Week 2 - Football Game of the Week Preview
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4A Highland (0-1) at
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8-25-2017
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The last time Highland played a varsity football game at CPHS, the present CPHS site was nothing but long, tall grass and the sunset. When the sun goes down this Friday, Highland plays the 'new 'Crown Point high school for the first time at 7 p.m. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
When: Friday, August 25, 2017; Kick-off: 7 p.m. CDT.
Where: Crown Point High School, 1500 South Main (one mile south of the CP downtown square).
Tickets: $6
TV/Radio/Internet: No
over-the air radio. Live
updates of all local scores all night on WLPR (89.1) FM. Live Internet audio
stream on
www.USA-365.com
Enrollment: Crown Point - 2,815; Highland -
1,128.
WEATHER: This will be
one of the best nights of the season no matter what the next three months bring.
Cooler temperatures. Low humidity. Really good for late August. Some like it
hot, but 'hot' is not for football. Kickoff will see a temperature in the
upper-60s in the sunset. Late in the game, we'll be in the low 60s. Light winds.
No rain. They call it "Goldilocks weather." "Not too hot. Not too cold. Just
right.
PARKING: I believe this is 'Senior Night' at Crown Point and there
would be a good crowd anyway for the home opener. I can't say for sure how many
fans Highland will bring. From an attendance standpoint, it would have helped
had they won last week. But Highland hasn't played at CPHS since the 1990s.
Maybe there will be a little curiosity.
Either way, the home opener for Crown Point in comfortable weather usually draws
a good home crowd and local folks are more likely to come out to see Highland
than Mishawaka, the team CP has faced in week two the last few years.
WHAT's AT STAKE: Nothing. These teams don't have any recent
connection and they can't meet in the post-season. Both teams need a win this
Friday, but they have no true football history that anyone but us old folks can
remember.
With that said, this would be a very big win for Highland to defeat a defending
6A sectional champ. If the Trojans keep the game close into the second half,
they'll get very excited about this and, win or lose, that could be a big 'plus'
for the remainder of the season. Highland only has to play well and keep it
close Friday. Crown Point has to win.
The HISTORY:
There is no recent history, but CP and Highland were members of the old Lake
Suburban Conference from 1970 to 1991.
Highland played CP in 1992 and then the schedules changed, CP playing in the
Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) and Highland joining the newly formed Lake
Shore Conference. Highland began playing football in 1958 and they met up with
Crown Point from 1960 on.
Friday will be the 34th meeting of CP and Highland according to 'NorthernIndianaFootball.com'.
The series was tied 14-14 before Crown Point won the last five to take a 19-14
edge.
No games in the last 25 years.
The reason for the breakup of the Lake Suburban Conference (LSC) was enrollment.
Lake Central and Crown Point (and Merrillville, which was in the LSC briefly)
started growing and the rest of the schools (Highland, Munster, Calumet,
Griffith and Lowell) did not.
LC, CP and Merrillville eventually ended up in the Duneland Conference while
Lowell, Munster and Highland are half of the Northwest Crossroads Conference.
Calumet and Griffith have drifted to the Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC)
where the schools are even smaller than in the NCC.
Schools try to go to athletic conferences where all their sports can compete,
which is why Griffith, which competes well in football and basketball, still
left for the GSSC.
They must project enrollment declines.
But small schools always want that one game where they play the 'big school'
and go for the upset. That's why Highland is coming to Crown Point Friday night.
(4A) Highland (0-1)
5-6 (2016), 4-6 (2015), 6-5 (2014), 5-6, (2013)
Coach: Trent Grider (6th year) 23-33 -All kickoffs at 7 p.m.
Northwest Crossroads Conference (NCC) league games in CAPS
8-18 (L) 23-27 Morton (1-0)
8-25 (Fri) at Crown Point (0-1) 7 p.m.
9-1 (F) Clark (0-1) 7 p.m.
9-8 (F) at Gavit (1-0) 7 p.m.
9-15 (F) MUNSTER (0-1)
9-22 (F) at LOWELL (1-0)
9-29 (F) HOBART (0-1)
10-6 (F) KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-1)
10-13 (F) ANDREAN (1-0)
HIGHLAND - Two years ago, Highland opened the season with Class 1A Lake Station.
