Week 7 Picks:  2003 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

WEEK SIX (6) ANALYSIS:  Picking Lake Station to win is a risk at any time and, apparently, so is picking Lake Central. Of the 4 teams that got bombed on Sept 19, Lake Central, Rensselaer and River Forest all lost again seven days later and Crown Point barely won in 2 OTs.

The River Forest-North Newton game was one that was distorted by the heavy rains Friday. So was Portage-Chesterton.   Merrillville was crippled by the separated shoulder that sidelined starting QB Jimmy Reitz at half-time. You can say that LaPorte would have beaten them anyway but I wouldn't say that. Clark is 3-3 and their coach should get a medal. 

2002 Regular season (9 weeks) 85 of 109,  77.9%
2002 Playoffs:   78 of 106,  73.5%
Final 2002 (15 weeks) 163 of 215, 75.9%

2003 (Week one) 8 of 12, 66.7%
2003 (Week two) 9 of 12, 75%
2003 (Week three)  6 of 12,  50%
2003 (Week four) 12 of 12, 100%
2003 (Week five) 9 of 12, 75%
2003  (Week six)  7 of 11,  63.6%
2003 Season:  51 of 71,  71.7%

WEEK SEVEN (7): Oct. 3, 2003

An uneven week where pain will be dished out. I won't be cruel enough to pick Portage's rout of Michigan City or Griffith's rout of Hammond.  Wheeler can name their score against Lake Station and, do you really care whether South Central (1-5) beats Lafayette Catholic (0-6)?  It's getting colder and the bigger, stronger teams (Chesterton, Griffith, Portage) will start coming to the front.  The passing teams... Andrean, Crown Point, Whiting may begin to have problems.  Bottom line. There aren't 10 competitive games this week.


Bishop Noll (4-2) 33, Clark (3-3) 22
Since season opening losses to Andrean and Griffith, Noll has ripped off four wins by a combined score of 137-65. Noll has 1,400 yards rushing in the last four games and halfback Ethan Schreiber has 740 yards on 135 carries to compliment option QB Bobby Kimp's 658 yards on 85 carries. The teams Clark has beaten have a combined record of 2-16.

Gavit (3-3) 29, Whiting (2-4) 16
Gavit took a world class whipping from Wheeler, trailing 30-0 after one quarter. They have given up 630 yards rushing the last two weeks but the only teams Whiting has beaten are Lake Station (0-6) and Calumet. Whiting throws too much to beat Gavit.

Kankakee Valley (1-5)  28,  Calumet  (2-4) 14
Calumet beat Lake Station with just 176 total yards. I can't believe Kankakee Valley keeps losing. Nine fumbles in the last three weeks is killing them. Look for the Kougars to grab a much-needed win at home.

ANDREAN (6-0) 24, Highland (3-3) 14
Highland had five turnovers last week to give away a 14-7 loss to Griffith. Kris Boyd is just 58 of 124 for 761 yards but he may be the best passer Highland has yet faced. Andrean's defense has not allowed more than 14 points in any game this season but they need a test.

Chesterton (4-2)  42,  Lake Central (1-5) 14
I need at least 10 games to pick and there's an outside chance that Chesterton has a big letdown. The Indians are hungry for a win, but they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hobart (2-4) 35, Morton (2-4) 21
Morton has lost four games in a row by three touchdowns or more but they can still throw put up points. Hobart has been held under 150 yards rushing four times this year but they get well on the ground here against a team that has allowed 1,650 rush yards.

Munster (6-0) 17, LOWELL (5-1) 14
Traditionally, a very conservative game. The packed in defense of Munster against the prolific running backs of Lowell. Wally Cirafesi has hit Bart Banach for 13 TDs but Lowell has a strong pass rush. Lowell's opportunistic defense will need a couple of turnovers here and they won't get them.
 
MERRILLVILLE (3-3) 14, Valparaiso (2-4) 12
Two defenses that will dominate two offenses. I'm assuming QB Jimmy Reitz can't play for the Pirates. VHS QB Jon Moon will have trouble throwing against the Pirates' speedy defense.  No one has scored more than 24 points on Merrillville.

East Chicago (3-3) 30, SB St. Joseph's (2-4) 21
East Chicago got smoked during a 1-3 start but wins over Riley 39-0 and St. Francis DeSales 43-7 must have lifted expectations.  St. Joseph's trailed Penn just 28-27 going to the final quarter of a 56-39 defeat.
The Indians gained 447 yards on the Kingsmen (5-1), a perennial power. But judging the 540 yards St. Joe allowed just last week, East Chicago should win a high-scoring game  here.

CROWN POINT (4-2) 27, LaPorte (3-3) 26
The week's best matchup, as the winner still has a chance to share first place in the DAC.  Let's see.  Crown Point has won twice in overtime and twice by one point.  LaPorte has risen from a 1-3 grave to rout Lake Central and shutout Merrillville. The Slicers have 471 yards rushing in the last two games but the Bulldogs are 3-0 at home. LaPorte's  tricky defenses may not bother CP because QB Matt Cowan (76 of 137 for 908 yards) has faced LaPorte twice.  The Slicers have held four teams to 14 points or less but Crown Point has overcome six point deficits to win three times in the last four weeks.

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Revised: June 08, 2004 .