Week 2 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Hobart (1-0) at

Crown Point (1-0) 

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

8-25-2005

 

When:  Friday, August 26, 2005

Where:  1500 S. Main, Crown Point 

Tickets$5 

TV/Radio/Internet:  WEFM (95.9) FM, WWCA (1270) AM, www.RRSN.com, www.USA-365.com

 

Weather:  Low 70s, slight chance of rain.  If its dry, it will be very pleasant in the windy stadium area behind the new CPHS. One characteristic of the new CPHS football field is that it is almost always windy in the evening at the new field. 

 

Parking:  Plenty but a large crowd is expected on warm night. You are asked to stay out of the parking lot at St. Matthias church west of the school.

 

Weather:  A big factor in this game. Summer returned this week and there could be temperatures near the 90-degree mark Friday. Game time temperature could easily be in the upper 70s, which would favor the aerial game of Crown Point. It could also rain during the game, which would aid the ground-based attack of Hobart.

 

THE SERIES: Hobart leads the all-time series 45-8-2.  Hobart has totally dominated this series down through the years to the point where Crown Point's back-to-back victories in 2002 and 2003 marked the first time that CP had ever defeated Hobart in consecutive seasons. It could be more lopsided than that. These schools did not play from 1985 until 1993, the period where the Brickies won Class 4A four state titles. Hobart probably would have won then, but the games would have been good because CP had some of their best teams in the late 80s and early 90s including the one with present CPHS coach Chip Pettit at QB in 1990 and 1991. Other teams have excelled for relatively short periods but Hobart owns the only true dynasty in the history of NW Indiana football. 

 

The late Don Howell won 321 games as Hobart's coach but its easy to forget that Hobart was also 72-19-2 in the 1950s under coach Russ Deal. Hobart had 23 consecutive winning seasons from 1975 to 1997 but the rest of the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) outgrew them. By 1995 almost every school in the DAC was twice the size of Hobart. After losing seasons in 1998 (4-6), 1999 (2-9) and 2002 (2-8) the arrival of former Andrean coach Wally McCormack and a switch to the small school Lake Athletic Conference revived the program and Hobart celebrated a 9-2 season in 2004. These teams will almost certainly play every year now because CP needs a quality foe that will not dominate them and Hobart wants the link to their 5A schedules of the past after they open the season with an easy (Gary West Side) win. There is a chance that, if Crown Point high school keeps growing, Hobart won't want to play them in football. But that day is a long way off. 

 

Present coaches Wally McCormack and Chip Pettit both like wide open 21st century passing attacks so this matchup, early in the season, should develop into a shootout. Hobart was the foe when Crown Point opened their new stadium in 2003 and there is a chance that Crown Point will be the foe when Hobart opens their new stadium, which is scheduled to be ready (they are NOT staying in the Brickie Bowl) in 2008. This will also become a marquee game attendance-wise when Hobart begins to dominate the upcoming Northwest Crossroads Conference (Hobart, KV, Munster, Griffith, Highland, Andrean and Lowell) as many of us believe they will. 

 

Eight (8) years ago:  

 

HOBART (9-12-1997) Hobart's Corey Ochall fired a 21-yard pass to Matt Luke in the final minute to give the Brickies a come-from-behind 30-29 win over Crown Point in the Brickie Bowl. The Bulldogs had scored 22 points in the final quarter on three runs by halfback Brian Parker, the last one a 73-yard breakaway with two minutes to go. Both teams gained over 400 yards. Hobart would go 12-0 before losing to 4A state champion Griffith 35-21 in the regional championship game.  Hobart has not won a sectional championship since that season.


Junior varsity: CP at Hobart - Sat., Aug. 27 - 10 a.m. 

Freshmen: Merrillville at CP - Sat., Aug. 27, 10 a.m. 

