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Valparaiso (3-2) at Crown Point (4-1) |
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Week
6 - Football Game of the Week Preview|
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Valparaiso (3-2) at Crown Point (4-1) |
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09-20-2007
When:
Friday, September 21, 2007
Where: 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN (about 1-mile south of the downtown square)
Tickets:
$5
TV/Radio/Internet:
WWLO (89.1) FM and
www.USA-365.com.
Weather:
Low 70s, slight chance of rain. Welcome back the mosquitoes.
Parking: With both teams on a winning streak and the weather
still good, this game should draw a large and colorful crowd.
Junior Varsity:
CP at Valparaiso - 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.
Freshmen: CP at Portage - Thursday, Sept. 20. - 6:00 p.m.
Freshmen: CP at Valparaiso - Saturday, Sept. 22 - 10:00 a.m.
Freshmen: Valparaiso at CP - Thursday, Sept. 27 - 6:00 p.m.
The Series:
Valparaiso leads the all-time series 35-18-2, but CP has won three in a row
including a 35-21 win at Valparaiso last year. As I said last week,
Valparaiso, along with Portage, are the schools that CP emulated on their rise
to the top of the Duneland Athletic Conference in several sports in this decade.
CP should be proud of the fact that they have lifted their football program to
the level of Portage in the mid-90s or Valpo in the early part of this decade.
Those schools were multiple DAC football champs and state finalists. Ten
years ago, Valparaiso was better than Crown Point in almost every sport. Tom
May's 1997 girls basketball squad beat Valpo on the way to the state finals, but
the Vikings dominated CP in most other sports.
All that has changed. Baseball and soccer have caught up with Valpo. Volleyball and softball have pulled even. Look for CP boys basketball and girls softball to slip ahead of their green-clad friends from Porter County this year. But football is already there. In 2001 and 2002, Valpo ruled the DAC gridirons and beat the stuffings out of CP more than once. The Bulldogs had a huge inferiority complex where Valparaiso football was concerned because some boys from Crown Point actually paid to attend Valparaiso, citing the poor condition of CP sports and the raggedy CPHS school building.
All that has changed, too. When the new CPHS was opened in 2003, CP students stopped attending Valpo (and Andrean to some extent) because CPHS was a better school. Winning covers leaders with glory but even the most egomaniacal coach would have to admit that a lot of what has occurred in CP sports would not have been possible had not the new school been built. CP has numbers in almost all programs which are the envy of every single school in NW Indiana. And they have those numbers because they have facilities which are the envy of all teams in NW Indiana.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso has slipped in all team sports but girls basketball, although it's difficult to determine how much the rise of other DAC teams have made Valpo less than league championship contenders. I think class sports has hurt Valparaiso. Half the Porter County Conference (PCC) teams are basically satellites of Valparaiso. In the past, a good ballplayer at Boone Grove, Wheeler or Washington Township would find a way to be considered in the Valpo school district so they could attend the big school. It made sense because Valpo eliminated all the PCC teams in basketball and baseball at the sectional level.
Now, that's not possible. So, if you grow up in the Boone Grove district, you stay there. Valparaiso used to be the New York Yankees of Porter County, because everyone wanted to play for them. Now they're the Atlanta Braves. Good. But not dominant. The Vikings have been mediocre in 2004 (6-5), 2005 (5-5) and 2006 (3-6) and it probably doesn't set very well at a school that is very proud of its athletic achievements.
Valpo and Crown Point met to open the high school football season from 1940 to
1962 but they were football friends long before that. The earliest meeting
I can find is a 12-0 CP win over Valpo on Nov. 5, 1904 and they may have played
before that. Valparaiso is one of the few NW Indiana schools that is older
than CP, which is about 127 years old.
The schools now play for what's called the "County Seat Trophy", a traveling
trophy that CP has owned with three consecutive victories.
If CP has an unfriendly rival, this is it. A lot of that predates coach
Chip Pettit and the present coaching staff. In my time, it has to do with
some CP natives playing for Valpo because they had a better program. There
isn't any of the cum-ba-ya spirit in CP-Valpo that there is between CP and
Merrillville or CP and Lowell. I can't swear to this, but my feeling is
that Valparaiso does not feel they should lose to Crown Point. They do not
feel CP has a better football program, and in truth, the defeats in recent years
have not been blowouts. Valpo has always had 'championship arrogance'.
They seem to feel it's only a matter of time before they are back on top.
The Vikings may look at this as a "return-to-glory" game. Valparaiso knocked Chesterton out of first place last week and they may not understand why they can't knock off Crown Point this Friday.
