npcougar15

interesting. The Ortiz hire didn't seem like a bad one at the time. A guy that paid his dues in the coaching ranks and got an opportunity to be the head guy...it didn't work out...that happens. But if there was more seasoned coaches right for the job, Laporte probably miss played it and set the program back 5-10 years. The James hire was a bit of a s***show. Tough to go against an ENTIRE community wanting a long time assistant to get his crack at running the program. It was a low risk hire and if it worked out, great, but that wasn't the case. Just saw that Laporte's QB had ACL surgery and now the starting position is going to a sophomore.

I think he is listed at 6' 175. He has nice speed but nothing that pops off the page. His measurable's aren't anything special and that is more than likely why he isn't getting much media attention. Where he excels is in everything that can't be measured or put a number on.

One of the most underrated fields in Indiana. A large beautifully maintained old brick grandstand, visitor bleachers that stretch end zone to end zone, neighborhood setting, cemetery next door, large mature oak and maple trees scattered throughout the area. Just a very nice setting for a high school football game.

complete homer pick but Marshall Kmiecik of New Prairie has already put together a career that'll be talked about for along time and he still has a year left. Very underrated player as he probably is getting hardly any looks from the next level. Kid is just a gamer and someone that knows who to get the ball too and when to do it. If the game is on the line, he's one that you want on your team 24-5 as a starter 2,395 passing yards with 27 TDs (21 yard average) 2,388 rushing yards with 30 TDs (6.4 yard average) 2 sectionals, 2 regionals, 1 semi-state titles and of course the trip to indy last year

Been passing by Kiwanis field the last few weekday evenings. Looks like Laporte has summer camp/practices going on. 20-25 kids there.... Didn't see too many big bodies so maybe it's more 7-7 and lineman aren't there but either way it didn't look too pretty for a 5A school. All signs point to a long season in Laporte.

Outsiders perspective here. Just seems that Northwood and Mishawaka lost way too much to be clear favorites going into the season. Honestly don't know who would sit at the top Concord? Warsaw? Northridge? Northwood? Mishawaka? I know Northwood got a nice move-in but that pretty much evens the Tuggle transfer. Mishawaka had a solid senior class just graduate that had multiple 3 year starters out there. Both programs have the athletes to not take a giant step back but I can see the having a 2 loss champion unless Warsaw has some horses and runs away with it. Plymouth and Wawasee are clear bottom teams that won't make much noise. Goshen could surprise a team or two as they seem to be improving. It's tough to gauge where Northridge is as a program; are they a perennial conference/sectional contender? or did they get some real lucky breaks the past few post-seasons? Concord seems like a big wildcard. Warsaw has the enrollment, system, and coaches to be at the top every year. NLC should be pretty interesting to keep track of.

Thanks for articulating what is going on in Elkhart. As an outsider I've mentioned that there isn't much hype/momentum surrounding the EHS program but had no idea why. It all makes sense now. Unfortunate Elkhart couldn't capitalize on their momentum they had 2-3 years ago when they first consolidated. They were one of the most intriguing stories in the state. Now it kind of looks like they will be another Michigan City post consolidation (aimed more towards how everyone thought MC would be a juggernaut (especially in basketball) but it actually created the reverse and killed MC sports).

Wow that is a big time lost for Triton. Is odd that key cogs are deciding not to play football anymore.

So is the coaching seat getting hot or is Yeoman essentially grandfathered in at this point? Don't think the times will ever allow Penn to be what they were in the 80s, 90s, 00s with open enrollment, the boom of Edwardsburg, kids just not joining sports like they did, etc. But Penn should be in a way better position than what they are in now.

