Week 8 Picks:  2003 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

WEEK SEVEN (7) ANALYSIS:  Valpo-Merrillville and Lowell-Munster went down to the last minute (with Lowell, last second field goals).  Don't read TOO much into those wins because those teams may meet again.  I'm surprised anybody thought Morton could beat Hobart.  The DAC is MUCH stronger than the LAC and Morton is a midlevel (counting all 16) LAC team.  LaPorte was better than Crown Point at the start of the year and I got fooled by the first 4 or 5 weeks of results.  LaPorte is STILL better than CP.  Wins by Griffith (57-7 over Hammond), Portage (47-13 over Mich. City) and Wheeler (49-13 over Lake Station) were games I did not pick and the results proved why. 

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 (Week seven) 6 of 10, 60%
2003 Season:  57 of 81, 70.3%

WEEK EIGHT (8): Oct. 10, 2003

No truly big games but several interesting matchups. Front-runner Portage can't clinch the undisputed DAC title this week and first place pals Wheeler and Andrean cannot clinch in the LAC either.  It's a down week that will be sparked when the state tournament pairings come out late Tuesday (Oct. 7).  In honor of Alicia Silverstone, in this week's 'Miss Match' pile are Noll over Calumet, Munster over Hammond and Gavit over Lake Station.


LaPorte (5-2) 42, Michigan City (3-4) 6
The only way this is a game is if LaPorte looks ahead to Portage in week nine and if the weather smothers LaPorte's passing ability.  The Slicers are an exceptionally talented team that didn't play like it for four weeks. Kyle Cepeda (7 TDS in the last 2 weeks) has a leg problem but probably will play. Nick Ford has four field goals. MC's Shawn Lee will try to go over 1,000 yards, but the LaPorte 'D' will say no.

Wheeler (7-0) 28, Kankakee Valley (2-5) 20 
Andrew Patten (165 carries, 1,304 yards, 23 TDs) is the feature back in a game that will be much closer than expected.  Reason One: KV is 4A and played tougher non-league teams. Reason Two: The Kougars, at home, rolled up 400 yards against Calumet, Gavit and Lake Station.  Reason Three: Wheeler plays Bishop Noll (6-2) in week nine and that game will be for first place.  There are subtle factors working against Wheeler this week in front of a game they SHOULD win.

MERRILLVILLE (3-4) 20, LAKE CENTRAL (1-6) 13
Merrillville will probably go without starting QB Jimmy Reitz (separated shoulder) again but LC has four starters on suspension and they also may not be back.  The Pirates, who lost by 2 to Valpo and by 1 to CP, are the superior team and they need a win badly.  LC is playing their home finale and will put up a fight.  The Pirates can't stop the run for some reason.

Portage (7-0) 35, Valparaiso (3-4) 17
Valparaiso rolled up 375 yards against Merrillville last week and they'll try to control the ball.  Bo Gillilund (16 carries, 181 yards) and Jeff Brandt (16 carries, 119 yards) can slow the game down, which is what has to happen against Portage with QB Johnny Huston (60 of 118, 1,025 yards, 6 TDs, zero interceptions) and halfback Antoine Brown (153 carries, 1,232 yards) on the other side. 

Griffith (4-3) 28, ANDREAN (7-0) 20
This is the upset of the week and you can see it coming, with the 59ers unable to score points the way they have the last two years.  Griffith has rushed for 300 yards in each of the last four weeks led by halfback Jack Kosinski (113 carries, 1,085 yards).  The Panthers' pass defense is improving, but the 59ers have been over 300 total yards only twice all year.  Andrean may be looking ahead at Munster in week nine.  Griffith probably has been looking ahead to THIS game.

Highland (3-4) 41, Morton (2-5) 28
An interesting matchup of a good passing team (Highland) that must run the ball to beat Morton. The Trojans' Kris Boyd was 26-of-39 last week, but that's not the way to go against the Governors, who have allowed 300 yards rushing four weeks in a row.  Morton will enjoy a short possession, pass happy test, especially at home.  But the Governors have lost five in a row, all by 3 TDs or more.

Clark (3-4) 27, Whiting (2-5) 21
This is a battle of arch-rivals and the fact that Whiting has been blown out four weeks in a row won't matter. Clark trailed Noll just 21-20 at the half last week and they will try to control the ball with Ernesto Ortega (5-10, 195) and Dave Hornyak (5-8, 185), who have combined for 1100 yards rushing.  The Oilers played without top running back Sixto Arredondo last week but his return shouldn't be enough.  Again, this is a big rivalry game, so it could go either way.

North Judson (3-4) 28, River Forest (5-2) 20
River Forest hasn't been the same since a 50-point loss at Pioneer.  Here's a game they win in August with Ricky Price (107 carries, 940 yards) running wild.  But the option running game of Judson will reject the Ingots out in Starke County.  North Judson has won 3 in a row and half back Zack Pavlik (5-11, 173) ran for 205 yards against North Newton and 149 against Indianapolis Ritter.

Chesterton (5-2) 34, CROWN POINT (4-3) 20
Chesterton lost twice at Crown Point last season and the Trojans haven't forgotten.  The physical size of Chesterton is a big problem for CP, which got hurt by 352-pound Kyle Cepeda and LaPorte last week.  Matt Cowan (83 of 161, 1,049 yards) threw six interceptions last week after having thrown 3 in the first six games.  The Bulldogs will try to establish the running game, but eventually, they'll need to spread the field again.
CP will bounce back after a loss, but the Trojans are too physically strong.  They have only lost to Andrean (7-0) and Portage (7-0).

LOWELL (6-1) 21, Hobart (3-4) 14
These two have not met for nine years and they have similar styles.  Lowell runs 95% of the time with ace halfback Justin Henley (117 carries 920 yards) and Toby Goetz (68 carries, 475 yards).  But Hobart ran halfback Marc Drobac on 13 consecutive plays last week to win.  In the Brickie Bowl, where the Lowell boys have never played, this is a defining game of the Hobart season.  An upset chance is here for the Brickies, but Hobart will fall just short.

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Revised: June 08, 2004 .