Week 7 - Football Game of the Week Preview

LaPorte (2-4) at Crown Point (4-2) 

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

09-27-2007

 

When:  Friday, September 28, 2007

Where:  1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN (about 1-mile south of the downtown square)

Tickets$5 

TV/Radio/Internet:  WWLO (89.1) FM, WTMK (88.5) FM and www.USA-365.com.

Weather:  Low 60s, dry.  Back to football weather.

Parking:  This is a good night to arrive early because of the Homecoming ceremonies.  Not only is there a lot to see, but the parking lot may be used as somewhat of a staging area.  We've also advanced to the time of year when it's dark before the game begins, which is another reason to arrive early.

Junior Varsity:
  CP at LaPorte - Saturday, Sept. 29 - 10:00 a.m.

Freshmen:
 LaPorte at CP - Thursday, Oct. 4 - 6:00 p.m.

Rivalry:  This isn't the same team that split with CP last season.  This is just the 19th meeting of LaPorte and Crown Point.  The Slicers lead 13-5 and despite last season's dramatic games, there is no rivalry here.

Crown Point has a lot of rivals, but the next three teams:  LaPorte, Chesterton and Michigan City are not among them.  CP probably wouldn't play LaPorte if both were not in the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC), because the Bulldogs could find a half dozen other foes in Lake County.  LaPorte leads the all-time series 13-5, but the first 16 games, while entertaining, were pretty forgettable.  Last year, however, these teams played two wonderful games with Crown Point winning 42-41 during the regular season and losing 28-21 in overtime in the regional.  Both games were played on wet fields in front of capacity crowds at LaPorte's classic old 4,800-seat Kiwanis Field.  And while the Bulldogs would like to have a couple of plays to do over last November, nobody asked for their money back.

There is a record of LaPorte football games being played in 1901 and they actually forfeited a game to Crown Point in 1907, probably because the horses got lost on the way.
The Slicers (409-401-32) were always somewhat of a South Bend area school after the early days and they never experienced a lot of football success until recently.  LaPorte is far better known as a baseball power.  They are the home of the eight-time Indiana state baseball champions and the football program has always operated under that big shadow.  Even though the sports are not similar, some in LaPorte feel the football program underachieved because many of the same boys played on both squads.

These schools are destined to become more familiar with each other.  Due to an IHSAA realignment in all class team sports other than football (volleyball, baseball, basketball, softball), LaPorte and CP are now in the same sectional for the first time in the history of the two schools.  The baseball sectional matchups between LaPorte and Crown Point are going to be highly anticipated.  The LaPorte-CP regional game was the first ever state football playoff game between the two schools and it may be decades before there is another one because LaPorte is in the same football sectional with 5A No. 1 Penn (6-0), a multiple time state champ.  Last year's regional win over Crown Point was the first Slicer regional football title in school history, as they have won just 16 playoff games since the tournament began in 1973.

LaPorte does a lot of talking about how they've had the second or 3rd best record in the DAC in this decade.  They talk because nobody notices them.  They sit between the media centers of north Lake County and South Bend and their achievements are overlooked.  Under coach Bob Schellinger, LaPorte has risen to the upper echelon of the DAC and they've been in contention for the title most of this decade.  The Slicers also have a string of six consecutive winning seasons, the longest string in the school's long history.  LaPorte probably must win Friday to keep that winning season streak going, and after facing Merrillville last week, Crown Point will look slow to the Slicers.

Plus, the sight of Crown Point red and white might bring back those regional championship memories from less than a year ago.


Class 5A LaPorte (2-4)
Coach: Bob Schellinger  (60-72,  14th season)
Enrollment: 1,987
2006 record: 11-3*
Sectional titles: (1) 2006
Regional titles: (1) 2006
Semistate titles:  (0);     State titles: (0)

*Lost 28-0 to Carmel in the 5A Northern Semistate

LaPorte (2-4, 1-3 DAC)
(W) 35-7 New Prairie (4-2)
(L) 0-35 at Mishawaka (5-1) 
(W) 21-17 Valparaiso (4-2)
(L) 20-22 at Chesterton  (5-1)
(L) 28-31 Lake Cental (5-1)    
(L) 28-41 at Merrillville (5-1)
Sep 28 at Crown Point (5-1)
Oct 05 Michigan City (2-4)
Oct 12 Portage (2-4)

5A Sectional 1 Playoffs
10-19 (F) vs. Portage, Merrillville, CP, Valparaiso, Michigan City, Chesterton or Munster.

