Week 4 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Lake Central (1-2) at  Crown Point (2-1)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

9-08-2010

 

When:  Friday, September 10, 2010;  Kick-off:  7:00 p.m.

Where:  Crown Point High School - 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN.

Tickets:  $5

TV/Radio/Internet:  WWCA (1270) AM, www.USA-365.com.

Enrollment: Crown Point - 2,442; Lake Central - 3,041.

WEATHER: Almost perfect. Low-70s during the day, but mid-60s by game time. Bring a jacket. This is how it's supposed to be for football games. September is the best time to attend high school football because the weather isn't an issue. Not too hot. Not too cold.

PARKING: Here's another reason to show up Friday night. This game won't be a sellout. Not even close. Lake Central is 1-2 and hasn't drawn big crowds for years. There's a lot of other games Friday like Lowell at Griffith and Munster at Andrean that will take away any casual fan. This is the obviously the type of neighborhood game that CP or LC should move to Saturday night to draw that extra 1,000 players, coaches and fans (from schools that played Friday) who would fill the stadium. But schools do not want to hold athletic events Saturday night no matter what they might draw. They just don't. The parking lot will not fill up Friday.

JV Football: Saturday, Sept. 11 - 10 a.m.
CROWN POINT at LAKE CENTRAL

Freshman Football: Thursday, Sept. 16 - 6 p.m.
LAKE CENTRAL at CROWN POINT

All-time series: CP leads 29-23-1
CP won 23-21 at LC in 2009

LAKE CENTRAL- Lake Central isn't an old rival of Crown Point, because Lake Central didn't exist in its present form before 1966. The present day school was called Dyer Central from 1949-1965. The Indians and CP used to battle it out in the Lake Suburban Conference (LSC) from 1970 to 1991, but neither school was a power in those days. Both schools started to grow in the 1970s, but LC took it to the extreme. In 1986, LC had 2,117 students. Now they have almost 3,100 and it was LC's growth that sparked the break up of the LSC. While Crown Point went to the Duneland Athletic Conference in 1992, LC didn't follow until a decade later and their athletic programs suffered from being an independent. A powerhouse in the 80s and early 90s, LC's softball, girls basketball and football have all slipped in terms of wins and losses in the last 10 years and I don't know why.

LC has also fallen far behind in facilities as Chesterton, CP and Hobart have built brand new schools and Merrillville and LaPorte have undergone serious upgrades. Lake Central high school is not going to be renovated or replaced anytime soon. The Tri-Town aspect of the Lake Central community (Schererville, Dyer and St. John) probably makes it difficult to agree on any improvements to the high school.

 

Much of the public actually believes what they hear on cable TV about how tax cuts pay for themselves. Parents and homeowners want new schools but they almost never want to pay for them.

The DAC needs LC to return to power just like Hobart and Griffith's success boosts the profile of the entire region. That's the challenge for Brett St. Germain, a former state championship coach at Andrean. He has the depth and the history, but he also has seven big schools that hope he succeeds eventually, just not against them. But don't underestimate motivation. It's embarrassing to be the largest last place school in the state every fall.

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LAKE CENTRAL (1-2, 0-1 DAC)
Coach Brett St. Germain (1st year)
2009 record: 2-9
Sectionals (4) last in 1999
Regionals: (2) last in 1993
Semi states: (1) last in 1993
Last 5 seasons: 18-35

8-20 (L) 7-17 Munster (3-0)
8-27 (W) 36-14 at East Chicago (2-1)
9-3 (L) 14-20 (OT) at PORTAGE (2-1)
9-10 at CROWN POINT (3-0)
9-17 LaPORTE (2-1)
9-24 at MICHIGAN CITY (2-1)
10-1 CHESTERTON (2-1)
10-8 at MERRILLVILLE (2-1)
10-15 VALPARAISO (3-0)

5A Sectional (1) One
10-22: with Merrillville, CP, EC, Valpo, Munster, Chesterton and Portage


CROWN POINT (2-1, 0-1 DAC)
Coach Chip Pettit (58-43, 10 years)
2009 record: 3-7
Sectional titles (3) 1988, 91, 2006
Regional titles (1) 1988
Last 5 seasons: 37-19

8-20 (W) 37-6 Lowell (2-1)
8-27 (W) 48-14 at Hobart (2-1)
9-3 (L) 21-24 at MERRILLVILLE (2-1)
9-10 LAKE CENTRAL (1-2)
9-17 PORTAGE (2-1)
9-24 at VALPARAISO (3-0)
10-1 at LaPORTE (2-1)
10-8 CHESTERTON (3-0)
10-15 at MICHIGAN CITY (1-2)

5A Sectional (1) One
10-22: with LC, Merrillville , EC, Valpo, Munster, Chesterton and Portage

LAKE CENTRAL Update:

ST. JOHN - Lake Central certainly hoped to be 2-1 at this point with a win over either Munster or Portage, both games which turned out to be close losses. Big running back Tanner Redlarczyk (6-2, 215), the youngest brother of former LC state championship runner Tiffany Redlarczyk, has had a strong season carrying the ball with 73 carries for 301 yards after three games.

Under new coach Brett St. Germain, the Indians have thrown the ball a lot more with junior QB Connor Doyle completing 24 of 58 for 245 yards and receiver Steve Krause (6-2, 205) catching eight for 70 yards. Those aren't overwhelming numbers, which would indicate a short passing game very much still in the construction stage. LC has not scored a point in the first quarter this season and hasn't scored a TD in the fourth quarter either.

Defensively, LC has been good, except for the fact that they've given up a couple of late TDs against Munster and Portage that cost them games. Overall, the Indians have allowed just 51 points and 700 yards; very good numbers.

Senior lineman Nick Johnson (6-1, 240) and junior linebacker Tyler Szczecina (5-10, 200) are defensive starters, but the key will be how well LC stays with Crown Point's receivers on the fast artificial turf. The Indians have not kicked a field goal this season and I don't know if they've even attempted one.

CROWN POINT Update:

The Bulldogs have overwhelming numbers after three games. The have outscored the opposition 106-44 and have out-gained them 1,131-578. QB Joe Hopman is 23 of 35, 515 yards, five TDs and no interceptions. Halfback Cody Bacon has gained 373 yards on 69 carries and wide receiver Austin Atherton has caught 12 passes for 306 yards.

Now, Atherton was knocked out of last week's game at Merrillville and his availability for this Friday is questionable.

Junior kicker Brett Bayer is a major factor. He has three field goals and is 13 of 14 on extra points. Bayer has also put 14 of 20 kickoffs into the end zone, a couple against a 15-mile-an-hour wind last week. He has nullified the kick-off return game of the opposition.

The Bulldogs gave away last week's game, but the flaws are correctable. Two kick blocks turned the game for the Pirates in the late going. Those are correctable flaws. CP's offensive line has been good from scrimmage although key kicks can't be blocked.

On defense, outside linebacker Scott Hannon has 27 tackles including six tackles for a loss and newcomer Billy Van Cleef (6-2, 200) also has six tackles for a loss at defensive end. CP gave up big plays against Merrillville, but no one has consistently driven down the field on the first string defense all season. The Bulldogs have allowed 281 yards rushing and 297 yards passing, both good numbers.

This will be the first time since week one that CP sees a big hard-running fullback type like Tanner Redlarczyk.