Week 7 Picks:  2006 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

September 28, 2006

WEEK (6) SIX RECAP:   LaPorte's 27-point win over Merrillville was a surprise, but it takes a back seat to North Newton's 50-14 win over River Forest.  North Newton had not scored 50 points in the first five games combined.  Morton should have beaten Munster, but they didn't get it done.  If you saw Portage play Crown Point, you knew it would be hard for Chesterton to beat Portage.  Obviously the rest of the games were fairly easy to predict and the MC-LC pick was almost exact down to the last point. . 

BIGGEST WINNER - WEEK SIX:  PORTAGE:  The Indians stopped a four-game losing streak with an OT win over Chesterton.  Again, the genesis of this was a narrow 17-10 loss to 5A No. 3 Crown Point (6-0) the week before.  The last three Portage foes are going to have a very difficult time against the Portage 'D', which has allowed less than
15 points a game.

RUNNER UP:  North Newton.  Let's tell the truth.  I'd heard North Newton called the worst team in the state.  Must be some state that River Forest doesn't play in, because the Spartans beat RF.  Now, a Friday night lightning storm,  which sent River Forest back to Lake County late Friday and then had them come back 50 miles Saturday afternoon, might have had something to do with this outcome.  But North Newton had come of a 63-0 loss to North Judson.  They earned this win.

WEEK 6 (2006) PIX recap

WEEK 1:  9 of 13 = 69.1%
WEEK 2:  10 of 15 = 66.7%
WEEK 3:  11 of 13 = 84.6%
WEEK 4:  11 of 14 = 78.6%
WEEK 5:  9 of 12 = 75.0%
WEEK 6:  10 of 13 = 76.9%
2006 Season to date:  60 of 80 = 75.0% 
2005 (final) OVERALL:  170 of 233 = 72.9%

Northwest Indiana
WEEK 7 (SEVEN) PICKS, 9-29-2006

(9-29-2006)  WEEK (7) SEVEN -   This is the worst week of the season, the week before the pairings come out.  There are few good matchups in week seven.  The LaPorte (5-1) home game against Crown Point (6-0) will draw a sellout crowd, but the most pivotal game is in Lowell where the Devils (2-4) and Munster (4-2) meet in a true cross roads game.  It will be tough for the loser to recover.

Valparaiso and Merrillville are both coming off losses, while South Central going to Lafayette Catholic and Morton going to Hobart have reasons to be nervous.
State-wide, you can read where some feel 5A No. 3 Carmel (5-1) has a chance at 5A No. 1 Warren Central (6-0).  Watch the score from deep southern Indiana Friday where Southridge (5-1) is rated even with 3A powerhouse Heritage Hills (6-0).  In the Elkhart area, Plymouth (5-1) may have some injury problems going in against undefeated Concord (6-0) in Class 4A.  Mishawaka (4-2) may be choosing the wrong week to play arch-rival Penn (4-2).

IN THE CLOSET:  A lot of powerful teams are going to bring the pain this Friday.  So let's just let games like Wheeler-Lake Station, Tri-County-North Newton and Hammond-Griffith drift into history without comment.  Let the winners win, the losers try to get those White Sox playoff ticket refunds and we'll see all of you in October.


Bishop Noll (3-3) 28, Clark (3-3) 21

HAMMOND - Noll got whipped by Whiting last week and Clark got smoked out by KV (5-1).  There's not a lot of defense here but I think Noll at home will be fortunate enough to have the last possession.


LaFayette Catholic (6-0) 42, South Central (3-3) 14

LaFAYETTE - The Satellites have a good running game but they are out of their league here against a top-5 team in Class 1A.  Lafayette Catholic's win over 1A Pioneer (4-2) is ominous for SC on this night.  I'm a little ashamed to even pick this one.


River Forest (0-6) 44, Covert, Michigan (0-5) 33

RIVER FOREST - RF is 0-6 but wait, Covert is 0-5 and they have to travel 100 miles.  I'm going totally on the idea that RF can spread the field and wear you down (although obviously not out, considering their record). Everybody deserves one win and the scoreboard will be kind.


Kankakee Valley (5-1) 52, Calumet (1-5) 21

GARY - The Warriors got that first win last week, but they are overmatched here against the running attack of Kankakee Valley.  Calumet lost 63-6 to Lowell, but this one won't be as bad.  This is another game you wouldn't even pick if there were 10 good match ups this week.


New Prairie (5-1) 30,  John Glenn (4-2) 7

NEW CARLISLE - The Cougars face their nearest rival to the south in what is always a spirited battle.  Glenn has allowed only 29 points in the last four games, all wins.  But New Prairie might be a level above them and they average 250 yards rushing a game.


Hobart (5-1) 52, Morton (3-3)  28

HOBART -  Get the calculator out.  Neither team can stop the other and the points will pile up.  But Hobart has so much offense and Morton's defense has been fried recently.  Hobart's line is far too physical here and if the Governors come out with nothing but their feelings hurt, it'll be a good night.


Andrean (5-1) 20, Highland (2-4) 0

MERRILLVILLE - Highland knows pain when they see it coming.  They have been blasted by Merrillville and Griffith.  I think they'll score on Andrean, but I wouldn't bet on it.


Valparaiso (1-4) 24, Merrillville (4-2) 21

MERRILLVILLE - This one could go either way.  Valparaiso's offense is very good, but the Pirates' defense, until last week, was also strong.  Valpo's due for a break here.


Portage (2-4) 20, Michigan City (1-5) 7

PORTAGE - Okay, so how's a team that averages 9.3 points a game (and won 6-3 last week) going to win?  The Indians' defense is at a peak and they'll keep it close until Albert Evans breaks a long run.


Chesterton (2-4) 37, Lake Central (4-2) 27

ST. JOHN -  Lake Central really has had problems on offense the last three weeks.  Chesterton desperately needs a win and a lot of points.  On a good weather night, they'll see both.


Lowell (2-4) 27, Munster (4-2) 21

LOWELL - Munster has worn down in games the last three weeks and Lowell is not a good place to get right.  The Red Devils have lost to three top-10 teams, but they'll be tough to beat on Homecoming.


Crown Point (6-0) 42,  LaPorte (5-1) 21

LaPORTE  - It's LaPorte's Homecoming, too, but they just don't match up here.  The Slicers' defense is getting hit for 300 yards and 30 points a game and they have a lot to worry about against CP.  LaPorte's chance is Airrence Shark, who has to help them maintain the ball 60% of the time, but this one won't be that close.

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Revised: September 28, 2006 .