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Crown Point (2-2) at Portage (2-2) |
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Week
5 - Football Game of the Week Preview|
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Crown Point (2-2) at Portage (2-2) |
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09-18-2009
When:
Friday, September 18, 2009
Where: Portage High School, 6450 US Hwy. 6, Portage, IN, 46368
TV/Radio/Internet: No live over-the-air radio. Radio updates on WLPR (89.1)
FM.
Live Internet coverage on
www.USA-365.com.
Highlights on Lakeshore Public Television (Com Cast Cable
Ch, 17) at 10:30 p.m.
JV game: Saturday, Sept. 19 at Portage - 10:00 a.m.
Freshmen: Thursday, Sept. 24 at CROWN POINT - 6:00
p.m.
Numbers: Crown Point: Class 5A, enrollment 2,446;
Portage - 5A enrollment - 2,618
Tickets: $5
Tickets will be available at the gate because this is a
large stadium seating almost 5,000.
Crown Point folks often don't travel to Portage or
Valparaiso in large numbers for reasons I don't totally
understand. Portage has a lot of room and its not hard to
find. Truthfully, if you cant find Portage high school on
US. 6, you should always stay home.
Weather: Enough summer already. Cool winds seemed
to blow in Wednesday and the game time temperatures Friday
should be in the low-60s. By the second half, we'll have 57
or 58-degree temperatures and that's the weather football
should be played in. One of the main problems that high
school football has is that it's played in baseball weather.
For teams that are doing well, you might see an upturn in
attendance. You don't feel like sitting in 75-80 degree
weather to watch non-conference match ups. And as it
gets cooler and the teams gain an identity, you might make the trip if you care
about the games.
Parking: Here's another reason I'd make the trip to
Portage Friday. Lake Central had no parking and everybody
has trouble there for every event. Portage has a huge
parking lot next to the field and there's more room in front
of the school. You're going to end up parking on the school
campus no matter when you show up. I know some old folks
(like me) don't want to walk a long way. Portage is one of
the schools where you don't have to.
Last year: Last year's match up was the highlight
of Crown Point's season as they turned back the Indians 21-6
in Crown Point.
The Bulldogs held Portage to `61 total yards last season in
a 21-6 Crown Point win in Crown Point. The defense dominated
an injury-weakened Portage squad and it was now-graduated
wrestling
champion and
CP quarterback Marcus Shrewsbury's finest hour as the CP
quarterback. He threw three TD passes.
History: Portage leads the series 26-19.
FAST FOOTBALL FACT: According to the Sagarin computer
rankings, Portage is the sixth best team in the Duneland
Conference after four games but the 46th best team in the
state.
PORTAGE: There is no real rivalry between Crown Point and Portage, but when CP joined the Duneland Athletic Conference in 1993, they got a front row seat to the re-birth of Portage football. The Indians were the 1976 state champs but in 1994, they rolled to 13 consecutive wins before losing 30-12 to Castle. That season started a reign of terror that saw the Indians go 59-15 in a six year (1994-1999) span.
Portage was never meant to be a large town. It's original name was 20-mile Prairie, which is the distance from Portage to Michigan City, which in the 1800s, was a much bigger deal. The Portage football program says that the Miami and Potawatomi Indians farmed, fished and hunted buffalo in the mid-1700s on the land that is now the Portage school district. That's why the school's nickname and mascot are what they are.
Portage grew as a "bedroom" area for Lake County steel employees and blossomed when US Steel opened a Portage mill in the late 1950s. Portage grew from 11,000 people in the early 60s to almost 35,000 now. That's why Portage high school, which was originally in the small school Porter County Conference, is now among the state's 10 largest. Football, softball and wrestling were dominant sports at Portage in the 90s but the school has seen an athletic decline in this decade for reasons that are not simple. But Portage always wants to be a state class athletic school and the football team scheduling Chicago superpower St. Rita (ranked No. 1 in the Chicago area) is a nod to that. The Indians built a large football fan following in the 90s that will resurface if they even hint they can win league and sectional championships. With a record of 2-2 and 1-1 in league play, Friday's game is pivotal for this season for the Indians in that respect.
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| Senior halfback Chris Klein (27) ran 41 yards for the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter last week at Lake Central. (All photos by Mark Smith) |
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| Sophomore QB Joe Hopman (12) ran 11 times for 126 yards last week as the Bulldogs gained a season-high 259 yards rushing. |
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| It's been an up-and-down season so far for Crown Point Bulldog watchers, from moms to little brothers, and the Bulldogs got back to the .500 mark last week with a 23-21 win over Lake Central. |
5A Portage Indians (2-2)
Coach: Coach: Mark Peterson,
13-11, 3rd season
Enrollment: 2,721
2008 record: 3-7
Sectional titles (8) 1977, 83, 93-94-95-96, 98 and 2003
Regional titles: (2) 1977 and 1994
Semi state titles: (1) 1994
State titles (1) 1977
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) games in CAPS - all
games are Friday at 7:00 p.m.