Class 5A Crown Point (4-1)
Coach:
Chip Pettit (46-25, 7th year at CP)
Enrollment: 2,400 (est.)
2006 record: 12-1*
Sectional titles: (3) 1981, 1988, 2006
Regional titles: (1) 1988
Semistate titles: (0)
State titles: (0)
*Lost 28-21 (OT) at LaPorte in the regional championship game
Crown Point Bulldogs (4-1, 3-0 DAC)
8-17 (L) 14-23 at Lowell (4-1)
8-24 (W) 22-20 Hobart (4-1)
8-31 (W) 20-17 Merrillville (4-1) OT
9-7 (W) 24-13 at Lake Central (4-1)
9-14 (W) 27-0 at Portage (2-3)
9-21 (F) Valparaiso (3-2)
9-28 (F) LaPorte (2-3)
10-5 (F) at Chesterton (4-1)
10-12 (F) Michigan City (2-3)
5A Sectional (1) One
Oct. 19: vs. Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton, Lake Central, Michigan City,
Munster or Merrillville.
Schedule Analysis: The first four teams on the CP schedule
had records of 4-1 after five weeks. I don't know how strong Lake Central is,
but CP has handed three different teams their only loss. On paper, the
Bulldogs are headed into the softer portion of their schedule, although that may
be deceptive because the final four CP foes have a drastically different style
of play than the first five. Crown Point's schedule is rated 13th toughest
in the entire state.
Class 5A Valparaiso (3-2)
Coach: Mark Hoffman (202-140, 31st season)
Enrollment: 2,026
2006 record: 3-6*
Sectional titles: (9) last in 2002
Regional titles: (5) 1985, 1986, 1989, 2001, 2002
Semistate titles: (2)1985, 2001
State titles: (1) 1975
*Lost 28-14 to Portage in the Class 5A Sectional one quarterfinals.
Valparaiso Vikings (3-2, 2-1)
(L) 24-38 Penn (5-0)
(W) 55-40 Gary Roosevelt (2-3)
(L) 17-21 at LaPorte (2-3)
(W) 28-20 Michigan City (2-3)
(W) 28-20 at Chesterton (4-1)
Sep. 21 at Crown Point (4-1)
Sep. 28 Merrillville (4-1)
Oct. 5 at Portage (2-3)
Oct. 12 Lake Central 4-1)
5A Sectional (1) One Playoffs
10-19 (F) vs. Portage, Merrillville, CP, LaPorte, Michigan City, Chesterton or
Munster
Schedule Analysis: Vaparaiso's schedule is the way it is by design. The Vikings open the season with Penn, a team I don't believe they have ever beaten in the regular season. They then face Gary Roosevelt, a team, I believe, they've never lost to. That means that most Valpo teams start the season with a 1-1 record. It works for them. Valparaiso's schedule is ranked 72nd toughest in the state, but that's very deceptive because they have faced Penn (5-0), who is No. 2 state wide. Valpo always knows that no one they'll see in the DAC is that much better than the team they opened the season with.
Valparaiso (3-2) at CROWN POINT (4-1)
Sagarin ratings: Crown
Point by 11
CROWN
POINT -
Valparaiso visits Lake County with weapons that Crown Point has not seen before
this season. Scott Rastovic, Valpo's senior wide receiver has caught six TD
passes and has run back a punt and a kickoff for two more TDs.
Rastovic
(6-2, 195) is the best perimeter player CP has seen since Hobart's Bobby James
left town in August. On the other side is junior Kevin Piet (6-2, 170), an
up-and-coming prospect who has scored two TDs so far. CP's all-junior secondary
has not been tested by an experienced passer-receiver combo. That test
will come Friday night.
I've seen rankings which have Vikings QB Alex Sarkisian (82-of-123, 1,170 11 TDs, 3 interceptions) rated among the top-10 senior QBs in the state. Sarkisian has thrown for 25 TDs in the past two years. The Vikings also have a strong kicker in junior Tony Hite who has already made field goals of 21, 22, 37 and 42 yards.
It's going to be tough to keep this team off the scoreboard. They also have a little over 650 yards rushing, and while 250 of those came against outgunned Gary Roosevelt, that's still 100 a game. Halfback Eric Jackson (6-0, 160) gets enough room to keep the pass rushers off Sarkisian's back.
