The RENEGADE 2008 Poll

Week-6: NW Indiana High School Top-10 Football Poll

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

9-22-2008

VALPARAISO (9-26-2008) - We address two major questions this week as two of the undefeated teams at the top of the Duneland Athletic Conference both got beat in league play.  Is it a balanced season in Northwest Indiana or just a bad year?

The Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC) , even with undefeated Wheeler (5-0) at the top, is the weakest league in this half of the state with five losing teams and three at the top feasting on the other three.  The Northwest Crossroads Conference (which is the NWCC; Indiana's tradition-rich North Central Conference is the NCC), even with undefeated Lowell (5-0) at the top, is  lamer than a John McCain speech, with winless Highland (0-5) and Kankakee Valley (0-5) and perennial powers Andrean (2-3) and Griffith (2-3) stumbling around like Kyle Orton.

So that leaves the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) the major leagues of Northwest Indiana high school football.  Unlike the other leagues, the DAC has no winless teams and truly no bad teams.  But last week's results hint the DAC doesn't have any truly outstanding teams either.  Perennial league champs Merrillville and Crown Point are 2-3 and nobody's 5-0.

What's scary is Warren Central's 42-0 win over Merrillville a team that could still tie for the DAC title by winning their last four games.  Valparaiso's 10-9 win over Penn (2-3) can't be the game they use on their resume and Portage was almost down to their 4th string QB last week.  The DAC is good at the bottom, but not that good at the top.

Now things do not stay the same.  Somebody like Valparaiso (4-1) could dominate in the next four weeks and look like a state contender.  Lowell (5-0) fans may not understand that beating five teams with losing records isn't adequate prep if they need to beat Concord (5-0) and Plymouth (5-0) simply to get out of 4A Sectional 10.  But the Devils have a month to lift their game.

In 3A, Andrean can be a threat if they don't lose confidence losing to larger schools during the season.  So can 1A Whiting although 1A and 3A are loaded in the Indy area.  Wheeler is on a sectional collision course with Rensselaer (3-2), which plays a much tougher schedule.  At mid season, it would appear we do not have a state champion or a state finalist in Northwest Indiana.  It's a down year.  I don't want to say it, but this may be one of the weakest seasons in many years in this area.  Anybody who wants to save it?  Step up next month.

The second question concerns Lowell, a 5-0 team that is 36-12 in the last four seasons.  But the question you have to ask is:  If Lowell played Merrillville, would Lowell, based on their five wins this season, beat the Pirates?  If Lowell played Valparaiso, would Lowell, based on the five wins this season, beat the Vikings?  Everyone I ask that question answers it the same way.  No.  Lowell can't be number one until somebody can say 'yes' to that question.

1.)  5A Valparaiso (4-1)
 2007 (6-5), 2006 (3-6), 2005 (5-5), 2004 (6-5), 2003 (5-6)

VALPARAISO:  Valparaiso lost 12-10 to Chesterton, a game they led 10-0 at the half.  But Portage's injuries drop them from the top spot.  Valpo showed some weakness against the run fore the first time, allowing 290 yards to the option attack of the Trojans.  But the Viking's scoring  defense is No. 1 in Northwest Indiana allowing only 33 points all season.  Valpo crushed a LaPorte taem that freeze-dried Lake Central last week and you get the feeling they haven't gotten started yet.  This is a big, strong physical squad that surely let a win slip away last week.  In a year where no great team has surfaced, Valparaiso has the most potential.  But that doesn't mean they'll beat Crown Point (2-3) next Friday.



