Week 3 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Merrillville (0-2) at No. 10 Crown Point (2-0)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

09-01-2011

When:  7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 2, 2011

Where: 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN (directly south east of Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point)

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: $6 (new ticket price this season for all of the DAC).

ENROLLMENT: CP - 2,532; MERRILLVILLE - 2,300
 

Crown Point HS Football fans always seem to come out in respectable numbers at home games to support the Bulldogs. (Photo by Mark Smith)

WEATHER: Not good. Mid-90s are predicted for Friday and that will have an impact on the game. There is supposed to be a break in this latest heat wave sometime Friday. But it's unlikely it will suddenly be cool and breezy any time during the game. I could never say which team is in better condition, but on the very warm artificial turf, we are about to find out. Long range predictions say the rain and cooler weather won't get to CP until after Friday's game is over. The temperature obviously drops after sunset, which is a little after 7 p.m. CP might even consider pushing the starting time of the game back 30 minutes to let the sun set.

PARKING: There's usually lots of tailgating at Crown Point games, but I don't know how any folks are going to be standing around eating weenies in 90-degree heat. Merrillville brings a decent crowd to Crown Point, but not the overflow crowd that Lowell brings. Not even when they aren't 0-2.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: Coaches say every game matters, but they know that's not true. For Merrillville and Crown Point football, the first two games didn't matter. This one matters. This is a pivotal game for both teams and almost a must game for Merrillville. The opening game in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) season is a chance to be born-again for the Pirates, who have lost to 5A No. 1 Warren Central (2-0) and 2A No. 3 Andrean (2-0).

Crown Point has dominated Lowell and Hobart, but none of that matters if they lose the DAC opener. These two teams are likely to meet in the 5A Sectional 1 playoffs in two months so it not only matters who wins Friday, but how you match up.

HISTORY: Merrillville leads the series 34-32 with wins 38-14 at Crown Point in 2009 and 24-21 at Merrillville in 2010.

Merrillville, a town, and Crown Point, a city, have a lot in common. Arguably, they are both 176 years old. Solon Robinson settled what is now Crown Point in 1834. A clearing made for ceremonial purposes was McGwinn Village also, in 1834. Four years later, the town was renamed after brothers William and Dudley Merrill.

Merrillville and CP border each other, but teens who live at the far north end of CP are in the Merrillville school district. Though Merrillville has had four National Football League players like Jamel Williams, Eugene Wilson. Michael Neal and now Dexter Larimore in last 20 years, CP has almost always been competitive with their neighbors to the north.

Crown Point has a lot of rivals. Lots of Lake Central students have a Crown Point mailing address. CP and Boone Grove kids are neighbors in the Lakes of the Four Seasons area, while CP and Hanover Central kids are neighbors in Cedar Lake.

Crown Point and Lowell are two of the oldest high schools in this part of the state and are the two original South Lake County high schools. The CP-Merrillville rivalry has stepped beyond those two, especially in football. Follow me here. Of the last five times CP and Merrillville have met in the post-season, Merrillville has won four. Of the last eight times CP and Merrillville have met in the regular season, CP is 7-2. The inference there is that CP finds a way to beat the Pirates early. Merrillville learns from it and wins the rematch. The suggestion there is that the Pirates have better talent overall or that CP is always the underdog, the position high school boys and coaches prefer to be in.

The one difference between CP and Merrillville is football crowd support. CP still has that small town feel (although it's not small anymore), so the football team playing fills the home stands. Merrillville has become more of a basketball school and the home stands aren't always packed for football games. And the Pirates have a reputation for "not traveling well," which means their fans only go to home games. But that won't diminish this game.

No less than four radio stations will air it and the result will be headlines of Friday night's week three play. There are other football rivalries every season in NW Indiana, but with the level this one is usually played at, to compare any other to Merrillville-Crown Point would be like comparing Jim Brown to Donald Brown.
 

Crown Point Bulldogs
Coach Chip Pettit (63-47, 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 (0-2)
Aug. 26 (W) 45-6 Hobart (1-1)
Sept. 2 Merrillville (0-2)
Sept. 9 at Lake Central (2-0)
Sept 16 at Portage (0-2)
Sept. 23 Valparaiso (0-2)
Sept. 30 LaPorte (2-0)
Oct. 7 at Chesterton (1-1)
Oct. 14 Michigan City (1-1)


MERRILLVILLE Pirates
Coach: Zach Wells (48-18) 6th year
2010 record: 8-3
Sectional titles: (8) last in 2009
Regional titles: (5) 1976, 1992, 2005, 2007 and 2009
State titles: (1) 1976

*LAST YEAR: Lost 5A sectional 1 semifinal 20-14 to Valparaiso last November.

Aug. 20 (L) 13-64 Warren Central (2-0)
Aug. 26 (L) 12-21 Andrean (2-0)
Sep. 2 at CROWN POINT (2-0)
Sep. 9 PORTAGE (0-2)
Sep. 16 at MICHIGAN CITY (1-1)
Sep. 23 LaPORTE (2-0)
Sep. 30 at VALPARISO (0-2)
Oct. 7 at LAKE CENTRAL (2-0)
Oct. 14 CHESTERTON (1-1)

Class 5A Sectional 1
with Munster, Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton, Michigan City. Lake Central and Crown Point
 

MERRILLVILLE (0-2) Update:

MERRILLVILLE (09-02-2011) The Pirates haven't done much so far in two home games, but the offense has great possibilities. New QB Jake Raspopovich is 29 of 49 passing for 291 yards. Raspopovich is listed as having two interceptions, but those stats are not correct. Against Warren Central, a couple of the turnovers that were called interceptions were receptions that were fumbled.

