Week 5 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Crown Point (2-2) at Portage (1-3)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

09-15-2011

The Portage scoreboard from two years ago when CP last visited.

The Portage Indians' football field is an artificial "Field Turf" surface, similar to that at Crown Point. (Photos by Mark Smith)

When:  Friday, September 16, 2011

Where:  Portage High School, 6450 US Hwy. 6, Portage, IN, 46368

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, 16-6 at Valparaiso

Aug. 19 (W) 27-6 at Lowell (2-2)
Aug. 26 (W) 45-6 Hobart (1-3)
Sept. 2 (L) 20-21 Merrillville (1-3)
Sept. 9 (L) 7-26 at LC (4-0)
Sept 16 at Portage (1-3)
Sept. 23 Valparaiso (2-2)
Sept. 30 LaPorte (2-2)
Oct. 7 at Chesterton (3-1)
Oct. 14 Michigan City (1-3)

Portage Indians
Jeremy Flowers (5-9, year 2)
2010: 5-5 2009: 6-6 2008: 6-4
Sectional titles: (8) last in 2003
Regional titles: 1977 and 1994
Semistate title: 1994
State title: 1977
Lost 2010 5A sectional 1 quarterfinal 23-21 at CP

Aug. 19 (L) 22-29 Mishawaka (2-2)
Aug. 26 (L) 21-32 (Chicago) St. Rita
Sep. 2 (L) 7-62 Lake Central (4-0)
Sep. 9 (W) 17-16 @ MERRILLVILLE
Sep. 16 Crown Point (2-2)
Sep. 24 Chesterton (3-1)
Sep. 30 at Michigan City (1-3)
Oct. 7 Valparaiso (2-2)
Oct. 14 at LaPorte (2-2)

Class 5A Sectional 1
....including Michigan City, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Munster, Lake Central, CROWN POINT & MERRILLVILLE

HISTORY: Portage Township (one of the 12 townships in Porter County) was founded in 1835 but Garyton, the oldest of three areas that formed Portage, began as land that was sold to settlers by Potawatomi Indians in 1812. I haven't found why the city or the township is named Portage, but if your name is Robbins and your family has always lived in Northwest Indiana, you may be related to Samuel Robbins, one of the first settlers in Portage in 1835. Three communities, Crisman, McCool and Garyton, merged into Portage. Crisman and McCool are also names of the original settlers in the town.

Portage only became a city in 1967, a few years into the steel boom. National Steel opened in 1959 in Portage. Bethlehem Steel opened in 1963. Portage grew from 11,000 people in the early 60s to almost 35,000 now. Few farms still exist in the city, so Portage really isn't "country." But to call Portage a suburb of Gary, while technically true, doesn't seem to fit, either.

The steel mills have declined in the last 20 years, but Portage still seems to be a bedroom community for folks who work someplace else. It's a quiet town that has caught a lot of the migration from North Lake County because it's a pleasant place to be. Football, softball and wrestling grew to be dominant sports at Portage High School in the 1990s under coach Craig Buzea, who is now at Homewood-Flossmoor.
 

The Indians were the 1976 state football 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 is not doing well athletically right now and it's not obvious why. The school used to be a state power in wrestling and cross country and that prowess has diminished somewhat.
 

The competitiveness of the Duneland Athletic Conference is weighing on the football program, which has been .500 in recent years. To top Merrillville last week was a big deal for the program and it saved their season. Crown Point has to hope it isn't in the wrong place at the wrong time this Friday.

PORTAGE Update:

PORTAGE (9-16-2011) It's hard to tell about Portage because they've lost to Lake Central (4-0), St. Rita (3-0) and Mishawaka (2-2), three good teams. Last week's win 17-16 over Merrillville was hardly impressive, but it was a bold survival event.
 

At 0-4, the Indians would have been in a somewhat hopeless situation. Now, they have two winnable road games and three games against good teams where, at least, they are at home. The Indians are still without right guard Ross Williams (6-2, 265) and QB Kevin Knies (5-11,170). But they are not helpless. The offensive line is based on guard Patrick Doyle (6-1, 250) and Portage has a lot of speed including junior halfback and quarterback Rashaan Coleman (5-10, 185) and senior two way halfback Alvin Best (6-2, 175).
 

