Week
4 Picks - 2021 NW Indiana High School Football
A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
September 8, 2021
Hey, why isn't Lake Central in the poll? They've played three games and won three games. What have they got to do? Breakings news: 'Mr. Picker' has issued a rare guarantee. Lake Central moves into this poll if they defeat Crown Point Friday night in St. John. (Photo by Mark Smith)
'Mr. Picker' WEEK-3, 2021 Football Picks in Review:
Sept. 3-4, 2021Wrong - 3 Right - 9 = 75.0%
The Pick The Result Calumet 27, Wheeler 13
(wrong) Wheeler 28-8
North Newton 20, North Judson 14
(wrong) North Judson 34-12
Lake Central 21, Portage 14
LC 14-7
Elkhart 42, Morton 8
Elkhart 47-8
Culver Academy 34, Hanover Central 20
Culver Academy 35-34
Munster 28, East Chicago 12
Munster 44-8
Kankakee Valley 33, (SB) Washington 20
(Did not play)
Whiting 26, Bishop Noll 12
Whiting 35-7
Valparaiso 31, LaPorte 10
Valparaiso 56-26
Hobart 27, Griffith 14
Hobart 49-13
New Prairie 35, LOWELL 21
New Prairie 28-14
MERRILLVILLE 38, CROWN POINT 20
Merrillville 50-13
Michigan City 42, Chesterton 21
(wrong) Chesterton 27-20
‘Mr. Picker’ (by the week)
WEEK ONE (1): 8 of 13, 61.5%
WEEK TWO (2): 11 of 13, 84.6%
WEEK THREE (3): 9 of 12, 75.0%
Regular season: 28 of 38, 75.0%WEEK (3) Rewind: First of all, the Kankakee Valley game against South Bend Washington was cancelled so KV chose to play (West Lafayette) Harrison. I would have picked Harrison to beat KV and I would have counted that as a win for me. But the IHSAA called and said that I could not do that or I would be declared ineligible.
So KV-Washington is ‘no game’ and I only get nine of 12. The game that surprised me a lot was North Judson and North Newton. The Spartans got run over and the Judds proved that their 3-0 record is real.
Also, I thought Michigan City could handle the passing attack of Chesterton and they could not.
'Mr. Picker' (15 Years)
Mr. Picker - WEEK (4) FOUR:
MERRILLVILLE (09-10-2021) Schedules changed quickly last week and two games,
Lake Station vs. River Forest and Boone Grove vs. South Central, were just
cancelled. Those games can't be made up. There’s no bye weeks like in the
National Football League.
As most of you know, the teams don’t have anything do with this. The schools
have to quarantine kids who test positive and anyone who has been in contact
with them. Being as real as I can be, it’s probably a situation that is going to
continue all season and throughout the basketball season.
Back to business. Here’s 13 more games. I think Andrean and East Chicago is a
mismatch so I’ll leave that one alone.
I’m picking 13 games in the hopes that 13 games will be played, but I’m not
optimistic. So try to stay updated on the situation at your school. Especially
smaller schools who have less players they can afford to lose. Games may be
cancelled as late as the day of the game.
And again, as many of you know, we have had to discontinue Internet radio game
broadcasts during the Covid-19 year of 2020 and we no longer have sponsors. We
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And like I said last week, if you feel you can pick this week’s 13 games better
than a professional, experienced selector such a ‘Mr. Picker’, send your picks
in before Friday and we’ll talk. Email
your picks to usa365@ameritech.net.
Send in 13 picks (with the final scores) this week and we’ll see how you rank
against the ‘Pick Master’. His record speaks for itself. Keep in mind. ‘Mr.
Picker’ picked Indiana University to beat Iowa last week, too.
Mr. Picker 2021 WEEK (4) FOUR:
Morton (0-3) at Munster (1-2):
MUNSTER (09-10-2021) Big game for Morton. With undefeated Bloomington South
and Cathedral in the second half of the schedule, the Governors need to win one
here. This one is a real challenge for the Mustangs who are facing a hungry team
here. I think it's time for Morton to bust loose and tonight is the night.
Morton 32, Munster (21)
Calumet (2-1) at Whiting (2-1):
WHITING (09-10-2021) Whiting is fighting and, after the Covid-19 pandemic
handcuffed their 2020 season, the Oilers have started well. But this is a big
test, as Calumet got shut down by Wheeler last week and they need to bounce
back. I haven’t lost faith in Calumet yet.
Calumet 27, Whiting 14
Culver Academy (3-0) at Hobart (1-2):
HOBART (09-10-2021) Tough match for both sides here. Culver has been
impressive on offense so far against Marian and Hanover, but the Brickies have
played a tougher schedule and they need this home win. This is my ‘go to’ score
when I really can't make a choice.