Schedule Analysis:  LaPorte's schedule is basically Crown Point's schedule with New Prairie, a very good 3A team, replacing Lowell, a very good 4A team.  The only other difference is that LaPorte plays 5A Mishawaka while CP plays 4A Hobart.  Those programs are also very close in quality now.  The 35-7 win over a New Prairie team that no one else has stopped is LaPorte's top win so far.  LaPorte's schedule is ranked the 26th toughest in the entire state.


Class 5A Crown Point (4-2)
Coach: Chip Pettit  (46-26, 7th year at CP)
Enrollment: 2,400 (est.)
2006 record: 12-1*
Sectional titles: (3) 1981, 1988, 2006
Regional titles: (1) 1988
Semistate titles: (0)
State titles: (0)

*Lost 28-21 (OT) at LaPorte in the regional championship game

Crown Point Bulldogs (4-2, 3-1 DAC)

8-17 (L) 14-23 at Lowell (5-1)  
8-24 (W) 22-20 Hobart  (4-2)             
8-31 (W) 20-17  Merrillville (5-1) OT
9-7  (W) 24-13 at Lake Central  (5-1)     
9-14 (W) 27-0 at Portage (2-4) 
9-21 (L) 17-21 Valparaiso (4-2) 
9-28 (F) LaPorte (2-4)
10-5 (F) at Chesterton (5-1)
10-12 (F) Michigan City (2-4)

5A Sectional (1) One

Oct. 19: vs. Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton, Lake Central,
Michigan City, Munster or Merrillville.

Schedule analysis:  The demise of Portage has begun to chip into the overall rating of CP's schedule, but that loss to Lowell (5-1) doesn't look so bad, huh?  Valparaiso has had a good overall year and with Chesterton remaining on the schedule, there's still no breaks.  LaPorte is better than 2-4 and Michigan City is improved.  CP's crowning achievement is the win over Merrillville.  Crown Point's schedule is rated 19th toughest in the entire state, something to remember when you look at 4-2 and call it disappointing.


LaPorte (2-4, 1-3 DAC) at CROWN POINT (4-2, 3-1 DAC)


Sagarin ratings: Crown Point by 13

CROWN POINT -  LaPorte still has some of the offensive players who served them well in last year's 11-3 season.  Andrew Vaughn (6-4, 175) caught a career-best 12 passes for 165 yards last week so he's clearly having no trouble with new QB Dustin DeMuth (6-1, 161) who was a season-best 19 of 37 for 206 yards last week.  DeMuth is going to be a big star.  He is the youngest brother of Julie and Jenny DeMuth, both Division I basketball players out of Highland.  Dustin grabbed a starting role at midseason as a freshman on LaPorte's powerful baseball team and he's going to get a lot bigger than 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds.  He is both a running and passing threat and reportedly has made dramatic improvement since the start of the season.

LaPorte running back Carlton Austin (6-1, 200) gained 141 yards on 23 carries against New Prairie, and he had 138 on 21 carries against Valparaiso.  Soph halfback Bryce Holland (5-11 190) gained 83 yards on 12 carries against Lake Central and he had 137 yards on 20 carries against Valparaiso.  The Slicers can run the ball.

The pass receiving squad was strong with Vaughn, tight end Mike Mizia (6-3, 180) and senior Jawaan Marshall (5-9, 170), although Mizia left last week's game with an elbow injury and he figures to miss the CP game.  Marshall and Vaughn also left last week's game with physical problems and their condition is not known.  The offensive line is not especially large, but the offensive performances (19 offensive TDs) indicate they've been getting the job done.  LaPorte has not kicked a field goal all season but Keegan Parker is a good kicker.  LaPorte just doesn't get stopped that much.

Defensively, it has not gone well for LaPorte.  The Slicers have given up 20 or more points in each of their past five games.  LaPorte has allowed almost 300 yards rushing per game, a stunning number.  Merrillville had 31 carries for 299 yards.  Mishawaka carried 40 times for 384 yards.  New Prairie lost 35-7 and they still had 38 carries for 241 yards.  Linebacker Ian Besch (5-8, 185) had 57 tackles last season and defensive back Colton Phelan (6-3, 180) had seven interceptions.  End Darren Kincaid (5-10, 182) had 71 tackles in 2006.  But this unit is not big and they have given up 73 points in the last two weeks.