Freshmen: Hobart at CP - Thurs. Sept. 1, 6 p.m. (CP has 2 freshman teams) 

 

Crown Point - Coach: Chip Pettit - (18-25, 4 seasons) 

Enrollment: 2,190 

2004 record: 4-7 

Lost Sectional 1 semifinal at home 34-19 to eventual sectional champion Merrillville. 

 

Crown Point (1-0) 

8-19 (W) 16-6 at Lowell (0-1) 

8-26 - Hobart (1-0) 

9-2 - MERRILLVILLE (1-0) 

9-9 - at LAKE CENTRAL (1-0) 

9-16 - at PORTAGE (1-0) 

9-23 - VALPARAISO (6-5) 

9-30 - LaPORTE (1-0) 

10-7 - at CHESTERTON (0-1) 

10-14 - MICHIGAN CITY (1-0) 

5A Sectional 1 playoffs 

10-21 (F) quarterfinals 

10-28 (F) semifinals 

11-4 (F) championship 

 

Class 4A Hobart - Coach: Wally McCormack (16-9, 3 years) 

Enrollment: 954 

2004 record: 9-2 

State titles (4) 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993. 

Semi-State titles: (9) Last - 1996 

Regional titles: (14) Last - 1996 

Sectional titles (19) Last - 1997 

Lost the 4A Sectional semifinal 13-10 at Lowell last season. 

 

Hobart Brickies (1-0) 

8-19 (W) 50-6 (4A) West Side   

8-26 at (5A) Crown Point (1-0) 

9-2 (3A)Hammond (0-1) 

9-9 (4A) at Highland (1-0)   

9-16 (4A) Munster (1-0)   

9-23 (3A) at Andrean (1-0)  

9-30 (3A) at Morton (1-0)   

10-7 (4A) Lowell (0-1)   

10-14 (3A) Griffith (1-0)  

4A Sectional 9 playoffs 

10-21 (F) quarterfinals 

10-28 (F) semifinals 

11-4 (F) championship 


HOBART: Hobart junior QB Jeff Miracle threw for four TDs and ran for a fifth in last week's 50-6 win over Gary West Side and his emergence could signal a switch in Hobart's style. The Brickies traditionally run the football 80-90% of the time, but Miracle was 11 of 21 for 173 yards last week. It was surprising that Hobart did not run the ball with more success (150 total yards) against West Side. One of the strengths of the Brickies is supposed to be tackle Adam Bailey (6-4, 330). If the Brickies get a lead, I expect them to revert back to their conservative former style, if only to kill the clock on the road. 

But passing is in the future, a future which may include freshman wide receiver Bobby James (6-1, 180) and a junior named Danny Schultz (5-10, 170), a player who missed the entire 2004 season with injury. Hobart will not miss graduated Marc Drobac on defense with senior linebacker Richard Mitchell (6-2, 215), a first-team all-area player in 2004, available. Hobart will have the largest offensive line in the LAC with Bailey, Tim Krieg (6-1, 250), John Boyd (6-0, 265) and tight end Ryan McCorkle (6-2, 210). And the Brickies will have more speed this year. They beat Lowell 9-6 and lost 13-10 in key games last year and offensively, they've got to do better than that.

Halfback Ryan Vaclavik (5-9, 165) adds quickness. Coach McCormack inherited a slow, plodding team but they won't be slow much longer. By the end of the year, Hobart should be a force on both sides of the ball and Lowell, Griffith and Andrean will be hard-pressed to beat them. Crown Point is lucky to be playing the Brickies now. This is the ultimate cold weather team with the size of that line and the prospect of Mitchell (6-2, 215) eventually becoming a running back. 

CROWN POINT: Winning is a great thing. Can you imagine what the mood would be at CPHS football practice in the wake of the injury loss of both all-NW Indiana QB Matt Jansen and WR Matt Ernest had CP lost to Lowell last week?  But the Bulldogs won 16-6 led by the linebacking quartet of Vince Lewis, Chris Schillo, Jordan Rhye and Nick Ciochina, who combined for 26 tackles in holding the run-oriented Devils to just 82 yards. The two position changes that coach Chip Pettit's staff made in the off season paid off in game one. Chris Rutherford (6-0, 200), a converted tight end, was a solid member of the defensive line while Jon Sertich, a converted linebacker, had an interception at strong safety and had enough left to gain 92 yards on 20 carries. 

