Week Three Picks:  NW Indiana High School Football

- by Mark Smith

Portage ruins that 'west coast' offense to perfection and I'm surprised that Lake Central didn't defense it better.

Don't ask what's wrong with Morton.  This may be Munster's best team ever.

WEEK THREE (3) Predictions

Let's single out two games.

                  Valparaiso (1-1) at LaPorte  (2-0)

LaPORTE:  Many area people dropped Valparasio in their polls when they lost the season opener to Penn and then had to reverse their position when the Vikings won 13 games in a row.  It could happen again.  If you really believed that the Vikings were the best team and they lose to the state's top-ranked team, how can Valpo then not still be number one in this region?  Valparaiso has been  the region's most talented team for three years and pollsters know it even if they won't say it publicly.

What was overlooked in Valpo's season-opening 31-7 loss at Penn is that Valpo trailed just 17-7 late in the game before Penn broke some long TDs.   Jason Renn is 22 of 42 for 264 yards and four TDs so far, although he has thrown 3 interceptions.  Valpo rushed for 237 yards against Roosevelt after being held to just 47 yards on the ground against Penn.

LaPorte traditionally plays unorthodox defenses and blitzes from everywhere. This will be difficult against Valparaiso, which has two 6-foot-4 wide receivers. New Prairie rushed for 187 yards against LaPorte and Kankakee Valley ran for 153 yards.  Bu if Valpo lines up Renn in the shotgun on first and second down, LaPorte will have a difficult time attacking that set.

LaPorte's junior quarterback Kevin Brandy (6-1, 165) is off to a good start. The left-hander has hit 12 of 22 for 159 yards. Senior tailback RJ Pate has carried 28 times for 225 yards but he's got to be able to gain first downs because Brandy won't be able to get the ball to dangerous pass catchers like Junior Jerome Vann (6-4, 190) who won't have any height advantages against Valpo's Jeff Samardzija (6-4, 192) or senior Adrian Denko (6-4, 189) as Valpo has the tallest secondary in this region.

Valpo DE-LB Nick Winder (6-0, 230) will be coming to get Brandy. LaPorte has the talent to win this game. They lost 31-28 in overtime to Valpo two years ago. The Vikings won 34-20 last year but this game is back in LaPorte. The Slicers have a good offensive line but I think their inexperience at skill positions will cause turnovers and Valpo will win by more than they should.

I don't know if LaPorte truly believes they can beat Valparaiso.  I know I don't.

Valparaiso 34, LaPorte 14


Griffith (1-1) at Andrean (2-0)
AT & T Channel 3   - tape delay - 10:35 (Saturday), 7 p.m. (Monday and Wednesday)
WJOB (1230) AM   -  Live -  7 p.m.

MERRILLVILLE:  I thought Griffith gave away their 10-0 loss at Hobart last week and I don't think it will affect their play this week in the first round-robin match-up of Lake Athletic Conference powers. (Munster plays Andrean next week).  The Panthers outgained Hobart 279-254 but turned the ball over four times.

Griffith has 552 yards rushing in two games and I don't think Andrean can do a lot about that, especially with all-area linebacker Rob Caldwell (6-1, 210) reportedly hobbling with an ankle injury.

But even if the Panthers run for 300 yards (and they might with hard runners Derrick Duffy and David Martin), they will have a hard time winning at Andrean. The 59ers are the elite skill position team in this region, led 6-foot-4 all-stater Brett Goins. Senior halfback Derrell Tinner has rushed 27 times for 275 yards and four TDs already behind what was supposed to be a suspect offensive line. Goins is 15 of 29 for 181 yards but 59er coach Wally McCormack hasn't truly turned him loose yet because Andrean dominated their 30-20 win over Hobart and their 42-0 rout of Bishop Noll.

This will be the game of the week because Griffith, with a senior dominated team which got buried 28-6 in Griffith last year. Griffith won 36-22 at Andrean in 2000 and the Panthers won one-point victories in both 1999 (28-27) and 1998 (15-14). In the end it will boil down to the fact that Griffith can't cover all of the 59er receivers.

Andrean 35, Griffith 28

Other Week Three Picks

Chesterton 35, Michigan City 6   (The Trojans are much stronger physically, MC hasn't played anybody)

Kankakee Valley 20,  River Forest  14  (The Kougars running game will win a close one)

Whiting 35, South Central 14  (As long as the weather stays warm and dry, Whiting will beat true 1A schools).

Portage 27, Hobart 0  (Hobart doesn't have the speed to attack the 'west coast' offense, Portage's four wide receiver set)

Gavit 27,  Noll  14   (Gavit's 0-2 because they've played Munster and Highland)
Highland 30,  Hammond 12   (Highland will be able to defense Jawaan Turner by holding the ball on offense)

Munster 21,  Lake Central 10   (Don't bet your life on this one. Lake Central is better than they've shown against 5A DAC powers Merrillville and Portage).

North Judson 20,   Rensselaer 7   (Rensselaer beat North Judson twice last year and I thought Judson was the better team.  Judson has shut out their first two foes 46-0 and 48-0)

Merrillville 17,   Crown Point 14   (McCutcheon embarrassed Merrillville. CP might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.)