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Michigan City (2-6) at Crown Point (6-2) |
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Week
9 - Football Game of the Week Preview|
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Michigan City (2-6) at Crown Point (6-2) |
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10-11-2007
When:
Friday, October 12, 2007
Where: 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN (about 1-mile south of the downtown square)
Tickets:
$5
TV/Radio/Internet:
WWLO (89.1) FM and
www.USA-365.com.
Weather:
Upper 40s, dry. Windy and cold. Summer is over. Your momma wont have
to tell you to put on your jacket.
Parking: Let's just say that if the weather forecast is
accurate, there won't be many people from Michigan City at this game and no one
will be surprised by that fact.
Junior varsity: Crown Point at Michigan City, Saturday, Oct. 13
- 10:00 a.m.
Freshmen: CP at Chesterton - Thursday, Oct. 11 - 6:00 p.m.
Lake Central at CP - Saturday, Oct. 13 - 10:00 a.m.
Michigan City at CP - Wednesday, Oct. 17 - 6:00 p.m.
Rivalry: These teams have no rivalry at all. Since the
consolidation of now-defunct Michigan City schools Elston and Rogers in 1995, CP
is 7-5 against Michigan City including wins 45-13 and 47-7 in the last two
seasons. But the window of opportunity for beating Michigan City is
closing. The Wolves have never won more than seven games in any season
since 1995 and they were 1-9 last year. But through a series of events, MC
ended up with head football coach Craig Buzea, who was 107-35 in 14 years at
Portage, and while the losing has continued in Buzea's first year, all comments
are positive and promising. The only team that dominated Michigan City was
Merrillville (7-1), one of the state's top-20 teams in any poll.
It's interesting to put Michigan City and Merrillville in the same sentence because many have. They are very similar in makeup. A multicultural semi-urban, semi-suburban school of about 2000 to 2500. It does not see far-fetched that the Wolves can experience some of Merrillville's vast athletic success.
Michigan City is one of the great basketball towns in northern Indiana. Elston,
the original Michigan City high school, dates back almost 100 years. There
is a record of Crown Point beating Michigan City Elston 14-10 in basketball in
January of 1910 back in the days of the center jump after every basket.
Part of MC's history involves Springfield Township high school, which was open
in the 1930s and 1940s playing basketball games against tiny towns like Mill
Creek, Wanatah, Kingsbury and my personal favorite: Hanna, Indiana, which is
about 25 miles east of Valparaiso on Route 30.
Springfield, which did not have football, consolidated into Elston which was a
basketball power, winning 20 games sixteen times in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Elston,
which still exists as a 'downtown' middle school, split into Elston and Rogers
in 1971 and Rogers, which sits in what loosely could be called suburban Michigan
City co-opted some of Elston's athletic success with great basketball squads in
the 1970s and 80s. But that's basketball.
Some of us who talk a lot about Michigan City's football potential forget one
vivid fact: Rogers never won either. Michigan City's Rogers Raiders never
won more than six football games in any one season in the entire 24-year
(1971-1994) existence of the school.
Elston
was 10-2 in 1984 but that's the best record ever in over 95 years of all of the
Michigan City high schools. And that 1984 season was Elston's final
winning season. After that, the Elston Red Devils went into the tank faster
than the New Orleans Saints. And it was a return to the basement. They
didn't have to guess what it looked like.
In the nine years from 1971 to 1979, Elston was 8-79 in football. It was reportedly very ugly. Elston was 0-9 in 1900 and 0-9 in 1991 inside a 21-game losing streak. I recall those days and those were some cold nights as well.
The consolidation, which moved Elston students to the Rogers building, came in
1995 and, even with enrollment of 2000 kids, the Wolves never won more than
seven games (7-4 in 2000) and have never won a sectional championship in 12
years, streaks that almost certainly will continue this season. Many of us
who have been around NW Indiana for a few years THINK that Michigan City can be
a power in football. But there certainly is no past evidence to back that
up.
Folks in western LaPorte County have to understand that championship Michigan
City football is kinda like the Cubs going to the World Series. It's been 100
years. So, if Craig Buzea can make Michigan City a power in football, he
doesn't just 'build a program'. He wakes one of the great sleeping giants of
Indiana high school sports.
