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Crown Point (5-2) at Chesterton (6-1) |
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Week 8
- Football Game of the Week Preview|
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Crown Point (5-2) at Chesterton (6-1) |
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10-04-2007
When:
Friday, October 5, 2007
Where: Chesterton High School, 2125 W. 11th Street, Chesterton, IN. (Exit the 49-bypass west at 1100 South.)
Tickets:
$5
TV/Radio/Internet:
WWLO (89.1) FM, WTMK (88.5) FM
and www.USA-365.com.
Weather:
Low 70s, dry. Better weather for the Cubs than the Trojans or Bulldogs.
Parking: Chesterton is a new high school with a big parking
lot, but you need to arrive early because this figures to be the largest crowd
of the season for them.
Junior Varsity: Chesterton at CP, Saturday, Oct. 6 - 10 a.m.
Freshmen:
LaPorte at CP, Thursday, Oct. 4 - 6:00 p.m.
CP at Chesterton - Thursday, Oct. 11 - 6:00 p.m.
Rivalry: This is only the 24th meeting of Chesterton and Crown
Point. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings to take a 13-10 lead
in the overall series. This game Friday might be the biggest CP-Chesterton
regular season game ever, as the winner takes first place in the Duneland
Athletic Conference (DAC) with one week to go. Chesterton high school has
been around since the early part of the 20th century, but they didn't have
varsity football on a consistent basis until 1960. The Trojans played in
the Porter County Conference (PCC) basketball tournament until 1958 when they
had grown too large for the other PCC schools.
Chesterton was 28-12 in the school's first four years of football (1960-1963) under coach Ray Banary, who coached the Trojans through their first 15 seasons (100-49-3). The present Chesterton football stadium is named Ray Banary Field. The Trojans have won only two DAC titles, an undisputed championship in 2000 and a half-share of the title in 1971. To be fair, Hobart won 14 DAC titles in the 70s and 80s and most everybody else was left out. That brings us to the most shocking football upset of all-time in Northwest Indiana.
On Oct. 22, 1988, the Trojans rallied from a 17-0 deficit and won 21-17 at Hobart, breaking the Brickies' 14-year home field DAC winning streak. What made the outcome so rare was that Hobart finished 11-3 that year and won state titles in three of the next five years (1989, 1991 and 1993) while Chesterton finished 4-5 that year and 0-9 in the next two seasons. The only real connection between these two schools is in the front office. Present CP athletic director Bill Dorulla was head football coach at Chesterton from 1994-2000. He knows now what it would mean for them to win the next two weeks. CP had won the last two DAC titles. Chesterton has won two in 36 years.
If the Trojans beat CP and Merrillville back-to-back to win the undisputed DAC crown, they would go down as one of the best teams in the history of the school.
Class 5A Chesterton (6-1)
Coach: John Snyder (37-34, 7 years)
Enrollment: 1,968
2006 record: 5-6*
Sectional titles: (1) 2006
Regional titles: (1) 2006
Semistate titles: (0)
State titles: (0)
*Lost 39-22 to Merrillville in the Class 5A Sectional one semifinals
Chesterton Trojans (6-1, 4-1 DAC)
(W) 27-20 at (SB) Clay (3-4)
(W) 42-28 West Ottawa, Michigan
(W) 22-20 at Michigan City (2-5)
(W) 22-20 LaPorte (2-5)
(L) 20-28 Valparaiso (4-3)
(W) 14-7 at Portage (3-4)
(W) 31-24 Lake Central (5-2)
10-5 (Fri) Crown Point (5-2)
10-12 (Fri) at Merrillville (6-1)
5A Sectional One Playoffs
10-19 (F) vs. Portage, Merrillville, CP, Valparaiso, Michigan City, LaPorte or
Munster
Schedule Analysis: Chesterton plays a nonconference schedule that needs an upgrade. I'm assuming they play West Ottawa, Michigan because they can't find anyone else. I'd like to see them play someone like Morton or Munster, smaller schools that can compete. But as a DAC team, Chesterton will always face good teams. But in truth, there aren't a lot of Northwest Indiana schools looking for a 5A team to play. The Trojans play the 59th toughest schedule in the state.
