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Portage
(4-0, 2-0 DAC) at
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Week
5 - Football Game of the Week Preview|
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Portage
(4-0, 2-0 DAC) at
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9-18-2008
When:
Friday, September 19, 2008
Where: Crown Point High School - 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN.
Tickets: $5
Kick-off: 7:00 p.m. (CDT)
TV/Radio/Internet: WWLO (89.1) FM, www.USA-365.com, WKIV (92.7) FM.
JV game:
Saturday, Sept. 20 at Portage - 10:00 a.m.
Freshmen: Thursday, Sept. 26 at
Crown Point - 6:00 p.m.
Numbers: Crown Point - Class
5A, enrollment 2,442; Portage -
Class 5A, enrollment - 2,706
PARKING: I'm not sure what
kind of crowds Portage is drawing,
but everybody loves a winner. Some
fans may have stayed home in the
rain last week and they'll be eager
to ride with the team this time.
Remember, its costs $1 to park in
St. Matthias church and considering
where it is (just west of the front
end of the parking lot) that's a
good deal.
THE SERIES: Portage leads CP
26-18 all-time, but CP has won four
in a row, including a 27-0 win last
year at Portage.
Here's another school that has seen
its fortunes reverse in 15 years.
When Crown Point joined the Duneland
Athletic Conference (DAC) in 1993,
Portage was on the rise. With coach
Craig Buzea, they reached the finals
in 1994 and the Indians dominated
the middle of the decade. In the
1990s, Portage was 81-33 and they
were 11-2 in 2003 and 8-4 in 2004.
This was not the Indians' first rise
to power.
Portage, which has only played varsity football for 58 years (CP has played over 100 years), is one of the charter members of the DAC and they were a part of the Northwest Indiana domination of the mid-1970s when Valparaiso (1975), Chesterton (1976) and Portage (1977) all won state titles. Because they are now DAC and sectional rivals, this will be the 22nd meeting of CP and Portage in 16 years.
Football and wrestling are the marquee programs at Portage and a rebirth on the gridiron would be welcomed there, but that's got to include eventually beating CP again. When the IHSAA expands the football playoffs to Class 6A in 2009 (almost a certainty), Portage and CP will both go there as well. For the foreseeable future they will be league and sectional rivals, but it wouldn't be accurate to call any CP-Portage matchup in any sport a heated rivalry.
It will be interesting to see how much energy Portage brings to the table Friday night with the CP game sitting between Portage games against Merrillville and Chesterton (3-1), both of whom are bigger rivals. I'm also anxious to see if Portage fans have re-started the "bandwagon" they rode around on in the 1990s when Portage brought a couple of thousand fans to every game. This is not a school that has a tradition of overwhelming fan support. Since Crown Point is 1-3 and not scoring points, there's a question how long their fans will stick with them, as well. If the weather is good, and it is predicted to be, the most interesting numbers may be in the stands.
Portage has already overcome the loss of starting QB Jason Melcic until the post-season due to academic problems (he's been replaced by sophomore Eric Melcic, Jason's brother) and now they face the possible loss of halfback Ryan Cherry, a major part of their offense.
Lots of times, at least temporarily, teams on winning streaks can overcome the loss of a key player temporarily. Portage needs 'temporarily' to be defined as this week (CP) and next week (Chesterton) and they'll go from there.
Crown Point Bulldogs (1-3)
Enrollment: 2,442
2007 record: 8-3
Sectional titles: (3) 1981, 1988,
2006
Regional titles: (1) 1988
Semistate titles: (0)
State titles: (0)
DAC games in CAPs
8-22 (L) 0-7
Lowell (4-0)
8-29 (L) 7-13 at Hobart (4-0)
9-5 (W) 10-7 at MERRILLVILLLE
(1-3)
9-12 (F) 5-10 LAKE CENTRAL (3-1)
9-19 (F) PORTAGE (4-0)
9-26 (F) at VALPARAISO (4-0)
10-3 (F) at LaPORTE (1-3)
10-10 (F) CHESTERTON (3-1)
10-17 (F) at MICHIGAN CITY (1-3)
10-24 (F) 5A Sectional 1 quarterfinals vs. LC, Valpo,
Portage, Munster, Chesterton
Michigan City or MERRILLVILLE
10-31 (F) 5A Sectional semifinals
11-7 (F) 5A Sectional 1 final
11-14 (F) 5A Regional final
11-21 (F) Northern 5A Semistate
championship
11-29 (S) Class 5A
state final (7:00 p.m. EST) Lucas Oil
Arena, downtown Indianapolis
Portage Indians (4-0)
Enrollment: 2,703
2007 record: 5-5
Sectional titles: (8) last in
2003
Regional titles: (2) 1977,
1994
Semistate titles: (1) 1994
State titles: (1) 1977
DAC games in
CAPs
8-22 (W) 40-7 Andrean (2-2)
8-29 (W) 41-6 at Highland (0-4)
9-5 (W) 26-7 LAKE CENTRAL
(3-1)
9-12 (W) 22-20 MERRILLVILLE (1-3)
9-19 (Fri) at CROWN POINT (1-3)
9-26 (Fri) at CHESTERTON (4-0)
10-3 (Fri) MICHIGAN CITY (1-3)
10-10 (Fri) at VALPARAISO (4-0)
10-17 (Fri) LaPORTE (1-3)
10-24 (F) 5A Sectional 1 quarterfinals vs. LC, Valpo,
Merrillville, Munster, Chesterton,
Mich. City or CROWN POINT
10-31 (F) 5A Sectional 1 semifinals
11-7 (F) 5A Sectional 1 final
11-14 (F) 5A Regional final
11-21 (F) Northern 5A Semistate
championship
11-29 (S) Class 5A state final (7
p.m. EST) Lucas Oil Arena, downtown Indianapolis
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| Senior wide receiver Danny Osojnicki (7) and senior QB Marcus Shrewsbury (10) running to the sidelines at the Bulldogs' stadium earlier this year. (All photos by Mark Smith) |
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| The Crown Point-Portage game Friday night will be the third of only 4 home games of the 2008 season. (All photos by Mark Smith) |
KEYS TO THE GAME
1.