Not to much to go off of this off-season but I think the big school division will play out a lot like it did in 2022: Penn at the top, New Prairie pound for pound the best in the league, Elkhart challenging, then St. Joe, Marian, and Adams in any order. But here are my NIC questions: What does Penn and specifically Elkhart have in the stables this upcoming season? The past few years Elkhart has had A LOT of hype but hasn't produced the way people thought they would. The Lion faithful seem a lot more quiet this off-season than normal. Low expectation? Just complacency after 2 mediocre seasons? Is it going to be more of the same from Penn this season as we've seen the past 4-5 years? Does Clay field a team this season? And if so; can they possibly be worse in 2023? Their closest game last year: 8-46 against a 1-9 Twin Lakes team. ouch Who is going to be the best of the SB publics? Riley, Washington, or Adams? St. Joe has been treading water for a while now. Do they have the horses to start making some noise like they did in the 2000s? Marian falling back last year was expected, but I was surprised they went 2-8. Do they get back to their winning ways this season? Jimtown has played for the sectional championship 6 of the last 7 years, do they finally start putting hardware in the trophy case again? I know they had Jimmy and Joes last year, did they graduate?

yes and no. NP outgrew the old NSC; when the NSC disassembled NP, Glenn, Bremen, Jimtown didn't have much of a choice other than landing in the NIC. Not ideal but it worked for the time being. It was pretty apparent that it was going to be a temporary conference affiliation for certain members and honestly lasted a little longer than I originally thought. The NIC is NOT the best fit for ANY of the old NSC schools and with Elkhart forming and Mishawaka leaving it's created a bigger gap between the big schools (Elkhart, Penn, Adams) and medium sized schools (NP, St. Joe, Marian, Riley, Washington, Jimtown). Unfortunately, NP sits in "no mans land" when it comes to conference affiliation. You have the NCC that's just a little too far to west to be apart of (man would it be great to play Hobart, Lowell, Andrean for a conference title every season) and you have the NLC which would be way more realistic and doable to the east. I said it before and I'll say it again, but this is the most balanced/stable conference's the michiana schools could create: Penn, Elkhart, Warsaw, Mishawaka, Goshen, Adams, Riley, Washington Northridge, Northwood, New Prairie, Plymouth, Concord, St. Joe, Marian, Jimtown (or if CMA wants to play) Bremen, Glenn, LaVille, Wawasee, Tippy Valley, Knox, Rochester, Fairfield

Yeah that would be a pretty brutal conference for NP to be in and noway that administrators would be down for that when you consider all sports. I think people forget that NP doesn't even have 1000 students, they are on the smaller side of 4A schools as it is. just for comparison sake Northridge is still 4A but has 1410, New Prairie is at 985. Penn: 3345 Elkhart: 3330 Warsaw: 2096 Goshen: 2015 Concrod: 1694 Mishawaka: 1603 New Prairie: 985

That was the one that I was hesitant about. a couple things went into Jimtown "moving up". - Wawasee in the "smaller conference" would be a MUCH better geography fit for them - From an on field performance standpoint Wawasee just doesn't fit the other schools (yeah I know Plymouth is HORRIBLE but geography and history play a role) - While Jimtown is just a shadow of what they once were. They've still be competitive every year. Part of me would love to see a renaissance by the Jimmies and think it would be awesome for them to play NP, Marian, Northwood ,etc. trying to win a title. It honestly just doesn't seem right for that program not to challenge itself and play at the highest level available.