Class 5A Crown Point (5-2)
Coach: Chip Pettit (47-26, 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 (5-2, 4-1 DAC)
(L) 14-23 at Lowell (6-1)
(W) 22-20 Hobart (5-2)
(W) 20-17 Merrrillville (6-1) OT
(W) 24-13 at LC (5-2)
(W) 27-0 at Portage (3-4)
(L) 17-21 Valparaiso (4-3)
(W) 35-21 LaPorte (2-5)
10-5 (F) at Chesterton (5-2)
10-12 (F) Michigan City (2-5)
5A Sectional (1) One
Oct. 19: vs. Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton, Lake Central, Michigan City,
Munster or Merrillville
Schedule Analysis: Crown Point's nonconference foes Lowell (6-1) and Hobart (5-2) are having outstanding years so their schedule is about as tough as it will ever be. One of the reasons the Bulldogs don't have any real blowout victories this year is because they haven't played anyone bad enough to blow out. CP's schedule is rated 21st best in the state this week.
CROWN POINT (5-2, 4-1) at CHESTERTON (6-1, 4-1)
Sagarin ratings: Crown Point by 10
CHESTERTON -
The gap in the computer rating here is a little exaggerated because the West
Ottawa team Chesterton faced does not register on the Sagarin computer since
they are not an Indiana school. This game is largely about one player.
Chesterton QB Alex Beierwalter, a three-year starter, completed 158 of 281 for
2,060 yards as a sophomore; 159 of 296 for 2,310 yards as a junior and so far in
seven games, he is 99-of-168 for 1,629 yards, 11 TDs and 4 interceptions.
Lake Central gave up 15 of 25 passing last week for 295 yards and that will happen to CP, too, if they don't show him different defenses and get a quick rush for different directions. Beierwalter (6-3, 195) is unlikely to get rattled on his home field and he is not going to stop throwing. Beierwalter has also run the ball a surprising 109 times for 501 yards and seven TDs. I think he's doing you a favor when he runs the ball, but there must be a reason for it. The reason could be the loss of wide receiver Austin Bower who is injured and out for the season. He caught four TD passes in the first four games and the Trojan pass game is not as good without him.
Senior Zach Carnahan (6-0, 175) has 669 yards on 126 carries and he's caught 20 passes for 346 yards. Most big plays go in his direction, but he gets a lot of help. The Trojans may run more than last year because of their offensive line, which has included Mark Vanden Burgh (6-4, 300), Sam Jaeger (6-5, 295) and Grant Cartwright (6-5, 220). They must give Beierwalter time to throw because he's proven he can do the rest.
Junior Pat Herrold booted a 27-yard field goal last week, but Eric Ganz had been
the kicker for six games before that.
Chesterton's defense has not been good. They've given up 20 or more points
six times in seven games and they've been vulnerable on the ground and in the
air. LC gained 360 yards last week. Valparaiso gained 298 yards three
weeks ago. Linebacker Matt Mabry (6-2, 200) leads the defense with 69
tackles and John Thanos (5-11, 185) has 55 stops.
But Chesterton's defense is not especially fast in some spots and not that big
in others. I would guess the Trojans get worn down when they throw a lot of
passes on offense.
LC's
Dillon Jamroz carried 21 times for 158 yards last week and the Trojans have been
outscored 40-21 in the fourth quarter this season. On a warm night,
Chesterton's going to have to take chances with penetration defensively or
they're going to get worn out.
Crown Point scored a season-high 35 points last week against LaPorte and that's a very encouraging sign. The Bulldogs ran 39 times for 248 yards and Blake Mascarello hit 10 of 16 passes for another 162 yards. They will lose very few games with that kind of production.
Halfback Russell Chick became CP's third 1,000-yard rusher in three seasons when he ran for a season-best 229 yards on 34 carries. Chick (5-10, 180) has gained 100 yards or more in every game this season and he has a realistic shot to break Brian Parker's 1997 school record of 1,702 yards in one season.
