Week 9 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Michigan City (1-7) at Crown Point (5-3)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-14-2011

 

The Crown Point Bulldog Cheerleaders stand in front of a packed home side of the Bulldog stadium, which seats approximately 4,000. (Photo by Mark Smith)

WHEN: 7:00 p.m. CDT, Friday, October 14, 2011

WHERE:  1500 S. Main, Crown Point, Indiana - one mile south of the Old Lake County Courthouse/downtown square.

TV/Radio/Internet:  No live over-the-air radio. Live updates of local scores all night on WLPR (89.1) FM. Live Internet coverage on www.USA-365.com. Highlights on Lakeshore Public Television (Comcast Cable Ch. 17) at 10:30 p.m.

TICKETS: $6 (new ticket price this season for all of the DAC).

ENROLLMENT: CP - 2,532; Michigan City - 1,846.

WEATHER: Colder. The high Friday is set for the low 60s, which means mid-50s by game time. Very good for players. Cool for fans. CP has artificial turf so Thursday's heavy rain is not a factor. Near perfect football weather, but 20-30 miles per hour winds are expected.

PARKING: Don't worry about it. Nobody's coming from Michigan City to watch this game. No. Body. Crown Point kids can go sit on the visitors' side if they want to be alone. You can stroll up at about 6:45 and be in your seat for the kickoff. No problem.

WHAT’s AT STAKE: Nothing. Crown Point can't finish any higher than third place in the DAC and Michigan City can't really get out of last place. In truth, both coaching staffs are almost certainly working on their sectional quarterfinal opponent on Oct. 21. Anybody who is the least bit injured should sit out this chilly, windy, damp night.

 

Duneland Conference (8 weeks)
1. LAKE CENTRAL 5-1, 7-1
2. MERRILLVILLE 5-1, 5-3
3. Valparaiso 4-2, 4-4
4. Chesterton 3-3, 4-4
5. CROWN POINT 3-3, 5-3
6. Portage 2-4, 2-6
7. LaPorte 1-5, 3-5
8. Michigan City 0-6, 1-7

 

HISTORY: Michigan City is a town of 32,000 that sits 50 miles east of Chicago and 40 miles west of South Bend. The land on which the town sits was purchased by Issac Elston in 1830. Michigan City High School is a 1995 consolidation of Elston and Rogers high schools. Elston high (now a middle school) is named after the founder of Michigan City. What is now Michigan City High School is the former Rogers high.

What is now Route 20 that goes through Michigan City was loosely the old trail around Lake Michigan from Michigan to Chicago. Eight months a year, it's a beautiful lakefront place with nice beaches, the Indiana Dunes and a classic old lighthouse to attract summer visitors. During the winter months however, Michigan City sits in the middle of the snow belt, the line where Northwest winds blowing over the warmer Lake Michigan buries LaPorte county in a continuous flow of 'Lake effect' snow. LaPorte County had 100 inches of snow last year and South Bend averages over 110 inches a year. Last January, LaPorte and Michigan City got 38 inches of snow in a two-day span. Really.

 

Michigan City high school is one of those schools that has never won a sectional tournament in football and this won't be the year they break that streak. The longtime basketball power has also hit on hard times indoors and they need a rivival to compete with the rest of the DAC schools. The football program needs a win in the playoff opener next week for the future. They need more numbers and a belief they can compete. But when you are down in the DAC, it's very hard to get back up.

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Crown Point Bulldogs (5-3)
Coach Chip Pettit (65-48, 10 years)
2010: 8-4; 2009: 3-7; 2008: 3-7
Sectional titles: 1998, 1991, 2006
Regional title: 1991
Lost 2010 5A sectional 1 championship game 16-6 at Valparaiso

Aug. 19 (W) 27-6 at Lowell (5-3)
Aug. 26 (W) 45-6 Hobart (1-7)
Sept. 2 (L) 20-21 Merrillville (5-3)
Sept. 9 (L) 7-26 at LC (7-1)
Sept 16 (W) 42-0 at Portage (3-5)
Sept. 23 (L) 14-21 Valparaiso (4-4)
Sept. 30 (W) 42-0 LaPorte (32-5)
Oct. 7 (W) 28-6 at Chesterton (4-4)
Oct. 14 (Fri.) Michigan City (1-7)

Class 5A Sectional (1) One
Oct. 21 at Munster (4-4)
With Portage, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Munster, Chesterton, LC and MERRILLVILLE


Michigan City Wolves (1-7)
Coach: Michael Karpinski (1st season)
2010: 2-8 2009: 6-4, 2008: 4-6
Sectional titles (0)
Lost 2010 5A sectional 2 quarterfinal 49-31 to Goshen