Hobart 28, Culver Academy 27
Hanover Central (2-1) at River Forest (1-1):
HOBART TOWNSHIP (09-10-2021) Another game where the battling home team may
be overmatched by hungry visitors. River Forest’s game was cancelled last week
so they’ll be well-rested, but after last week’s 35-34 Hanover loss in Culver,
River’s chances here diminished.
Hanover 40, River Forest 16
North Newton (1-2) at Kankakee Valley (1-2):
WHEATFIELD (09-10-2021) Must win here for KV because the second half of
their schedule is loaded with the hard boys from Lowell, Andrean and Hobart.
Class 4A KV is the largest school that Class 2A North Newton plays and they’ll
be up for the upset.
Kankakee Valley 28, North Newton 14
Boone Grove (0-2) at Bishop Noll (1-2):
HAMMOND (09-10-2021) Noll’s win is 33-28 over Calumet Christian, but they
are coming off back-to-back losses. Boone Grove’s game was cancelled last Friday
and they may have needed that break after being shut out the first two weeks.
Boone Grove 21, Bishop Noll 14
Highland (2-1) at Hammond (1-2):
HAMMOND (09-10-2021) The second half of the schedule is favorable for the
new Hammond Central Wolves and it surprised me that 4A Highland lost last week
at 2A Knox. Hammond topped Clay last week but Clay’s only won seven games (they
are 7-76) in nine years. But I don’t really know what Hammond has. I didn’t
count the 71-6 loss at Valparaiso. That game shouldn't even have been played
because there were some extreme off the field circumstances. Highland should win
this game, but I’m going against the grain here. Hammond gets back to the .500
mark.
Hammond 28, Highland 24
Portage (1-2) at MERRILLVILLE (3-0):
MERRILLVILLE (09-10-2021) Portage has been close in every game but I
hesitate to pick this one at all after seeing Merrillville up close. The Indians
have bene close in two losses but they’ll be hard pressed to keep this one
close. The Pirates average 44 points a game and their games have not been close.
The Pirates offense is so strong and the defense is getting better. Portage is
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
MERRILLVILLE 42, Portage 14
Twin Lakes (1-2) at Rensselaer (2-1):
RENSSELAER (09-10-2021) Turnovers hurt Rensselaer in last week’s 26-21 loss
what looked like a decent to Hamilton Heights (2-1) team. Twin Lakes was a
little overmatched in a 52-3 loss at New Prairie (3-0) and a 42-7 loss at Tipton
(3-0) so I’m not sure they’re as bad as those scores would suggest. This is Twin
Lakes’ third road game in a row against a ranked team. Who makes their schedule?
Talking about schedules. Rensselaer has 3A No. 3 West Lafayette (3-0) and 2A No.
10 Lafayette Catholic the next two weeks. They need this one Friday.
Rensselaer 28, Twin Lakes 14
LaPorte (1-2) at Chesterton (3-0):
CHESTERTON (09-10-2021) LaPorte has a new quarterback, which is going to
make them very conservative and run-oriented. Chesterton scored a big win last
week over Michigan City and they haven’t been 4-0 since 2012. LaPorte has to run
the ball so well that Chesterton’s offense never gets on the field. They’ll give
it a shot, but the Trojans are hot.
Chesterton 35, LaPorte 17
CROWN POINT (1-2) at LAKE CENTRAL (3-0):
ST. JOHN (09-10-2021) LC is 3-0 for the first time since 2012 and they will
be fired up on this night. CP is facing an unranked team for the first time this
season and they have defeated Lake Central five years in a row. It's not a
matter of who wants the game more because they both want it badly. I think the
difference in the schedules played so far might show up here. But I’m not sure
what Lake Central really has. And they are flying high.
Check back with me later in the week here.
Griffith (2-1) at LOWELL (1-2):
LOWELL (09-10-2021) Another rivalry game with both teams here with coming
off losses. Lowell battled New Prairie down to the final minute last week, but
they only average 18 points a game. Griffith was run on by Hobart and Lowell
likes to run it, but who will be on the field for Lowell? They have not been
100% all season. But Lowell averages 18 points a game. If you go to the store
with 18 points a game. You cant buy much.
Give me a few days to think about this one.
Michigan City (2-1) at Valparaiso (3-0):
VALPARAISO (09-10-2021) The game of the week. High-scoring MC takes on a
Valpo team that is 24-2 the last three years. Michigan City lost late against
Chesterton last week. None of Valparaiso’s games have been close. The Wolves
give everybody a fight and this will be close. But Valpo looks awfully good.
Valparaiso 28, Michigan City 20
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