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6A Valparaiso (5-0)
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Week
6 - Football Game of the Week Preview|
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6A Valparaiso (5-0)
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| CP is going to be home three times in the next four weeks and its a big one this Friday against undefeated Valparaiso. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
09-22-2017
When:
7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22, 2017
Where: Crown Point High School, 1500 South Main (one mile south of the CP downtown square)
Tickets:
$6
Enrollment: VALPO - 2,150; Crown Point - 2,815.
WEATHER: If you like it hot. Not
just warm, but hot. You're going to love Friday. For the second day in a row,
temperatures are set to rise into the low 90s with high humidity. No chance of
rain in the forecasts I see. I'm old and I don't ever remember it being this hot
this late in September and I sure don't want to see a football Friday with
weather like this. The sun sets before 7 p.m. in late September, so the heat
level will be dropping a bit on the artificial turf at game time. But don't
expect any real after dark cool off because that isn't happening Friday. It
might be down to 70 degrees by midnight. Maybe. This is going to be an
uncomfortable night and unfortunately, it probably will affect the boys playing
the game.
The only good news is that this heat wave won't last much longer. The projected
forecast for the night of September 29, when CP hosts LaPorte, is for
temperatures in the upper 50s by kickoff. That's the best I can do.
PARKING: With the warm weather and
an undefeated season, Valparaiso should bring a big crowd, all dressed in green.
So Crown Point fans might want to arrive a little early. There's a lot of
parking at Crown Point high school, but folks from out of town will try to slide
into the main lot just west of the school and north of the field.
This is a night when CP people may have to park where late arrivals like me
usually end up, at the far north end of the lot, about 200 to 300 yards from the
field. These next two weeks with Valparaiso and LaPorte will see the fall's
biggest football crowds.
WHAT's AT STAKE: These two teams are
not sectional rivals so there is only an outside chance they meet in regional
play in November. This game is for the 'County Seat' Trophy', acknowledging the
fact that CP and Valpo are the center of administration for Lake and Porter
counties. I'd be lying to say that the award given out at the end of the game
has fired up an epic rivalry, but the boys like to win trophies. Stay and watch
the winner hold up the trophy at the end of the night.
6A No. 3
The HISTORY: If there is a high school older than Crown Point in
Northwest Indiana, it is Valparaiso, which has recorded graduating classes going
back 143 years.
The current Valpo high school (at 2727 North Campbell Street) opened in 1972, but
an earlier version of VHS existed at 605 North Campbell since 1927. I believe
that is Ben Franklin Middle School now. I do not know where Central Elementary
school is in Valpo, but that is said to be the original site of the original
Valparaiso high school back in 1874.
VHS Played football as early as 1905, but the earliest score I can find is a 12-0
Crown Point victory over Valparaiso on November 5, 1904. Warsaw Played Valpo in
1907. There is a record of a Valparaiso-LaPorte football game on October 8,
1904, a game Valpo won by the odd score of 4-0.
I'm guessing the forward pass had not yet been invented.
Before the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) began in 1971, the Vikings and
Bulldogs opened the season against each other from 1940 to 1962.
Valparaiso leads the all-time series 43-26 and the Viking won 21-7 last season.
Three years ago, Troy Grady scored four TDs includng the game-winning score in
overtime as the Bulldogs beat Valparaiso 27-24 in overtime.
Valparaiso was 5-0 in 2010 when they defeated Crown Point 10-7.
Valparaiso has 491 wins all time, the 10th largest total of any NW Indiana high
school. Valpo's all-time playoff record of 55-34 is 16th best among teams in
this part (including the South Bend area) of the state.
Only Hobart, Andrean, Rensselaer, Merrillville, Griffith and Lowell have won more
state tournament games all-time than Valparaiso.
(6A) Valparaiso (5-0)
5-5 (2016), 7-3 (2015), 2-8 (2014), 3-7 (2013)
coach David Coyle (25-30) 6th year...all kickoffs at 7 p.m.
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) league games in CAPS
8-18 (W) 12-7 (6A) Penn (4-1)
8-25 (W) 31-7 (5A) Mishawaka (3-2)
9-1 (W) 17-6 at (5A) LaPORTE (3-2)
9-8 (W) 17-14 (5A) MICHIGAN CITY (3-2)
9-15 (W) 14-0 at (6A) CHESTERTON (2-3)
9-22 (F) at (6A) CROWN POINT (2-3)
9-29 (F) (6A) MERRILLVILLE (1-4)
10-6 (F) at (6A) PORTAGE (3-2)
10-13 (F) (6A) LAKE CENTRAL (1-4)
Class 6A Sectional 2
...with Warsaw (2-3), Chesterton (2-3) and Penn (4-1).
VALPO - This is a very tough schedule including 6A No. 10 Penn and 4A No. 13
Mishawaka, 4A No. 8 Michigan City and 4A No. 11 LaPorte. The Vikings have had no
easy games and just one against a team with a sub-.500 record.
This is the first season Valpo has faced both Mishawaka and Penn in the
pre-season. That's not a schedule I think they'll do long term because it
requires too many trips to the east end of St. Joseph County.
Valpo played Mishawaka and Penn at home this year so they travel to both schools in
2018, unless there are new opponents coming on line. I wouldn't want to play on
the road at Penn and then at Mishawaka in any year.
We've also had nothing but good weather this year, but any kind of late summer
electrical storm creates postponements and some long miles in the big, yellow
bus.
VHS takes on LC and Merrillville in the final three weeks and those two teams are
down, so this schedule gets a lot easier for them.
But a rematch with Penn (4-1) is almost guaranteed in sectional play.
VALPO UPDATE:
VALPARAISO - For the time being, Vaparaiso has survived a serious injury to QB
Jake Leffew (31 of 55, 350 yards, 2 TDs, 0 interceptions) who was hurt in the
third game of the season.