Raspopovich is very elusive and tough to sack. The top wide receiver is Aaron Dye (5-10, 152) who has eight catches for 110 yards and two TDs. Wrestler Kourtney Berry, a former running back-turned wide receiver, caught six passes against Warren Central and he'll be matched up against a CP linebacker on most plays.

The Pirates use a one-back set and the one back is Darryl Peppers (5-6, 185), anther player who is difficult to tackle. But Merrillville has just 94 yards rushing total in their first two games and there are some offensive line problems.
 

Defensively, the strength for Merrillville is in the secondary. Warren Central was 13 of 17 against the Pirates, but Andrean QB Matt DeSomer was only 4-of-17. Oddly, Merrillville kicker Matt Warren is only 1-for-4 on extra points. He was 47 of 53 in 2010. Part of the problem may be the snaps and protection. The Pirate offensive line is the key unit in Friday's game. They must play their best game so far or CP will control the game.

Look for changes on defense where both Warren Central and Andrean have been able to run the ball. Merrillville has given up 475 yards rushing and 47 first downs in two games. To be fair, Merrillville has faced two Top-10 teams. But the Pirates are facing No. 10 CP Friday so they know the level of competition won't slip.

The Pirates are as quick as they traditionally are, but they look small. Their offense will be explosive but that may not show up against another Top-10 defense. The Pirates' chance may be in the secondary and on special teams where Merrillville has the athleticism to create turnovers. One big motivation Friday is that Merrillville is backed up against the wall. They haven't been 0-3 in 36 years. The Pirates are well aware of that.


CROWN POINT (2-0) Update:

CROWN POINT (09-02-2011) The Bulldogs have played two similar games where they scored in every quarter and gave up one TD in the second period. You don't get the feeling that this is a finished product in any way and the offense, especially, can do much better. QB Joe Hopman (15 of 28, 227 yards, 3 TDs, 2 interceptions) did throw two interceptions against Hobart and he must be sure of the ball against the speedy Pirate secondary. But Hopman has a lot of receivers he has faith in including newcomer Zach Plesac. who caught his first TD pass last week, speedy Tyler Wells, who also caught his first TD against Hobart and tall Braxton Rice (6-6, 185) who figures to be a major factor as time goes on.

CP is strong on special teams with Brett Bayer, who has booted field goals of 24, 33 and 44 yards this season. Senior Logan McRae has become quite a kick returner with three runbacks so far for 191 yards, including a 98-yard TD. Halfback Jake Lindeman (5-11, 190) has carried 37 times for 163 yards and a TD. Wells ran a reverse 44 yards for a TD last week. CP is healthy in the offensive line and they've been able to rush for 5.2 yards a carry so far.
 

Defensively, CP has been surprisingly good with eight takeaways (including three interceptions) and only 268 yards allowed through two weeks. Nose guard Cameron Tanner (6-1, 260) is a the key man. If he's hard to block, it frees up the linebackers behind him. Tanner leads CP with 13 tackles including three quarterback sacks though two games.

McRae has five solo tackles and two interceptions so far. CP has an unusually big secondary with McRae (6-2, 195) and Drew Breuckman (6-3, 195), a converted linebacker. Teams with lots of speed like Merrillville will certainly want to challenge CP's tall defenders with deeper pass plays, but that could lead to more turnovers.
 

Crown Point has not been challenged by a strong passing attack yet and that figures to happen this Friday.
 

MERRILLVILLE (0-2) at CROWN POINT (2-0)

SAGARIN RATINGS: CP by 20
 

The Sagarin computer ratings also have Merrillville playing the 11th toughest schedule in the state (Valpo plays the toughest), so that spread is probably high. Early season Sagarin ratings are always deceptive.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN...

CROWN POINT (09-02-2011) The expected heat may have a major impact on the game. It's in CP's best interest to turn this into a physical, slow-paced running contest, while Merrillville will want to strike through the air against the untested CP secondary.

The Pirates score first on a pass from Jake Raspopovich to Aaron Dye, but CP takes major minutes off the clock by running the football. Jake Lindeman's TD ties the game in the second quarter and a short pass to Pete Parks ups the lead to 14-7. Late in the first half, Joe Hopman scores on a short run at the end of a long drive for a 14-point lead.

Merrillville gets a TD from Darryl Peppers in the third period to make it 21-14. An interception by Logan McRae sets up a Brett Bayer field goal for a 10-point lead, but a long kickoff return rallies the Pirates. Matt Warren's first field goal will cut the lead to seven in the fourth quarter, but a second CP interception and Bayer field goal will create the final score.

Fortunately for Merrillville, this isn't college football where you lose your first three games and your season is over. Merrillville is a traditional power and it doesn't bother me that they haven't stopped the run of two powerful teams so far. The problem is: They haven't been able to run. Not at all. They need 150-200 yards rushing to get their defense off the field and beat Crown Point. I don't think they can get it.

CROWN POINT 27, MERRILLVILLE 17