QB Blake Mascarello is 57-of-109 for 749 yards, 7 TDs and eight interceptions
after throwing for 2,000 yards last year. But the Bulldogs are again two
wins from their third consecutive DAC championship and Mascarello had one of his
better games last week.
Zac
Cecich (17 catches, 354 yards, 6 TDs) caught three passes for 72 yards but wide
receiver Danny Osojnicki caught three for 36 yards and fullback Mike Kozlowski
(5-11, 205) caught four passes for 54 yards. If CP can spread the receptions
around, it makes it very difficult for any team to stack the defense against
Chick.
If defenses have to respect all the receivers, Chick will be tough to stop
because the Bulldogs' offensive line, led by Matt Polus (6-2, 260), Kurt Wermers
(6-5, 270) and Cody Blue (6-3, 230) is very experienced. If the Bulldogs
motion and formations can occupy four or five defenders, it will be very
difficult to stop CP from getting five yards a carry.
Defensively, Crown Point has had to break in an entirely new secondary and that showed in a 21-17 loss to Valparaiso on Sept. 21. Starting cornerback Nate Haverstock is out for the season after separating a shoulder and pass defenders like Danny Osojnicki, Justin Cope and junior safety Nick Bruno have been facing the best the DAC has to offer.
CP defensive end Nick Hladek has eight QB sacks and defensive tackle Zah Brumm
has three more. Bruno had a career-best 14 tackles last week and Osojnicki
had a career best 12.
Hladek (5-9, 195), a pure speed rusher, has 18 career sacks in three years.
CP also utilized a junior defensive tackle Kyle Land (5-8, 225) who chipped in
five tackles last week in one of his first games. The biggest problem with
the CP defense is that they have picked up only 12 turnovers all season and just
two interceptions. If they can't get a couple of interceptions Friday, they
can't beat Chesterton. The CP defense took the ball away 25 times in 13
games 2006 and 23 times in 12 games in 2005.
Junior place kicker Michael Lipton, who will play in the soccer sectional at 7:00 p.m. Thursday against Lake Central, (he's CP's leading scorer in soccer) has four field goals this season in seven games after booting four in 13 games last year. He is 15-of-19 on extra points. Mike Kozlowski has been averaging almost 35 yards a punt.
What will happen...
CHESTERTON - This should be one of the best games of the year. The
Trojans will surely seize the moment here and score on their first possession.
I think Chesterton will go right down the field the first time they get the ball
and score on a run by Zach Carnahan. Crown Point's Russell Chick will find
the yards hard to come by early, but a short TD pass from Blake Mascarello to
Danny Kozlowski will tie the game in the second period.
The Trojans want to put pressure on the CP secondary and they will use their multiple receiver formations to challenge the Bulldogs. A long TD pass from Alex Beierwalter to Zach Carnahan will give the Trojans a 14-7 lead. A Trojan's interception and a TD run by Beierwalter will up the count to 21-7.
The Bulldogs have dominated the third quarter all season and they will begin to push around the Trojan defensive front. A Michael Lipton field goal will cut the lead to 21-10 and some short possessions by Chesterton will turn the tide to the visitors. The CP rushes and blitzes will disrupt the Trojan passing game. A keeper by CP quarterback Blake Mascarello will cut the lead to 21-17 late in the third quarter, but a punt return for a TD by Carnahan will make it 28-17.
The Bulldogs will mount a late rally. A screen pass to Russell Chick will set up a Lipton field goal cutting the lead to 28-20. Chesterton is not a team that can run out the clock and they will punt to the Bulldogs for one final possession.
Crown Point will charge down the field in the final two minutes and a touchdown pass to Zach Cecich will cut the margin to 28-26 late in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs will go for two points to tie the game and the pass will be incomplete. These two teams will put on a show with almost 400 yards of total offense on each side.
CP's has not been able to get turnovers all season and they need two or three to
win this game. But going back to the start of the season, the Chesterton game
on the road appeared to be the most difficult for Crown Point to win. It
will prove out that way as the Bulldogs will not be able to come from behind
this time.
Neither team can stop the other for any length of time and it will come down to
one late defensive stop to decide the game.
Chesterton 28, Crown Point 26