Reportedly, Leffew, who was the starting QB in 2016, has a knee injury. I don't
know if he's out for the season, but I'm pretty sure he isn't playing in Crown
Point this Friday.
Backup quarterback Reece Crossin, a converted safety, is 17 of 40 for 275 yards,
one TD and two interceptions. I'm going to assume that Crossin, a junior, has
some experience at QB or they wouldn't have let him throw 40 passes in 2 1/2
games. He's also run 50 times for 160 yards and four TDs.
I'm thinking the Vikings want to maintain the illusion that they are a balanced
run-pass team when they're much more comfortable running the ball with Crossin,
senior Eddie Curry (45 carries, 229 yards) and junior Jesse Harper (63 carries,
355 yards). Curry (5-foot-6, 170) is, by far, the Vikings' top receiver with 20
catches for 282 yards.
If Valpo doesn't run behind sophomores Zach Milly (6-2, 310) and Carl Watroba
(6-7, 295), it'll be a surprise. They throw a lot of 'safe' passes now. Tight
end Jake Evans (7 catches, 42 yards) is the second leading receiver.
The Vikings don't have to set the scoreboard on fire because they have not
allowed anybody to score more than two TDs in any game so far.
Senor linebacker Riley Woodward (31 tackles) leads the defense and senior
tackle Reece Staples (6-2, 240) has 36 tackles including 11 solo stops.
Valparaiso is very aggressive defensively. They have 16 quarterback sacks, eight
fumble recoveries and four interceptions in five games. The Vikings, who have
not been scored on in the first quarter all year, have also punted 26 times.
They are very patient waiting for the opposition to make a mistake, especially
with the backup QB in the game.
(6A) Crown Point (2-3)
6-6 (2016), 1-9 (2015), 8-2 (2014), 6-4 (2013)
coach Kevin Enright (6th year) 30-26...all kickoffs at 7 p.m.
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) league games in CAPS
8-18 (L) 13-27 at (4A) Lowell (5-0)
8-25 (W) 35-6 (4A) Highland (2-3)
9-1 (L) 26-34 (6A) MERRILLVILLE (1-4)
9-8 (W) 45-0 at (6A) LAKE CENTRAL (1-4)
9-15 (L) 10-27 at (6A) PORTAGE (3-2)
9-22 (F) 6A VALPARAISO (5-0)
9-29 (F) 6A LaPORTE (3-2)
10-6 (F) at CHESTERTON (2-3)
10-13 (F) MICHIGAN CITY (3-2)
Class 6A Sectional 1
...with Merrillville, Portage and Lake Central
CROWN POINT - Crown Point is in the toughest part of their schedule with
undefeated Valparaiso (5-0) and defending DAC champ LaPorte (3-2) in
back-to-back weeks.
None of CP's three losses are games they could not have won, although overcoming
the loss of starting QB Ryan Bolda in a road game last week would have been
difficult. Valpo did overcome the loss of starting QB Jake Leffew in week
three at Valparaiso and came out with a win, but that's rare.
What's odd about 2017 for the Bulldogs is that the back-to-back games with Lake
County rivals Merrillville and Lake Central are usually pivotal to how the season
will go and this year that is not the case.
CROWN POINT Update:
CROWN POINT - Crown Point was fairly even with Portage last week, but when QB Ryan Bolda left
the game in the second quarter, the Bulldogs did not have the offense to stay
close in a 27-10 loss.
I don't have any idea, but I'm going to assume that Ryan Bolda (43 of 94, 582
yards, 4 TDs 3 interceptions) will be OK to start at QB this week.
Senior halfback Tyler Gomez (5-9, 170) is up to 618 yards on 107 carries and
senior receiver Eric Mahaffey has 237 yards and one touchdown on 19 catches.
Brett Schoette has 189 yards and two TDs on 14 grabs.
CP wasn't overrun defensively last week. They allowed Portage 285 total yards and
nine first downs. But the Bulldogs gained just 204 total yards and seven first
downs and it won't be easier this week against Valpo.
Linebacker Caden Watson made 14 tackles last week and he leads the team with
three QB sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Ben Fridrich made his second field goal in the last two games at Portage and
he'll be a factor against the Vikings.
at Crown Point Stadium - Capacity: 4,800
SAGARIN RATINGS: Valparaiso by 23.
I can guarantee you Valparaiso won't win by 23 points. They haven't scored 20 in four of their five games. The spread comes from the two victories over Penn (4-1) and Mishawaka (3-2). CP doesn't have any wins like that. CP has only defeated Lake Central (1-4) and Highland (2-3), but they have been 'in' all five games. Check with me after the game. Valpo isn't winning by 23.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN:
CROWN
POINT
(09-22-2017) This matches up as a low-scoring game. I think both defenses
can contain both offenses. We may have a scoreless first quarter. It may be 3-0
at the half. Eddie Curry scores on a short pass and a long run to give the
Vikings a 7-3 lead in the third quarter. CP won't have the physical edge at the
line of scrimmage that they have in most games this year. Bulldog Ben Fridrich
boots a short field goal after a long drive, cutting the lead to 7-6 going to
the fourth quarter. I'm having trouble seeing CP drive down the field for the
winning TD here. The Vikings have shut down everyone all year.
VHS takes over on downs and Crossin scores a late TD to make it 14-6. Crown
Point drives down the field late and kicks another field goal, but an onside
kick fails and the Vikings escape with their sixth consecutive win.
CP could grab this game with a late Valparaiso turnover, but the Vikings haven't
been making them. This will be a conservatively played contest where Valparaiso
escapes with the victory.
VALPARAISO 14, CROWN POINT 9