Not quite sure why any of the DAC schools would want to leave? That to me is one of the most well-rounded conferences in the state as far as having similar schools 1-8. The only change I could see happening there is if Penn gets added; maybe a package deal with Elkhart? But the NIC is currently in trouble waters. You have 3 pods of schools that really just "kind of" fit one another. Big schools = Penn & Elkhart. Mid-Sized = NP, STJ, Marian. South Bend publics = Washington, Adams, Riley (assuming clay is shutting down). It works for the time being but long term that is not a stable conference. Unfortunately the NLC is doing pretty well and I don't they would want any part of a shake up. But I think there has to be a major shake up in 3 conferences to stabilize the Michiana area. Conference 1: Penn, Elkhart, Warsaw, Mishawaka, Goshen, Adams, Riley, Washington = 8 public schools that make up the biggest urban "citys" in the Michiana area. You keep some natural rivals. Get Warsaw playing with the big boys. The South Bend schools are currently a liability any place you put them. But with Clay closing enrollment will go up in the other 3, hopefully with improvement on the field could get SB going on a different path. Conference 2: Northwood, Northridge, Concord, New Prairie, St. Joe, Marian, Plymouth, Jimtown = 6 community based mid-sized schools with solid athletics across the board with very good fan support. Then you have the 2 privates that fit the same profile and that's a solid 8 team conference right there. Conference 3: Laville, Rochester, Bremen, Tippy Valley, Knox, Glenn, Wawasee, Fairfield = 8 Publics in that 2A-3A range. Yes, Wawasee would be by far the biggest school but this is where they fit athletically. That conference screams parity right there. Nearly impossible for this to happen, but this would be an ideal scenario for the Michiana area to stabilize these conferences. Would be awesome to see something like this come to fruition. with 8 team conferences that still gives schools opportunities to play each other if they are in different conferences (Concord vs. Elkhart, Jimtown vs. Bremen, Bremen vs. Plymouth, Marian vs. Mishawaka, etc.)

TRC is a solid fit for Rochester as far as enrollment is concerned, not going to argue that. But if you are telling me Rochester isn't moving to the new conference because of small enrollment, I'm not buying that for a second. Bremen 503 Jimtown 582 Glenn 638 Knox 553 Laville 391 Tippy Valley 561 Potential schools Rochester 495 Fairfield 543 Wawasee 946 Pioneer 313 I'm sorry but if your main concern is being "the smallest school in the conference" when the biggest school is only 140 students bigger than you, that's not a valid excuse. This new conference would definitely be a step up in competition from the TRC (especially with TV leaving). Again not faulting Rochester for staying put, but don't tell me it's an enrollment thing.

interesting that Rochester turned down the request as they seem like perfect fits. Any Zebra faithfuls able to chime and get their point of view. What are the chances Wawasee entertains the idea? From a competitive standpoint it's got to be pretty appealing With Plymouth on their current trajectory any chance the Pilgrims might be a target? I know this is probably the longest shot but how many 0-10 teams in a row can you withstand until you do something? Not to mention their entire athletic department is not what it use to be.

So if the NIC loses the small schools (which I don't blame them for moving on) then the NIC looks like: Penn, Elkhart, Adams, Washington, Riley, New Prairie, Clay, Marian, St. Joe. Clay sounds like they are closing. Which would leave the NIC at 8. Not a bad number, but it you have 3 distinct pods of like minded schools. - Penn & Elkhart - Giant public schools - NP, Marian, St. Joe - Medium sized schools with pretty solid athletics across the board - NP is the only public - Riley, Adams, Washington - South Bend fiasco. That just looks like it's waiting to break apart after a few years. Mishawaka fits the profile for NIC and NLC perfectly but they have it better in the currently NLC so that's where they are staying. I honestly can't imagine the NLC wanting either Penn or Elkhart unless some of the smaller schools leave (Plymouth, Wawasee, Northridge, Northwood). Penn and Elkhart seem like a package deal at this point unless the Kingsmen do something drastic.

Penn, Elkhart, Warsaw, Homestead, Carroll, Mishawaka, Goshen, Concord seems like a lot more viable conference than the one above. New Prairie will NEVER be in a conference with Warsaw or Fort Wayne schools; that's over 2 hours away. And I don't see why a schools like St. Joe or Marian or anybody under 1,000 enrollment would want to be in that conference. How likely is Carroll and Homestead able to make their way out of the Fort Wayne bubble?