I'm not exactly sure who will play on the perimeter for Crown Point this week but CB Jeremy Plummer and Ryan Forney will be key players on the corners. What CP will do when they go to four and five back defensive sets is something we wont know until the situation comes up. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of CP's many wide receivers back in the secondary in pure passing situations. Crown Point has to control the ball, but they must also give the illusion they'll throw. CP will use the three and four wide receiver sets they like and soph quarterback Blake Mascarello (5-11, 180) will probably get more chances to throw the ball down the field. CP threw just six passes in the win over Lowell. The Bulldogs' offensive line was good in the first half against Lowell with seniors Marcus Robinson (6-3, 280), Steve Williams (6-2, 255), Brian Gertsch (6-3, 240), junior Andrew Krumwied (6-5, 215) and sophomore Zach Brumm (5-10, 220), Krumwied at center was solid as the exchange with Mascarello was mistake free even though they had not played together before last week. Look for CP to throw more than six passes to WRs Tommy Isailovich and Brain Forney and look for tall junior Matt Osojnicki (6-5, 190) or sophomore Joe Baker (6-5, 170) near the goal line on some basketball jump ball TD tries.

Senior halfback Donny Keiser (5-11, 205) gained 67 yards on 14 carries last week but he may not be 100% after injuring his shoulder against Lowell. Sertich (5-9, 170) is the key man this week but junior 'H' back Tommy Parks (5-11, 200) figures to get the ball as well after four carries and two catches against Lowell. Keiser will probably be able to kick and he has turned into a big weapon. His three field goals against Lowell were no fluke. The 42-yard field goal he booted in Lowell would have been good from 50 yards out. Crown Point is feeling good and will be ready for this game. They have serious injury problems but the offensive line and the front seven on defense are healthy and intact. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: Crown Point is definitely without QB Matt Jansen and WR Matt Ernest for the near future and HB Donny Keiser had to leave last week's game. Without that trio, CP wasn't as good as Lowell on offense. But the Bulldogs acted like it was the Super Bowl last week and won anyway. Emotion can make young players go beyond their experience and physical limitations. CP simply has to be very excited about playing a defending league champion in their home opener. Hobart has a difficult strategy decision. If they pound the ball 60 times at CP, they could wear down the smaller Bulldogs who will be somewhat conservative on offense without Jansen and Ernest. But, while they could utilize halfback Ryan Vaclavick (21-108 yards last week) extensively, you'll see 20 passes again because CP's defensive line is unproven and their secondary is shorthanded. 

I see the Brickies taking the early lead on a pass-dominated drive but CP will open this game up. The Bulldogs need to find out what lefty roll out QB Blake Mascarello can do in the air before the DAC season starts and the home opener is as good a time as any. Especially since the Bulldogs can't keep running the ball inside the tackles with Richard Mitchell back there for Hobart. Just watching scrimmages and one game, I haven't seen any sign of panic in the new QB and when CP starts to throw, I think Mascarello will connect on a half dozen passes and the home team will take a 14-7 lead at the half. CP will then turn to halfback Jon Sertich and he will have surprising success against the Brickie defensive front that must respect the pass. 

CP will expand the lead to 27-7 on a Sertich TD and a couple of field goals by Donny Keiser after Brickie turnovers. Hobart QB Jeff Miracle will hit basketball guard Michael Brown for one TD and Mitchell will run for another to rally the visitors but the quick CP defense will run down Miracle for key sacks to hold on in the end. This will be a very entertaining game that will get both sides ready for their league openers in week three. 

CROWN POINT 27, HOBART 21

 
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Revised: August 25, 2005 .