One of the offensive linemen is Neil Sarkisian (5-11, 219),
the QB's cousin. Also up front are Conner Snapp (6-7, 279), Dave Lebar
(5-11, 216) and Mike Wendhall (6-4, 276). CP is physically bigger overall than
most teams, but Valparaiso is not one of them.
Defensively, it's been a nightmare for Valpo for two years.
Valpo
gave up 309 points last year in nine games (34.2) and it's gotten no better in
2007 as the Vikes have allowed 27.8 per game so far. I don't get it. This
is a team with good size and strength as the offense displays. Linebacker
Matt Lasky (6-0, 231) is a good player as is defensive lineman Brian Goodaker
(6-0, 225). The Vikings have allowed 900 yards rushing in five games and
they gave up 300 last week against Chesterton.
I would guess there may be position changes this week before Valparaiso takes on CP's Russell Chick (134-701 yards, 8 TDs) and a CP offensive line that has produced almost five yards per carry all season.
CP's move of former offensive lineman Cody Blue (6-3, 230) back to the offensive line and senior Zach Brumm (5-11, 220) back to the defense seemed to pay dividends on both sides last week as the Bulldogs rushed for four TDs and shut out Portage.
I appreciate that I say this every week, but Crown Point has to get the ball to the wide receivers to spread the field for Chick (134-701 yards, 8 TDs) and star tight end Zach Cecich (14 catches, 282 yards, 5 TDs). Allowing that Cecich sometimes lines up at wide receiver, true Bulldogs wide receivers have caught only 10 passes all year and Run Burton has grabbed eight of those. CP needs to show some deep and wide play success, but honestly, this is probably not the week to throw the ball 20 times. You want to limit Valparaiso's possessions and the VHS run defense does not scare you.
CP watchers got a glimpse of the future last week when sophomore halfback Mason Popovich (5-8, 160) carried seven times for 33 yards. As long as Chick is gaining five yards a carry, Popovich will be watching. But halfback is a physically brutal position and it's good to see that with junior Nick Bruno, also a running back, now starting at safety, that CP has another capable running back who is not already playing full time on defense.
Defensively, CP has lost Nick Cottrell for an undermined length of time with undisclosed hand injuries that required surgery last weekend. But CP is very deep at linebacker and junior Greg Schillo (5-10, 205) will step in along side Tony Conway (5-7, 160), Andrew Szymborski (6-0, 180), Lance LaMere (6-0, 205) and Anthony Stahl (5-10, 165) in the Bulldogs' versatile five linebacker base formation.
CPs' starting secondary of Danny Osojnicki (5-11, 170), Nick Bruno (5-6, 150) and Nate Haverstock (5-7, 150) is sure to face an assault of 25-30 passes for the first time this season.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN...
CROWN POINT - In 70-degree weather with no rain, this cannot
possibly be a low-scoring game. Viking QB Alex Sarkisian (82-of-123, 1,170
yards, 11 TDs, 3 interceptions) will come out firing because his wide receivers,
Scott Rastovic and Kevin Piet have a height and perhaps speed advantage over
anyone CP can stick to them.
But the Bulldogs Nick Hladek (6-0, 190) will force an early fumble by Sarkisian and CP will take a 14-0 lead on two scores by top rusher Russell Chick. The Bulldogs will jump the lead to 21-0 on a short pass and run play from QB Blake Mascarello (41-83, 538 yards, 5TDs, 6 INTs) in the second quarter.
Two TD tosses to Scott Rastovic, one on a punt return will make it 21-14 at the half. Sarkisian will have more passing success than anyone else has so far against CP.
In the second half, CP will catch Valpo with eight men at the line and Mascarello will hit Danny Osojnicki with a long TD pass. Look for the defense to score a TD on an interception by Anthony Stahl. But fans need to take an after dinner snack because this will be a long game. Sarkisian will throw the ball 40 times and his third TD toss of the game, this one to Kevin Piet and a touchdown run after a CP fumble will cut the lead to 42-28.
But the game will end as it began with Crown Point running for first downs and taking up lots of time. Add a late Mike Lipton field goal and the final score will look like it was the Cleveland Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Russell Chick is almost certain to gain 100 yards for the sixth consecutive week and Nick Bruno will intercept a pass for a third consecutive week. Crown Point has not faced a big time passing attack this season and they need to see an air raid with pass-happy Michigan City and Chesterton still to come on the schedule.
But teams with top running games have been what's beaten CP in the last few years and Valpo does not have one.
We've been waiting for a Bulldog offensive breakthrough and it's coming on Friday in the form of 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.
CROWN POINT 45, Valparaiso 28