Who's
starting at halfback for Portage?
Portage senior halfback Ryan Cherry was injured last week on a 52-yard touchdown
run and he is probably not going to play Friday, although no one announces those
things. Austin Orlich (6-1, 200) carried 15 times for 117 yards, but he's more
of a fullback. There may be a surprise at halfback this week and it could
be sophomore Jake Dixon (6-1, 170), who ran a punt back 65 yards for a TD last
week. It is unlikely, however, that the newcomer will be as effective as
Cherry (33 carries, 363 yards) has been this season.
2. Make the quarterback throw the ball.
Portage completed one pass last week and QB Eric Melcic (13 of 24, 3 TDs) has
completed just 13 passes all season. Sooner or later, CP is going to bring
eight men up front and force the Indians to throw the football. The Bulldogs'
defense has five interceptions in the last three games. CP QB Marcus Shrewsbury
(27 of 62, 282 yards) connected on a 38-yard pass to Mike Kozlowski that should
have led to the tying TD. But you still would rather have him pass than
run. The Portage defense has grabbed 15 turnovers this season, but CP,
despite their offensive ineptitude, has turned the ball over only four times.
CP could give up a half dozen turnovers on this night, but there's nothing to
suggest that. The Bulldogs actually had 17 first downs last week in
another game they should have won.
3. Keep the faith
A team with a 1-3 record that's giving up 40 points a game is probably a losing
team. A team with a 1-3 record that is allowing nine points a game simply
hasn't gotten the offense going yet. CP has better skill position people
than a season total of 22 points and 396 yards (in 4 games) rushing would
indicate. But the Bulldogs have to continue to believe in the possibility
of 20 points a game or it won't happen. I can't tell you how much faith CP
has that they are still a good team. I don't even know if they can tell
you that.
CROWN POINT
(9-19-2008)
From a
Crown Point standpoint, the Saragin spread worries you because CP is
predicted to lose by a touchdown and CP has already lost three games by a
touchdown. The 10-5 loss to LC last week was basically a 10-3 game
before LC took an intentional safety.
Two solid defenses will keep this a very low-scoring game, possibly a scoreless game at the half. Portage will get the ball to big tight end Clark Mussman (6-2, 245) for a third quarter score, but Mason Popovich's first career TD will tie the game 7-7 late in the third period. Portage's only road game so far has been at Highland (0-4). They have not trailed all season and when Michael Lipton's field goal gives the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead midway in the fourth period, it will put the Indians in a position they have not faced this season.
Neither one of these teams is going to light up the scoreboard Friday.
I thought from the start of the year that this is a game Crown Point would win. Unless there's a breakdown on special teams, the Bulldogs' defense can answer almost anything Portage does offensively. The Indians have 15 takeaways in four games, but CP has a low-risk offense that simply doesn't give the other side a lot of chances to steal the ball.
There are several stages of losing and one of the late stages is anger at what is happening to you. CP has failed on fourth down plays in the final minute that could have sent losses to Lowell and Lake Central into overtime. It's not like they're getting beaten by 30 points every night. Last week's failure to score in four plays from the two yard line can be deflating or it can be motivating.
The Bulldogs match up well with a Portage team that really doesn't have a strong passing attack. CP truthfully can't score more than three times against a team like Portage, but that may be enough. Portage isn't going to go undefeated and CP isn't going to go winless at home. The Bulldogs will score on a late interception by Danny Osojnicki to seal their first home win of the year.
CROWN POINT 17, Portage 7