A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
10-08-2012
MERRILLVILLE
(10-12-2012) A strange season continues. Merrillville loses halfback Dylon
Collins for the season but wins the biggest game of the season 38-17 over Lake
Central. Lowell falls behind for the sixth week in a row but comes back to win
for the fourth time in six games. Gary Roosevelt, 4-29 over the last four years
and 0-5 this year, won its third in a row 38-32 over Boone Grove in 2OTs.
State powers Warren Central, Indianapolis Cathedral and South Bend St. Joseph's are 4-4. Ten-time state champ Bishop Luers is 5-3 and they've won Class 2A the past three years. Remember Heritage Hills? Eight regional titles in the last 15 years? Head coach retired. They're 4-4. Bishop Dwenger? Four-time state champ. Head coach was fired. They're 3-5.
So if you look around and don't think your team
can win. Look again. Whether temporarily or permanently, the balance of power
has shifted this season all over the state.
1.) 5A MERRILLVILLE (7-1)
2011 (8-4), 2010 (8-3), 2009 (12-2), 2008 (8-5), 2007
(12-2)
MERRILLVILLE:
No change here. Even without injured halfback Dylon Collins (105 carries, 1002
yards), Merrillville rolled over rival Lake Central 38-17. QB Jake Raspopovich
was 20 of 23 for 315 yards with four TDs against a defense that had held the
previous seven foes to 20 points or less. Merrillville has topped LC 16 times in
a row, including three times in the last two years. But Merrillville is a shaky
No. 1 without Collins, even though backup Bryant Isabell is more than solid. You
can't lose Collins' state class speed and be the same. The Pirates face a tough
test at Chesterton (7-1) Friday but they got a good draw vs. Munster (2-6) in 5A
Sectional 1. Merrillville has a history of sectional success with five titles in
the past eight seasons.
2. ) 5A Lake Central (6-2)
2011 (8-2), 2010 (2-8), 2009 (2-9), 2008 (3-7), 2007 (7-5)
ST. JOHN:
LC got bombed 38-17 by Merrillville last Friday, a team they just can't seem to
beat. LC is 14-4 the last two seasons, but 0-3 against Merrillville. Keep in
mind, that only matters when they play Merrillville again which they can't do
until November. LC lacks a strong passing attack and that hurts them once they
get behind. But they got a good draw in 5A Sectional 1 and if David Yancey (129
carries, 1,066 yards) stays healthily, LC is still a sectional contender if they
still believe they are and they have a significant home filed advantage.
3.) 5A Chesterton (7-1)
2011 (5-6), 2010 (6-4), 2009 (7-4), 2008 (9-3), 2007 (6-4)
CHESTERTON:
Chesterton survived at Crown Point 28-21 as sprinter Joe Troop (13 TDs) scored
twice and the Trojans overcame two key fumbles. Chesterton QB Chris Katsafaros
directed a 350-yard attack and the Trojan defense stopped the run enough to win
away from home. I can't move Chesterton up past Lake Central because the Trojans
have been a different team the last three weeks. Some of it's a tougher schedule
but they aren't as confident as they were earlier.
4.) 5A CROWN POINT (5-3)
2011 (9-4), 2010 (8-4), 2009 (3-7), 2008 (3-7), 2007
(8-3)
CROWN POINT:
The Bulldogs gave Chesterton a battle but lost 28-21 so they stay fourth in the
poll. Halfback Tristan Peterson returned to the lineup and QB Jake Jatis ran for
three TDs. CP has lost to Merrillville (7-1), Chesterton (7-1) and LC (6-2) and
they have wins over Hobart (6-2) and Lowell (5-3). I hope that strong schedule
has schooled them well, because they got a bad draw in 5A Sectional 1. The
Bulldogs are looking at high-powered Valparaiso, LC and Merrillville in a
three-week span.
5.) 5A Valparaiso (3-5)
2011 (5-6), 2010 (13-1), 2009 (5-5), 2008 (9-2), 2007 (6-5)
VALPARAISO:
Valpo crushed Portage 43-14 as speedy halfback Stephen Simms scored five TDs.
I'm going to be realistic and move Valparaiso ahead of Andrean in the poll. If
you look at the lines and the bench, there's no way the 59ers beat Valparaiso.