The Indians lack size but not speed. If Knies is not back (and you never hear the truth about high school injuries), everything will revolve around Coleman, who ran for 100 yards last week. You are going to see a lot of run-pass options by Coleman. He's reportedly not a drop back passer. Sophomore Nate Johnson is a solid kicker. I don't know his range, but Johnson's fourth quarter 28-yard field goal was the difference in a 17-16 game last week.
 

Portage's loss to LC was obviously exagerrated, because Portage lost their starting QB in that game and LC had three defenisve TDs. The Indians have a chance in games where they can control the ball. A high scoring game works against them because they have at least four two-way players including Coleman and Best.
 

But Portage is a dangerous team because they've played four quality squads and they're coming off a big win.

CROWN POINT Update:
 

CROWN POINT (9-16-2011) The Bulldogs could not stop the run at all in the first half at Lake Central last week, but that didn't beat them. The CP defense gave up three TDs, but this had been a team that had averaged 30 points game. Except for one drive, they could not move the ball against LC's very active defense.

I don't have the answer and the Bulldogs better find it because LC is not the best team they'll play. CP's passing attack has slowed. Just three pass completions last week in 16 attempts.
 

The big focus this week will be whether QB Joe Hopman (26 of 59, 434 yards, 5 TDs, 4 interceptions) can general the Bulldogs usual mix of runs and passes.

The Bulldogs report no major injuries, so the front eight led by linemen Cameron Tanner (6-1, 260), Nick Langbehn (5-11, 210) and Billy Van Cleef (6-3, 195) is ready for Portage's running challenge. The Bulldogs have allowed 150 yards a game rushing and have given up just 30 pass completions in four games.
 

The troubles have been on offense where CP has only completed 29 passes all season. The Bulldogs have just five turnovers all season and the kicking game is strong. The truth is: They were in position to beat Merrillville and the 26-7 loss at Lake Central was largely a 20-7 first half.
 

Sophomore halfback Tristan Peterson came off the bench to gain 42 yards on eight carries last week. WR Tyler Wells is averaging 21.5 yards a catch. Safety Logan McRae has five kickoff returns for a 45-yard average. Kicker Brett Bayer has three field goals of 23, 24 and 45 yards and is 12 of 13 on extra points.
 

Crown Point is out of the DAC race, but they aren't in a bad spot sectional-wise because the focus is elsewhere. LC is supposedly 'back' after winning three home games. Chesterton is "under the radar," although everyone knows about them. Valparaiso is going through the final year for veteran coach Mark Hoffman while CP can just keep playing.

One thing seems certain: The Bulldogs are a better team than they've shown in any game all season.

CROWN POINT (2-2) AT PORTAGE (1-3)

SAGARIN RATINGS: CP by 13

PORTAGE: Since CP was 2-0 and Portage was 0-3, this spread might seem small. But Portage won by one point on the road over a team CP lost to by one points at home. Portage also lost by 55 to a team CP lost to by 19. I don't think the Sagarin ratings include out of state teams so the game against (Chicago) St. Rita is irrelevant. The spread might be a little high.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: Crown Point will not be surprised when Portage attacks with an all-rushing Wildcat style offense with Rashaan Coleman. The Bulldogs will take an early lead on a Brett Bayer field goal and Bayer will add another three-pointer before halftime for a 6-0 lead. Coleman will give Portage a 7-6 lead with a long TD run early in the third quarter, but Joe Hopman's scoring pass to Tyler Wells will put CP ahead 13-7.

Portage is going to have a difficult time moving the ball unless Coleman can hit a couple of early passes, but I expect CP's passing attack to still be off-line.

CP will mount a long sustained drive in the fourth quarter, ending in Jake Lindeman's short TD run. A third Bayer field goal will end a low-scoring game between teams with struggling offenses.

CP may not be in a good place mentally. Crown Point may have taken the loss to Merrillville hard. It was a game they should have won. Nobody outside of St. John should believe that Lake Central is 19 points better than Crown Point. But it happened one night.
 

That loss at LC has to also weigh on the Bulldogs.

But Portage is limited without their starting QB. They might compete with CP at full strength, but they aren't 100 percent. CP's offense probably has a 40-50 point night in it, but this isn't it.