Week 3 Picks:  2008 NW Indiana High School Football

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

September 2, 2008

 

'Mr. Picker' WEEK 2, 2008 Football Picks in Review: Wrong - 4; Right - 6 = 60.0%
The Pick	The Result
LaPorte 28, Mishawaka 14	WRONG... Mishawaka 24-21
Michigan City 41, (SB) Washington 33	WRONG... Washington 21-20
Kankakee Valley 27, Wheeler 20	WRONG... Wheeler 17-14
ANDREAN 35,  Bishop Noll 21	ANDREAN 50-7
Lake Central 34, East Chicago 27	LC 42-0
Clark 35, Calumet 24	Clark 16-15
Hammond 46, Gary West Side 20	Hammond 22-16
LOWELL 49, Morton 21	LOWELL 57-20
CROWN POINT 19, Hobart 17	WRONG... Hobart 13-7
MERRILLVILLE 23, Griffith 9	MERRILLVILLE 24-15

 

WEEK-TWO (2) RECAP from Friday, August 29, 2008:  Not good.  I lost all the close games except for Clark-Calumet.  Michigan City went for a 2-point conversion in the 4th quarter and didn't get it.  LaPorte had a 14-0 lead and didn't hold it.  KV gave up a late game-wining field goal, although it was a 28-yarder by Wheeler's Mitchell Voss, a quality kicker.  Crown Pont has more offensive talent than they've shown.  Since they haven't scored a point on offense yet, they'd almost have to.  There was a real possibility of 10-out-of-10 last week and it didn't get done.

 

'Mr. Picker's Recent Picking Record

2008 (Week 2)  6 of 10   =  60.0%
2008 (Week 1)  9 of 12   =  75.0%
2008 Year to Date:  15 of 22 = 68.2%

2007 (final) OVERALL:  143 of 188 = 76.0%
2006 (final) OVERALL:  166 of 217 = 76.4%
2005 (final) OVERALL:  170 of 233 = 72.9%

MERRILLVILLE (09-05-2008) - League play begins and this can be an unpredictable week because coaches may be making some decisions on how the bulk of the season is going to go before they set the lineup out for this game.  Plus, we also figure to see a dramatic weather change.  It's been much too hot the first two weeks, but there is a forecast for temperatures in the low 60s in the 7-8 p.m. hour Friday night, a blessing for the players who get worn down by too many consecutive hot weather days early in the year.

There are four or five rivalry games that could always go either way.  So you don't pick the obvious match ups like Wirt-Washington, Calumet-North Newton or Gavit and 5A South Bend Riley.  Until a Gary team wins a game, it's not fair to pick them to lose again.  That's like predicting that another hurricane will hit the Gulf and the government won't be ready.  You're always going to right.

Counting Bowman, Gary is 0-10 this year as football appears to be at an all-time low.  Here's another week where you're begging for that one Saturday night contest.  Arch rivals Lake Station and River Forest, Highland and Munster, Crown Point and Merrillville and North Judson and Rensselaer and Kankakee Valley and Lowell all meet in week three.  Highland and Munster could have doubled their audience this week with a 6 p.m. Saturday start and Imagine how many people River Forest (which is in Hobart Township) and Lake Station will lose to the Hobart-Griffith game in Hobart Friday.  But high schools are very stubborn about playing every game exactly at the same time Friday, so there is absolutely no chance that anyone could possibly pay to see two games in the same week.  It's called marketing.  Or lack of it.
 

Lake Station (0-2) at River Forest (0-2)

HOBART TOWNSHIP (9-5-2008):  River Forest did rush for 185 yards against Eau Claire, Michigan for what that's worth in a 25-20 loss last week.  Lake Station has yet to score a single point this year, but they've dominated River Forest in recent years, winning the last four meetings.  The Ingots really can't throw the ball, but their seniors have never beaten Lake Station and they may be encouraged by the close game last week.  River Forest, which got a gift forfeit from Whiting after they lost 63-0 last year, has lost 25 consecutive games on the field.  They have not beaten an Indiana school since the 2003 season.  That all ends this week.

River Forest 18, Lake Station 14

Highland (0-2) at Munster (1-1)

MUNSTER (9-5-2008):  This is a rivalry game, but Munster is one defensive stop away from being 2-0.  Highland is down, injury-riddled and without a home field.  They have a good QB and they will be up for the season opener, but one stat really bothers you.  The Trojans gave up 225 yards passing last week and Munster's Joe Gill is a top tosser.  Munster's only problem is that they played Wirt last week so they didn't get tested in any way.

Munster 35, Highland 14

South Central (0-2) at Bishop Noll (1-1)

HAMMOND (9-5-2008):  Bishop Noll watched more big plays than a Broadway critic last week in a 50-7 loss to Andrean, but South Central is having all kinds of problems moving the ball.  SC trailed all the way last week and still could complete just one pass against Culver.  Combine that with a long ride to the northwest corner and it's going to be happy hunting for the Warriors on this night.