Aug. 19 (W) 46-0 Gary Roosevelt (2-6)
Aug. 26 (L) 21-40 (South Bend) Washington (4-4)
Sep. 2 (L) 14-48 Chesterton (4-4)
Sep. 9 (L) 21-38 at Valparaiso (4-4)
Sep. 16 (L) 0-38 Merrillville (5-3)
Sep. 23 (L) 9-35 at Lake Central (7-1)
Sep. 30 (L) 7-12 Portage (3-5)
Oct. 7 at (L) 14-28 LaPorte (3-5)
Oct. 14 (Fri.) at Crown Point (5-3)

Class 5A Sectional (1) One
Oct. 21 Chesterton (4-4)
With Portage, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Munster, Chesterton, LC and MERRILLVILLE

MICHIGAN CITY Update:

MICHIGAN CITY (10-14-2011) Michigan City football is like the Chicago Cubs. Many men, good and proud, have come in to lead them, saying how they would make them champions. All have ultimately failed.

New coach Mike Karpinski, a man with ties to the old Michigan City Elston days, needs time to get his school back to winning football games. It didn't happen this year. MC was 1-9 last year. They are 1-7 now. Mike Karpinski's dad Bill coached at both Elston and Rogers high from 1968-1972. Elston and Rogers consolidated into Michigan City high in 1995. Former South Central coach Jeff Karras is MC's defensive coordinator.

The Wolves have been better the last two weeks. QB Joel Hirsch (6-2, 185) was 10 of 20 for 126 yards last week in a 28-14 loss to next door neighbor LaPorte. Giorgio Karallas (6-2, 225) and Java Oliver (6-2, 226) led a defense that held Portage to just 59 yards rushing in a 12-7 Portage win two weeks ago.

This isn't a small team. Senior Sam Haro (5-11, 290) leads the blockers. Jalen Lewis (5-9, 176) had 48 yards on five carries against Portage. There's nobody who stands out with big numbers, but they seem to have physical stature if not comparable ability to the rest of the DAC.

Drawing Chesterton as a sectional opponent can be looked on as a positive. The Trojans are also on a losing streak and MC gets another home game. But this will be a tough night to break into the win column.


CROWN POINT Update:

CROWN POINT (10-14-2011) The Bulldogs are charging into the playoffs with back-to-back wins over LaPorte and Chesterton. CP averages 300 yards a game on offense and the defense has allowed 86 points all year in eight games. QB Joe Hopman (68 of 128, 983 yards, 10 TDs, 4 interceptions) hasn't needed to throw much in some games as the Bulldogs' defense has been in control.

Junior receivers Braxton Rice (16 catches, 284 yards) and Zach Plesac (11 catches, 154 yards) are all in the stat sheet every game. Basketball forward Braxton Rice (6-6, 180) has averaged 18 yards a catch.

Halfback Jake Lindeman (93 carries, 385 yards) is out with an ankle injury, but sophomore Tristan Peterson (79 carries, 428 yards, 5 TDs) has filled in without any drop off. Peterson isn't as big as Lindeman, but he is faster and has big play potential. Kicker Brett Bayer is 30 of 31 on extra points and he has field goals of 23, 24 and 41 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Jordan Krajci (5-10, 185) has 75 tackles while tackle Cameron Tanner (6-1, 260) has 63 tackles and seven quarterback sacks. Safety Logan McRae has three interceptions and is averaging 40 yards per kickoff return.

The Bulldogs were out of the DAC race early when they lost to co-leaders Lake Central and Merrillville, but they will get another chance at one of those teams if they can reach the final game of 5A Sectional 1. CP has to be encouraged by the state tournament draw of Munster (4-4), a team they defeated in sectional play in 2010.
 

Other than Lindeman, who will try to return in two weeks, CP does not have any major injuries that have been made public.

Michigan City Wolves (1-7) at Crown Point Bulldogs (5-3)

SAGARIN RATINGS: CP by 35

CROWN POINT: What can I say here? Michigan City is 0-6 in DAC play and the only school they have defeated, Gary Roosevelt, is probably closing after this year. CP defeated LaPorte and Portage by 42 points each. MC lost to both. Let's just say: The five TD spread is about right.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN:

CROWN POINT (10-13-2011) Motivation will be everything on this night. Michigan City has lost 13 Duneland Conference games in a row and they'd like to break that streak. But, for CP's seniors, this is their last scheduled home game and they'd like to go out on top.

Crown Point will rely heavily on the running of young Tristan Peterson and backup Jamie Johnson and they should put up a TD and a field goal early. Two Michigan City turnovers will lead to TDs and a 24-0 lead at the half as the CP offensive line opens running room for their backs.

Michigan City's senior wide receiver Eric Yarborough (6-2, 195) will get the Wolves on the board with a TD catch after halftime, but both sides are looking to the future here. CP's backups, including sophomore QB Jake Jatis, need to be ready, because they will play on this night as starters get limited time in a meaningless game on a cold night.
 

CROWN POINT 34, Michigan City 7