2.)  4A Lowell (5-0)
 2007 (13-2), 2006 (7-6), 2005 (11-4), 2004 (9-4), 2003 (11-2)

LOWELL:  The Devils romped over winless Highland 55-7 last week, but I can't move them up to No. 1 when they've beaten five teams with losing records.  Lowell rolled up almost 500 yards and 29 first downs, but they did it against a team that is virtually helpless defensively.  QB Kurt Monix led an attack that rolled up a 34-0 halftime lead.  The problem with conventional polls is that teams move up because other teams lose.  Lowell has only faced two teams that could beat them in Crown Point (2-3) and Griffith (2-3).  The combined record of the five teams that Lowell has played is 6-19.  I'm stretching reality to rank Lowell ahead of Merrillville because NOBODY thinks Lowell could beat them.  Just ask.  The Devils have done everything that's been asked of them so far.  But playing bad teams cannot help you.  There's just a lot of questions about Lowell that can't be answered until they play a really good offensive team.  Bring on Hobart (5-0) this Friday (Sept. 26) in Lowell.



3.)  5A Merrillville (2-3)
 2007 (12-2), 2006 (7-5), 2005 (11-3), 2003 (5-6), 2004 (6-5)

MERRILLVILLE:  Many still think this is Northwest Indiana's best team, but they didn't play like it last week, rallying from a 14-0 deficit to win 17-14 on a final play field goal by all-state kicker Ryan Stokes.  QB Dolapo Macarthy was only 5-of-17 passing, but he did run for 130 yards.  Macarthy is not performing at peak efficiency yet.  The defense held Michigan City to 175 yards and they're going to get better as the weather gets worse.  The Pirates would be favored over every single non-DAC team in Northwest Indiana and everybody who has watched them play a full game at full strength knows that.  But the Pirates are still underachieving and they certainly know that.  The good thing is, almost everybody else is underachieving, too.  If 5-2 ties for the DAC title, Merrillville can still get there.  But time's running out on a team that's only scored 68 points in five games with a Division 1 quarterback.



4.)  5A Portage (4-1)
 2007 (5-5), 2006 (6-5), 2005 (2-8), 2004 (8-4), 2003 (11-2)

PORTAGE:  The Indians got a beat down 21-6 at Crown Point, but that's not why they dropped in the poll.  Portage's injury situation is severe with top halfback Ryan Cherry out, senior QB Jason Melcic ineligible, potential soph star Zach Huston out until October and present soph QB Eric Melcic getting beat up.  All those situations will correct themselves some (Cherry should be back this week) sooner than later.  But the Portage offensive line didn't look good against CP and that might eventually be the bigger problem.  Give this team a lot of credit.  It's a minor miracle they're 4-1 with their QB situation.



5.) 5A Chesterton (4-1)
2007 (6-4), 2006 (5-6), 2005 (3-8), 2004 (5-5), 2003 (7-4)

CHESTERTON:  The Trojans' option running attack rallied them past Valpo 12-10 in a rivalry upset.  QB Aaron Knight scored third and fourth quarter TDs to give the Trojans the victory.  I may be underrating this team here because they picked up 290 yards rushing and 15 first downs on Valpo last week.  But Chesterton fumbled four times and Knight (34 of 69, 584 yards) was 1-of-4 passing.  You won't win 5A playoff games 12-10 with one completed pass.  I know Lowell and Griffith do, but Lowell and Griffith aren't 5A and I just don't like option offenses in 5A.  There's too much defensive talent and too much two-platoon football.  Class 5A is the major leagues and you need a diversified attack.  But the Chesterton defense did tighten up this week and that's what has to work for them.



6.)  5A Lake Central (3-2)
2007 (7-5), 2006 (4-6), 2005 (2-8), 2004 (1-9), 2003 (1-9)

ST. JOHN:  A bad loss for LC, 21-0 at home to LaPorte.  This wasn't as bad as Indiana University getting jacked up at home by Ball State (few disasters are that awful) last Saturday night, but it was bad.  I have no explanation for seven penalties, only 185 total yards and 9-of-23 passing against a LaPorte teams that has not been strong (110 points allowed in 4 games) defensively.  It's my understanding all-area LC offensive tackle Mike Kalinich (6-6, 302) did not play again and is due to make his season debut this week on the road at Michigan City.  I sure hope he can help.  LC is lucky to be 3-2.  They could easily be 1-4.