Bishop Noll 35, South Central 7

Morton (0-2) at Clark (2-0)

HAMMOND (9-5-2008):  The moment of truth for the Governors who have been bombed in two games against state-rated Griffith and Lowell.  Does playing big time teams make you strong when you face lesser squads or does it just beat you up?  Clark barely held on for a 16-15 win at Calumet last week, but 2-0 is 2-0 and with QB Micah Rooke hooking up on 13 of 24 last week, the Pioneers are ready to explore the possibility of winning the Hammond city title.  The Morton fans didn't go to Lowell last week and they'll be needed against a crosstown rival that has dreams of a 3-0 start this Friday.  The Governors aren't nearly as bad as the final scores have indicated and they will show that this Friday.

Morton 28, Clark 13


Whiting (2-0) at Wheeler (2-0)

UNION TOWNSHIP (9-5-2008):  Wheeler gave up 270 yards rushing to KV last week but they survived.  Whiting has blown out two noncompetitive teams and this is truly their first REAL game.  Who is Whiting's Danny Macon, who completed 13 of 29 for 5 TDs last week?  Macon has 7 TD tosses in two weeks, but the Bearcats have taken out 4A Highland and 3A KV.  Here's this week's track meet.

Wheeler 41, Whiting 32


North Judson (0-2) at Rensselaer (2-0)

RENSSELAER (9-5-2008):  Here's one where the obvious is obvious, because it's obvious.  The Bombers have been very strong in the first two weeks and they were supposed to be.  Now Judson is a 2A school that has lost two close games to 3A schools Knox and John Glenn.  Judson is a perennial power has beaten Rensselaer in each of the last two seasons.  This is a rivalry, but the 2-0 team at home will beat the 0-2 team on the road.  You don't want to think this one over.  The team with the best offensive line wins.

Rensselaer 35 North Judson 7


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

VALPARAISO (9-5-2008):  Valpo beat Penn 10-9 and Roosevelt 57-0, but both of these teams are 0-2.  I need somebody to explain how LaPorte lost a 24-21 halftime lead last week and lost 24-21 at Mishawaka (2-0).  I don't think LaPorte is going to able to contain Valpo's multiple offense, and after two years of bad defense, the Vikings have some stoppers.  On the artificial turf, this is a high scoring contest, too.

Valparaiso 31, LaPorte 20


Michigan City (1-1) at Chesterton (1-1)

CHESTERTON (9-5-2008):  Another game of sharp interest because both teams were expected to win last week and they didn't.  Michigan City could not convert a two-point conversion and lost 21-20.  Chesterton got ambushed by some Michigan team after spending half a Friday on the bus.  Chesterton gave up 225 yards passing last week and that's a strength for Michigan City, which has a veteran passer in Nate Scully.  In retrospect, 11 penalties may have done in the Wolves last week.  I'm not sure that either side knows what's going to happen here.

Michigan City 27, Chesterton 21

ANDREAN (1-1) at East Chicago (1-1)

EAST CHICAGO (9-5-2008):  East Chicago was held to 78 total yards in a 42-0 loss to Lake Central last week.  EC QB Willie Lott was overwhelmed in week two after throwing for 3 TDs against Hammond in week one.  Andrean got bombed by Portage 40-7, but they then beat Noll 50-7.  EC's problems are in the offensive line and I think the 59ers are too strong defensively for them.

ANDREAN 41, East Chicago 21


Lake Central (2-0) at Portage (2-0)

PORTAGE (9-5-2008):  Both teams have beaten two teams they should have beaten, although LC 42-0 over East Chicago and Portage 40-7 over Andrean are impressive scores.  Lake Central has got to be able to run the ball against a Portage front that gave up 130 yards rushing to Highland last week.  But Portage had 230 yards passing last week and that's where you can get LC.  A very close game.

Portage 21, Lake Central 20

Griffith (1-1) at Hobart (2-0)

HOBART  (9-5-2008):  The Brickies held Crown Point to less than 150 yards last week, but Griffith has a much better offense.  The Panthers have run for 600 yards this season and only turnovers have stopped them.  Griffith has 40 first downs in two games.  Hobart running back Richard Oglesby (two 100-yard games) has turned into a real compliment to pass catcher Bobby James.  I would hesitate to pick against Hobart at home all year because this is the final year of their stadium and they are emotional about that.  But Hobart may have some injury troubles and I've got to go with the Panthers here in a bounce back game.

Griffith 27, Hobart 17



CROWN POINT (0-2) at MERRILLVILLE (1-1)

MERRILLVILLE (9-5-2008):  Statistically, Northwest Indiana's best rivalry.  This is the 63rd meeting and the series is tied 31-31-1.  Merrillville will probably go without injured all-area QB Dolapo Macarthy and that makes this game a lot closer than it might have been.  The Pirates will have problems moving the ball with backup QB Zach Raspopovich and rookie running backs against CP's veteran 3-5-3 defense.  But CP will be lucky to score any TDs against Merrillville's defense, although the Pirates have given up 800 yards in two weeks.  Kickers Ryan Stokes and Michael Lipton will play major roles Friday.  These games are usually pretty close and this one will be no exception.

MERRILLVILLE 17, CROWN POINT 13


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Revised: September 02, 2008 .