The Trojans have played Hammond high in week two for the last eight years. Now
they play Crown Point in week two.
They clearly want to upgrade the competition and that will make impressive
won-loss records pretty tough for awhile. In the last four years, Highland
harvested some easy wins over Lake Station, Clark and Hammond high. Only Clark
is still on the schedule.
Road games at Lowell and Gavit will be hard rides into the night and the
home finale with Andrean will be a challenge.
I admire Highland for playing a tough (for Class 4A schedule) but I don't see a
winning season if they can't win at CP or at Gavit.
HIGHLAND UPDATE:
HIGHLAND - I was surprised by the Trojans losing the home opener last week
27-23 to Morton.
This is supposed to be a good year for them with 14 starters back from last
year's 5-6 squad.
Highland outgained Morton 292-167 but lost three turnovers that cost them the
victory. Two Highland fumbles were run back for Morton TDs.
The key player in week one was someone who didn't start (on offense) in 2016. The
Trojans' new quarterback Dean Foundos (6-1, 165) completed 5-of-11 passes for 131
yards and he ran 24 times for 134 yards.
He reportedly ran Highland's Wing-T offense well, so I doubt that last week's
loss was demoralizing. Junior Trent Slaven (6-1, 180) may play some at
quarterback, but he'll also play at wide receiver where he caught three passes
for 98 yards last fall.
Highland isn't as big as CP is up front, but they aren't small, led by co-captains
Ethan Fitt (5-11, 255) and Gannon Grider (6-6, 250) and defensive tackle Keon
Reeves (6-3, 250).
The Trojans' kicker Kyle Tanis booted a 30-yard field goal last week and they
held Morton to only six first downs.
Not having been there to see it, I'm not sure they should have lost this one,
looking at the box score. Junior halfback Rafel Rios, Highland's biggest rushing
threat, only carried seven times last week and the Trojans still moved the ball.
Highland will come to Crown Point trying to prove that last week's loss was a
fluke.
CROWN POINT Update:
CROWN POINT - If you don't count special teams as defense, Crown Point had a good
defensive game last week.
But you probably do count special teams as defense and there was certainly work
this week at Bulldog practice on kickoff returns after Lowell ran two back for
TDs last week.
Crown Point held Lowell to 84 yards rushing last week on 38 carries. That
caliber run defense will win a lot of games.
Linebackers Zach Ramus (5-11, 190) and Caden Watson (6-0, 205) both recorded 14
tackles, while cornerback Sam Krutz (6-1, 180) was in on 13 stops. I was
especially impressed that Lowell never broke a run longer than 10 yards in 38
attempts.
I don't think anyone else this year is going to stop Lowell's rushing attack to
that extent.
The pass defense was adequate, but they did give up two touchdown passes. Ethan
Potosky and Tim Darche garnered interceptions. CP did collect four turnovers.
Crown Point didn't run the ball as well as I thought they would, gaining just 49
yards on 22 carries against a good Lowell defense. They know that has to get
better and it should.
I think the offensive line, when the Bulldogs get a lead or can stay even, will
be able to wear teams down. I know. It didn't happen at Lowell.
Trailing all night, CP quarterback Ryan Bolda threw the ball 36 times,
completing 14 for 149 yards and one TD. Those are not good numbers, but I thought
Bolda, who was sacked three times, played fairly well. Senior receiver Eric
Mahaffey caught five passes for 85 yards and a TD while tight end Ben Fridrich
grabbed five more passes.
This is an all-senior group and I'm confident they'll score more than 13 points
in most games this fall.
SAGARIN RATINGS: CP is a 27-point favorite in this game.
The computer ratings are a little deceptive early in the year due to a lack of
games to go on. But Highland lost the opener at home. CP lost on the road to a
Top-10 squad. There is the 6A vs. 4A thing here, although I don't know if that
figures in here since both CP and Highland faced a 4A school last year. I'll say
that I think 27 points is too high. But I thought Highland would beat Morton by
more than a TD last week.
CROWN POINT 31,
Highland 17