8-22 (W) 26-0 at (Mishawaka) Marian (2-2)
8-28 (L) 20-35 (Chicago) St. Rita (3-0)
9-4 (W) 27-0 at LAKE CENTRAL (1-3)
9-11 (L) 27-49 at MERRILLVILLE (3-1)
9-18 (Fri) CROWN POINT (2-2)
9-25 (Fri) CHESTERTON (3-1)
10-2 (Fri) at MICHIGAN CITY(4-0)
10-9 (Fri) VALPARAISO (1-3)
Oct. 16 at LaPORTE (3-1)
Class 5A Sectional 1
Oct. 23 (F) with Michigan City, Lake Central, Valparaiso,
Chesterton, CROWN POINT, Munster, East Chicago and
MERRILLVILLE.
Crown Point Bulldogs (2-2)
Coach: Chip Pettit, 54-38 (9 years)
Enrollment: 2,441
2008 record: 3-7
Sectional titles (3) 1988, 1991, 2006
Regional titles: (1) 1998
Semi state titles (0) State titles (0)
5A Crown Point Bulldogs (2-2, 1-1)
Coach: Chip Pettit, 54-38 (9th year)
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) games in CAPS - all
games are Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Aug. 21 (L) 19-0 at Lowell
(4-0)
Aug. 28 (W) 14-7 Hobart (1-3)
Sep. 4 (L) 14-38 MERRILLVILLE (3-1)
Sep. 11 (W) 23-21 at LAKE CENTRAL (1-3)
Sep. 18 at PORTAGE (2-2)
Sep. 25 VALPARAISO (1-3)
Oct. 2 LaPORTE (3-1)
Oct. 9 at CHESTERTON (3-1)
Oct. 16 MICHIGAN CITY (4-0)
Class 5A, Sectional 1
Oct. 23 (F) with Michigan City, Portage, Valparaiso,
Chesterton, Lake Central, Munster, East Chicago and
MERRILLVILLE
KEY FOOTBALL FACTORS
1. Huston and Dixon
Everything Portage does offensively seems to revolve around
junior quarterback Zach Huston and junior halfback Jake
Dixon, who is also a cornerback.
Dixon (6-1, 180) has scored 10 touchdowns while Huston
(5-11, 175) has run for four TDs and passed for four TDs in
the first four weeks. The Indians have other threats but a lot of defensive
eyes have to be on Dixon. Follow him and the play most
likely will come to you.
2. Turn it over
I don't know if you can rely on creating turnovers to win,
but CP got two interceptions and three fumbles from Lake
Central last week after receiving just three turnovers total
in the first three games. Portage has not had a pass
intercepted all season but they have lost five fumbles.
It would seem CP would need a couple of Portage to win this game.
3. Accept that you are improving
The hard, cold numbers show CP is getting better. You need
to be able to point at something that is real and not just
words. CP rushed for a season best 259 yards (33 carries)
last week. Spencer Rapchak punted twice, both times for 41
yards while Austin Atherton and Brian Holloway combine to
average 30 yards per kickoff return. Joe Hopman has had
three passes intercepted in 75 attempts in his rookie
season. LC was held to 9-of-22 passing. CP has not faced
Peyton Manning or Drew Brees yet, but they have allowed just
24 completed passes in four games. If LC is better than
Hobart, then CP is improving because they were better at LC
than they were against the Brickies.
The Bottom
Line...
PORTAGE: All signs point to a high-scoring game here. Crown Point is averaging almost five yards per carry on
average and they will keep that going here with 150 yards
rushing. Portage hasn't scored less than 20 points in any
game and they gained 435 yards on Merrillville. I don't
know if CP has seen anyone like Dixon, who is as dangerous
as anyone in the entire DAC.
With Austin Atherton and Travis Woosley as wide
receivers, the days of CP's offense and QB Joe Hopman being
shut out are over for awhile. Look for 200 yards passing
from CP as well.
But Portage should feel a sense of urgency here after the
long night at Merrillville seven days ago.
CP figures to be chasing the lead all night and, while I don't see them winning, they will play well. Going by Portage's 2009 resume, Dixon will score all four TDs and the Bulldogs' second half rally falls short this time.
Portage 31, CROWN POINT 27