Class 5A Michigan
City (2-6)
Coach: Craig Buzea - 2-6, 1st season)
Enrollment: 2,030
2006 record: 1-9*
Sectional titles: (0)
Regional titles: (0)
Semistate titles: (0)
State titles: (0)
*Lost 49-12 to Merrillville in the Class 5A
Sectional One semifinals
Michigan City Wolves (2-6, 1-5 DAC)
(W) 42-12 Gary Roosevelt (4-4)
(W) 42-12 (SB) Washington (0-8)
(L) 20-22 Chesterton (6-2)
(L) 7-35 Merrillville (7-1)
(L) 28-44 at Lake Central (5-3)
(L) 13-27 Portage (4-4)
(L) at LaPorte (3-5)
10-12 (Fri) Crown Point (6-2)
Class 5A Sectional One
10-19 (Fri) at Lake Central (5-3)
10-26 (Fri) home vs. Portage (4-4) or
Valparaiso (4-4)
Sectional Draw: Michigan City's schedule is their sectional foes so they're as ready as they can be. The Wolves might want to schedule somebody tougher than Gary Roosevelt and South Bend Washington in one of the first two games. A game with Lowell might be interesting. Morton is another intriguing option. But there's no getting away from the fact that the same teams they see in DAC play are the same teams they'll see in the sectional. MC has the 64th toughest schedule in the state. Lake Central is a team Michigan City can beat because LC is better running and stopping the run than they are passing and stopping the pass. They didn't get Munster (2-6) but LC is not a bad draw for MC. It's a winnable game.
Class 5A Crown Point (6-2)
Coach: Chip Pettit (48-26, 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 (6-2, 5-1 DAC)
(L) 14-23 at Lowell (7-1)
(W) 22-20 Hobart (5-3)
(W) 20-17 Merrillville (7-1) OT
(W) 24-13 at LC (5-3)
(W) 27-0 at Portage (4-4)
(L) 17-21 Valparaiso (4-4)
(W) 35-21 LaPorte (3-5)
(W) 42-24 at Chesterton (6-2)
10-12 (F) Michigan City (2-6)
5A Sectional (1) One
Oct. 19: at Munster (2-6)
Oct. 26: home vs. Chesterton (5-3) or at
Merrillville (7-1)
Sectional Draw: Crown Point's draw was good for the
first week. They get a Munster team
that is
weaker than any of the nine teams on the
regular season schedule, which is ranked
20th in the state. Everyone in Sectional
One
wanted to draw Munster and CP did. But the
second week is not what the Bulldogs
wanted. They will play the winner of
Merrillville at Chesterton and either way,
it's a handful.
Plus, if it's CP vs. Merrillville, the game
will be at Merrillville. The Bulldogs
almost certainly cannot be at home until
November and then they might see a
rejuvenated Portage team. This is only a
fair draw, but it's as good as you can
expect in Sectional One.
Michigan City (2-6) at CROWN POINT (6-2)
MC has lost three
starters to injury on offense including their top two running backs. The
only one who could play is sophomore leading rusher Adam Harmon, who has a cast
on his broken left wrist. Harmon (5-9, 180), who was all-DAC as a
freshman, did carry 11 times for 24 yards and two TDs last week. The
Wolves might sit him out this week to keep him semi-healthy for the post-season,
but they aren't going to announce that in advance.
The Wolves'
offense has been good, averaging a goodly total of 23 points a game overall and
just over 19 points per game against DAC schools. The offensive line,
coached by CP grad Tom Cicero, is very big with Seniors like Alex Stoll (6-4,
345), and average over 250 pounds per man, but they are very inexperienced.
The injury loss of senior fullback Travis Harmon (6-2, 225) has hurt badly
here. Michigan City has not rushed for 100 yards in any of its last four games.
Junior Jacob
Mallon (5-6, 185) is a good place-kicker. He's missed just two extra
points all season.
Crown Point is
coming off games of 35 and 42 points, both season highs. The Bulldogs have
rushed for 1,611 yards in eight games (201 per game) and senior halfback Russell
Chick (230 carries, 1,364 yards, 14 TDs) has most of those yards. Chick
(5-11, 180) is not especially big or fast but he has quick feet, very good
second effort and he just does not fumble. CP has lost two fumbles all
season in 294 rushing attempts and that stat is why they're 6-2.
QB Blake
Mascarello is 63 of 119 (52.9%) for 810 yards, 11 TDs, 8 interceptions.
The left-handed baseball pitcher threw a career-best four TD passes in the 42-24
win over Chesterton. Blake has also run 25 times for 141 yards and two bootleg
touchdowns.
CP's receiving
core has had limited success other than basketball center Zach Cecich, who has
caught 19 passes for seven TDs at tight end. Chick has caught 15 passes
for 138 yards and fullback Mike Kozlwoski (5-11, 205) has come on recently,
totaling 11 catches for 98 yards. Senior transfer Ron Burton (6-2, 180)
has 11 catches for 130 yards and there's still a feeling he and junior Danny
Osojnicki (5-11, 170) have some big games in them.