I don't know about any injury situations here, but LaPorte either needs some new people up front or they just need time and experience on defense.

Crown Point didn't lose last week because they couldn't run the ball.  Halfback Russell Chick carried 30 times for 192 yards last week.  Chick has run for at least 100 yards in every game so far this season.  The Bulldogs offensive line, led by Matt Polus (6-2, 260) and Kurt Wermers (6-5, 270) have had some pass blocking problems, but they are effective enough at run blocking to encourage the coaches to stay conservative, counting on the big Bulldogs blockers to wear down defenses.  In most games, CP has had a second half drive keyed by running the football.  CP has changed as an offensive team.  They have become Lowell, a team that unashamedly runs the ball 50 times to wear down the defense and win a low-scoring game.

I'd like to see the Bulldogs throw 20 passes and score a half dozen TDs through the air every night, but it isn't happening and if it didn't happen in August and September, there is a school of thought that says it probably won't be happening in October and November either.  But CP can still run Chick six times in a row and then hit a play-action pass to tight end Zach Cecich (6-2, 230) behind the defense.

QB Blake Mascarello (46 of 96, 583 yards) is still trying to hook up consistently with new wide receivers Danny Osojnicki, Joe Baker and Ron Burton, but the Bulldogs have completed only 12 passes to the wide receivers all year.  CP might line up junior fullback Mike Kozlowski or halfback Nick Bruno in the slot and simply throw them the ball and let them try to break a tackle.

I'm still thinking Ron Burton is going to have a breakthrough catching the ball on the perimeter.  When you have new starting players, you don't want to give up after six games and decide what they can or can't do.  CP hopes to play, at least, six more games.

Defensively, CP is without injured linebacker Nick Cottrell, but they haven't given up more than 23 points to anyone.  CP is not speedy in the secondary so they have to get to the passer.  Seniors Zach Brumm and Nick Hladek have to keep pressure on the QB, but CP needs to get turnovers when the opportunity comes.  They have just two pass interceptions in six games.  The secondary gave up 230 yards passing to Valpo's Alex Sarkisian and they need to be more confident because they face Chesterton's Alex Beierwalter next week.

Kicker Mike Lipton has four field goals (19, 21, 39, 40) and, until there's an offensive breakthrough, he'll be called on in every game.

The Bulldogs have not scored more than 27 points all season, but they have not scored less than 14.  CP has a lot of experience in the offensive line and the running game gives them a chance to win every time out.  But they can't get too far behind, because despite a couple of come-from-behind wins in August, this isn't likely to be a come-from-behind team the rest of the way.


WHAT WILL HAPPEN...


CROWN POINT - This is not a rematch from last year's regional championship game, because this is an almost all-new LaPorte team, playing at Crown Point for the first time.  Crown Point will come out and run Russell Chick (164 carries, 893 yards).  LaPorte's going to score.  They have a good offense.  But if the Bulldogs can run the ball as they have all year, LaPorte, which gave up 300 yards rushing last week, will wear down.  CP can't get into a track meet and do 100-yard dashes against these guys.

LaPorte's going to come with the track shoes on and Dustin DeMuth will connect with top receiver Andrew Vaughn (6-4, 180) for an early TD.  CP will even the score on a short pass from Blake Mascarello to fullback Mike Kozlowski.  LaPorte tailback Carlton Austin (6-1, 197) will break a long run to set up a field goal from Keegan Parker, but a long run by Chick will put CP ahead 14-10 at the half.

CP as is their nature, will start the third quarter will a long drive culminated when Mascarello hits a short toss to Zach Cecich making the score 21-10.  LaPorte will go to the air frequently after that and an interception by Danny Osojnicki will up the count to 28-10.  DeMuth, who will throw 30 times on this night, will run for a TD to close the gap.  But a long drive and Michael Lipton field goal ends the scoring.

Okay, I remember saying last week that CP would beat Valpo because the Vikings could not stop the run.  How'd that work out?  Well, Valpo didn't stop the run and they beat CP anyway.  Everyone has run on LaPorte.  No matter what big plays the Slicers can and will make on offense, CP will also run on LaPorte for at least 200 yards.  The CP secondary needs to get some sleep Thursday, because here comes another 30 passes by a strong-armed QB.

The Bulldogs are in the same position they were in last week.  When a good running team plays a good passing team, the good running team is supposed to win.  This year, CP is the running team and LaPorte is the passing squad.

CROWN POINT 30, LaPorte 17


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Revised: September 27, 2007 .