7.)  4A Hobart (5-0)
2007 (8-4), 2006 (10-2),  2005 (6-6),  2004  (9-2),  2003 (5-7)

HOBART:  Maybe the Brickies' best game of the season last week, a 29-3 win over Andrean (in a game played at Portage due to Hobart flooding) on the road.  Hobart crushed a decent Andrean defense for 350 yards.  The Brickies looked very good on this night.  Why are they seventh in the poll?  How many times do I have to say this?  It's not about who you beat, it's about who you play.  The Brickies have defeated five sub-.500 teams.  They have done everything that's been asked of them.  I think the wins over CP (2-3) and Griffith (2-3) are quality wins, but I can't change the records.  Now that Hobart 'D', which has allowed just 45 points all year (9.0 per game) will try to stop the 37 points per game offense of Lowell.  Hobart boys should enjoy this Friday, however at Lowell (5-0).  Relatively few boys ever play in a late season match of unbeaten teams.



8.)  4A Griffith (2-3)
 2007 (9-4), 2006 (12-2), 2005 (12-1), 2004 (9-3), 2003 (7-5)

GRIFFITH:  Griffith scored 22 unanswered second half points to win at winless KV 41-14.  Only five passes (QB Greg Joyce was 5-of-5) and 235 yards rushing.  That's Griffith football.  But 10 more penalties.  Unfortunately, that's been Griffith football (45 penalties in 5 games) this year, too.  I don't know about the Panther defense, which has allowed 97 points (19.4 per game) in five games, and that simply is too many for the players they have.  They are better than that, but everybody is scoring on them.  The Panthers are realistically eliminated from league contention unless they can rise up and smack down Munster (4-1).  The mission, should they choose to accept it, is to save the 2008 regular season and it's not "Mission Impossible."



9.)  5A CROWN POINT (2-3)
2007 (8-3), 2006 (12-1), 2005 (11-1), 2004 (4-7), 2003 (5-5)

CROWN POINT:  CP rose up and smacked down undefeated Portage 21-6 to save their regular season.  Marcus Shrewsbury threw three short TD passes and the Bulldog defense held a fifth consecutive team to less than 14 points.  Here's an amazing stat.  CP has scored exactly 43 points in five games and they have allowed exactly 43 points in five games.  I don't remember ever seeing anything like that at any level where a team beyond mid-season is scoring AND allowing less than 10 points a game.  Now I can't criticize CP's schedule.  The Bulldogs have lost to LC (3-2), Lowell (5-0) and Hobart (5-0), teams with a combined 13-2 record.  But again, CP should have beaten those teams.  They really did have the chance.  I do not think CP has the offense to win at Valparaiso (4-1) this week, but in the DAC this season, anybody can beat anybody.



 10.)  5A LaPorte (2-3)
2007 (3-7), 2006 (10-4), 2005 (9-2), 2004 (7-4), 2003 (6-4)

LaPORTE:  The Slicers had a confidence-builder, winning 21-0 at Lake Central.  LaPorte's defense whipped the LC offense in a stunning shutout.  LC gained just 96 yards rushing and the Slicers held them to 9-of-23 passing.  This team lost at home to Chesterton (4-1), at Valparaiso (4-1), and at Mishawaka (4-1) so their record is very deceptive.  I know LaPorte has had some off-the-field struggles involving a serious car accident.  But this win will lift everyone's spirits and the Slicers have the offensive tools to beat anyone remaining on their schedule.  You have not heard the last of this group.


On the outside looking in...



5A Munster (4-1)
2007 (3-7), 2006 (5-5), 2005 (3-7), 2004 (4-6), 2003 (8-3)

 MUNSTER:  Munster pulled off a 14-point second half rally to beat Morton 35-28, capping a weak where the whole town of Munster was flooded.  It was a feel good win, but I'm not impressed.  Again, here's a team that has defeated four losing teams.  They should have beaten LC (3-2), but the Boston Red Sox should have beaten the Tampa Rays and they didn't.  I don't think the Mustangs have much defense, but they can prove me wrong this week against Griffith (2-3).


 


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