Everything works
for CP because of the offensive line, anchored by center Matt Polus (6-2, 260)
and including Kurt Wermers (6-5, 270), Cody Blue (6-3, 230), Matt Childress
(6-2, 260), Nick Colonna (5-11, 240) and others. Everybody knows CP is running
the ball and everybody knows Russell Chick is going to get it. But no one
has stopped Chick, who has gained 100 or more yards in every game this year and
has gained over 200 yards in each of the last two weeks.
CP's been throwing
a half dozen passes a game to the running backs the last couple of weeks and
they will use backup QB Marcus Shrewsbury (6-2, 210) in specialty situations to
run the option.
Defensively, the
Bulldogs have moved junior Kyle Land (5-9, 225) into the regular rotation at
noseguard between seniors Zach Brumm (40 tackles, 3 sacks) and Nick Hladek (59
tackles, 8 sacks). Injured linebacker Nick Cottrell hoped to be cleared to
play this week after breaking bones in his hands. Defensive back Danny
Osojnicki left last week's game with a minor injury and he may sit out this
week. But whether he does or not, new starter Billy Cox, who made a key
interception at Chesterton last week, will start again.
CP's versatile
5-linebacker base formation includes outside linebackers Anthony Stahl and Tony
Conway, who can be blitzers or pass coverage people. Senior wrestler
Andrew Szymborski leads the Bulldogs with 67 tackles and fellow inside
linebacker Lance LaMere has 55 stops. Junior safety Nick Bruno has 57
tackles and three interceptions.
Kicker Michael
Lipton is 21 of 24 on extra points and he has made field goals of 20, 22, 38 and
39 yards. Kozlowski averages 35.2 yards per punt.
Sagarin ratings: Crown
Point by 24
CROWN
POINT -
To be absolutely
honest, the spread for this game seems about right. But while CP may be 24
points better than Michigan City, they may not win this game by 24. MC can
threaten the CP secondary with junior QB Nathan Scully (6-2, 180), who jolted
LaPorte with 14-of-28 passing for 323 yards last week. Senior Derek Devereaux
(5-11, 180) caught six passes for 163 yards and Larry Crume (6-1, 180) caught an
85-yard score late in the game. Everybody who plays MC should bring a
lunch because it's going to be a long game. The Wolves only ran the ball
19 times last week.
When you have young boys on the roster like sophomore Tyler Prybylla (6-6, 285),
junior Raphael Young (6-5, 260) and freshman quarterback Rodney Washington (6-3,
215), there is hope for the future. I don't know about hope for this
Friday night.
Defensively, MC hasn't stopped anybody in the DAC, allowing over 300 yards per
week. Chesterton, Lake Central, and LaPorte have all run for 200 yards or
more against the Wolves. The Wolves have excellent speed on defense with
boys like senior defensive back Blair Young (5-11, 165) and Devereaux, both of
whom are defensive backs. Young has returned an interception for a TD.
But I don't know how fast the line is and they seem to have been wearing down in
the heat. With the weather change this week, the Wolves linemen might feel
some new life. They've got to stop the run before things can change on the
final scoreboard.
CROWN POINT -
Michigan City's got to bring something to the table quickly so they're going to
try to get the ball from QB Nate Scully to WR Derek Devereaux on the first
series. Scully will complete enough passes for Jacob Mallon to hit his
first field goal of the season and give the Wolves a 3-0 lead. The
Bulldogs will respond with a long drive and a TD pass from Blake Mascarello to
Zach Cecich.
Some incomplete passes will give the ball back to CP and a short pass from Mascarello to Mike Kozlowski will up the lead to 14-3. Michigan City can move the ball through the air early, but another interception by safety Nick Bruno and a short drive will set up a short TD run by backup QB Marcus Shrewsbury. A TD pass from Scully to Devereaux will cut the lead to 21-10 at halftime.
The Bulldogs will
again start the third quarter with a 60-70 yard drive and a TD for Russell
Chick, who will become CP's' first running back to gain 100 or more yards during
every game of the regular season.
Scully will throw 35 passes and he'll set up another TD in the late going to
keep MC in the game. But a fourth quarter drive and Michael Lipton's fifth
field goal of the season will ice the game for Crown Point. I think Tony Conway
adds an interception for a TD in the final moments.
This game will test some weather theories. Michigan City does not have a running game, but they do have a big offensive line and they need to use that on cold, windy nights. The Wolves may become very hard-headed about running the football this Friday in the hopes of pulling the kind of upset that would complete a rebuilidng year. Crown Point has become very run-oriented, throwing a dozen passes and running the ball 36 times a game this season. When it was 80 degrees and the wind was calm, that was being somewhat one-dimensional. Now, with temperatures in the 40s and a 20 mile-an-hour wind, that's called winning football.
CROWN POINT 38, Michigan City 17