when he is overplayed, Parker
can run wild.
Evan
Parker has improved as a quarterback, but you want him to throw because the
alternative is unpleasant. Receiver
Anthony Curry (5-11, 190) caught an 80-yard TD pass in the first quarter last
week.
Crown
Point is without senior quarterback Matt Jansen and ace WR-DB Matt Ernest, both
all-NW Indiana players. Both are out indefinitely.
The '35' defense covers for the loss of Ernest defensively and CP has a
lot of pass receivers who are capable.
Crown
Point will try to misdirect the speedy Pirate defense and use their quickness
against them. Screen passes, draw and trap plays may work, but the ball-handling
has to be mistake free.
Merrillville
plays the game at a quicker pace than Hobart and Lowell and this is a major test
for CP's new QB. If Mascarello can
throw and move the ball consistently against Merrillville, a very tall order, he
can throw on anybody in the DAC.
The Pirates aren't going to overly test the Bulldog secondary, led by senior Jeremy Plummer, who had three interceptions last week, unless they have trouble moving the ball. Watch for QB Evan Parker to do most of the rushing damage early on this night as the Pirates will be more conservative than Mitch Daniels.
CP needs turnovers to win this game. They've picked up five fumbles, picked off four passes and blocked a kick in two games. The Bulldogs may have doubts they can hang with Merrillville but an early turnover will erase those doubts.
Merrillville
has a freshman kicker in Ryan Stokes, but keep in mind that a freshman playing
at Merrillville is going to have to be much better than average. Stokes hit a
28-yard field goal last week against Highland.
Crown Point has a major weapon in kicker Donny Keiser who has five field goals in two games. Kesier also consistently puts the kickoff into the end zone which will be a factor since the Pirate's Williams boys run back kicks.
Punts
will be key plays as CP's Tommy Parks has blocked three punts in his last eight
games.
There
will be a lot of anxiousness in the early minutes because nobody's sure what's
going to happen. Nobody's scored a
first half point on either team and neither side has trailed at any point this
season.
WHAT
WILL HAPPEN: CP will break through first after a Merrillville fumble. The
Pirate defense will hold and Donny Keiser will boot another field goal.
It
may take two or three series but the Pirates will be able to run the ball off
tackle. IF CP can force a second
turnover, the Pirates might break down but I look for Parker to score at the end
of a long drive.
The
Bulldogs must be able to throw the ball and QB Blake Mascarello (7-14, 170
yards) is still untested in that respect after two games. The Bulldogs, who tend
to be creative, will have to keep the Pirates off balance with play calling
because they cannot just line up and run over Merrillville and they cannot
protect Mascarello 15-20 times from a Pirate pass rush that sacked Highland's
more mobile Andrew Helmer seven times last week.
An
exchange of punts will set up the Pirates for another TD drive with Aldridge
scoring to make it 14-3.
Merrillville
has to win this game because they come in with every advantage from a motivation
standpoint. They are on the road (good teams like to do that) and they are
facing a team they won't blow out by halftime.
Plus, CP has beaten the Pirates three years in a row.
Crown
Point simply has to gain some confidence for an inevitable rematch in November.
The Bulldogs need the experience of playing well for whatever length of
time in this game more than they need the win.
Merrillville's
defense will control a contest similar
to the 2004 playoff game.
Merrillville
31, CROWN POINT 16