That's not a secret. Too big. Too deep. Keep in mind the Vikings have lost to CP
(5-3), Chesterton (7-1) Merrillville (7-1), Penn (7-1), Carmel (8-0). Valpo
averages 32 points a game against a very difficult schedule and their record
will not matter once the playoffs begin. The Vikings did not get a good draw,
but they do get CP, a team they lost to 28-21.
6.) 3A ANDREAN (6-2)
2011 (9-1) 2010 (9-4), 2009 (9-4), 2008 (6-7), 2007
(9-4)
MERRILLVILLE:
Andrean came from behind to top Griffith 42-25. I'm a little uneasy with the
points the 59ers are giving up (22 a game), but I'm a little uncomfortable with
the points EVERYBODY is giving up this year. Who is Jamie Johnson? I don't know,
but he ran back a kickoff 95 yards for his 6th TD of the year last Friday.
Andrean can win the Northwest Crossroads Conference with a win this Friday. QB
Matt DeSomer, who rushed for 146 yards on 17 carries, faces his hometown team,
Lowell (5-3) in another good playoff prep. But Andrean is probably very excited
about drawing Wheeler (5-3) in the playoffs. Wheeler eliminated Andrean last
season when the 59ers were 9-0 and they've waited 12 months for a rematch.
7.) 4A Hobart (6-2)
2011 (3-8), 2010 (5-6), 2009 (4-8), 2008 (9-2), 2007
(8-4)
HOBART:
The Brickies blew out shorthanded Morton 35-13 last week as QB Andrew Barras was
9-of-11 for 126 yards and two TDs. Hobart clinches a tie for the league title
this week if they top last place Highland (1-7, 0-5) but that should not matter.
The Brickies got the word last Sunday that they'll open the post-season on the
road at Kankakee Valley (7-1), one of the two teams to defeat them. Preparation
for that game should have begun five minutes after they found out the news. If
you aren't preparing for the playoffs from the minute you get the draw, you are
falling behind someone who is.
8.) 4A Kankakee Valley (7-1)
2011 (2-8), 2010 (1-9), 2009 (3-7), 2008 (3-7), 2007 (4-7)
WHEATFIELD:
KV crushed Highland 41-12 and they can clinch at least half of the NCC title if
they win at Munster this week. Tyler Birky ran 15 times for 111 yards and he's
up to 998 yards on 123 carries and the Kougars buckled down on defense, holding
Highland to just 166 yards. Nothing matters now but the playoff draw, which was
not kind. The Kougars will play Hobart (6-2), a big, strong league rival who
they barely beat 27-21 earlier this season. KV does get that game at home, which
is a big plus in the wide-ranging 4A Sectional 10. The last time KV won eight
games was 2006. KV has NEVER won nine games.
9.) 4A LOWELL (5-3)
2011 (5-5), 2010 (6-4), 2009 (13-2), 2008 (13-1), 2007 (13-2)
LOWELL:
Lowell did it again. The Devils stumbled and fumbled and fell behind 21-10 and
then rallied to win 35-21 over Munster last week. The Devils have trailed by six
points or more in the first half seven times in eight games. They've rallied to
win four of the seven, but why they play so much better AFTER falling behind is
a mystery. Junior George Fields has graduated from some kid with a nice football
name to a true all-state candidate. Unofficially, 46 carries for 295 yards last
week against Munster. Unofficially Fields (5-10, 175) has 1,546 yards on 220
carries. The only game Fields didn't gain 100 yards was when he was knocked out
of the game in the first quarter.
Lowell travels to Andrean (6-2) this week and then warm up the bus. The Devils
traditionally get a draw that sends them far east and it happened again. Lowell
opens 4A Sectional 10 in Mishawaka, a two-hour bus drive.
10.) 4A New Prairie (7-1)
2011 (3-7), 2010 (4-7), 2009 (4-7), 2008 (7-4), 2007 (7-3)
NEW CARLISLE:
The Cougars coasted over out-manned Class 1A LaVille 48-0 in coach Russ Radtke's
300th victory and then they got the good news. New Prairie, which was 11-2 and a
3A sectional champ in 2006, got a yellow brick road draw in the very difficult
4A Sectional 10. NP drew a quarterfinal with Clay (5-3), which has won two games
in overtime and a semifinal with either South Bend Washington (1-7) or South
Bend Riley (1-7). That's as good as it gets.
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Revised: October 08, 2012
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