I know this is a football message board and football typically is the most important sport when it comes to realignment. But there are many other factors that go into this both on and off the field. I like conferences with long standing history/rivalries and that's how it should be, we shouldn't be "realigning" every 5 years or so based on the peaks and valleys of athletic performances; you have to find the mean. You achieve that by getting like sized, minded, talented schools with a similar culture, and while every conference has "doormats" and "perennial contenders" it's about finding the best balance in multiple facets and going with it. In this area you have a few wrenches: Penn - They just dominate everyone and nobody can match them yearly across the board in multiple sports. South Bend Schools - Not only are they not collectively pulling their weight. But they come as a package deal. Adams at 2000+ fits with the big boys but Washington and Clay... CMA - They fit the current NLC mold perfectly for on field performance/size. But being a prestigious military school do they even want to get involved in a conference? In my mind these schools just fit the best together: New NIC: Elkhart, Penn, Warsaw, Mishawaka, Goshen. - Biggest schools in the area, solid athletically across the board, all come from the biggest population bases that make up Michiana. New NLC: New Prairie, St. Joe, Marian, Northwood, Concord, Northridge, Plymouth. - Community based schools that would all be extremely competitive in all sports with each other (ya ya Plymouth football). All relatively the same size and mirror each other in a lot of ways. (Concord and Mishawaka could be switched, or one moved to the other completely and it would still make sense.) Then you have South Bend schools that come as a package deal. They don't really fit the NLC mold and would naturally go to the NIC. I know it's not perfect but they really would be a tough hurdle to clear to form some solid conferences. Maybe going to 3 high schools could change that. Anyways. The new conference (if it is forming) looks extremely solid and has potential to be around a long time. Hopefully it happens as it looks to make perfect sense.

That's a solid 6 team conference right there. Rochester seems like a logical choice to go after and Fairfield would be a nice add to round it out. Its unfortunate that South Bend schools have become such an albatross for the NIC. They sit smack dab in the middle of the NIC/NLC footprint so geography makes more than perfect sense. And their make up fits the NIC; Urban schools in that 800-2000 student range. But their gate money and products on the fields just are complete disasters and they come as a package deal where there is currently a HUGE difference between Adams and Clay. "IF" the SB schools were back to being solid I'd love to see a shake up of the Michiana conferences that looks something like: NIC: Penn, Warsaw, Goshen, Elkhart, Mishawaka, Adams, Riley, Washington NLC: Plymouth, Northridge, Concord, New Prairie, Marian, St. Joe, Northwood, CMA. New Conference: Bremen, Jimtown, Glenn, Knox, Laville, Tippy Valley, Rochester, Wawasee

I totally understand his family is moving or a change of address is happening for the young man; not disputing that. Not disputing that this is 100% in compliance with the IHSAA and I'm not insinuating anything in the slightest happened behind closed doors here. But words matter; and the term "transfer" implies no changing of physical address. It also implies changing schools for athletic purposes and maybe some recruiting was involved. Again not saying that this is what happened here in the slightest. And when you go on twitter and announce you are "transferring" and refer a schools football team it can be misinterpreted by some. "I'm moving", "move-in", "excited to be in the _______ community" or hell not saying anything at all (like we did for the first 100 years of high school athletics) would be more appropriate terms at the high school level.

I know Indiana has open enrollment and I doubt a kid would drive from Indianapolis to Nappanee every day just for football purposes (which doesn't make sense anyways for someone with an SEC offer already). But isn't it a little odd for a high school student to announce they are "transferring". I just find that verbiage a little off putting at the high school level.

Surprised Ortman didn't get top 50 as well. He was top 50 preseason so he was on everybody's radar. As a junior had 112 tackles then came out his senior season and had 144 tackles, along with a couple interceptions, 3 blocked kicks, numerous pass deflections that led to interceptions and also played on the O-line as a tight end. He passed the eye test at 6'5" 225 and backed it all up on the field. Having 28 6A kids when there are only 32 programs is rather eye opening. I understand they will have more but I doubt if he you made an all-star roster of 1A-5A they'd lose to an all-star roster of just 6A.

Congrats to East Central; definitely worthy to be called 2022 state champs. Gotta think they will be one of the favorites to win it all next year as well. Don't know what 4A north needs to do to close the gap but I hope my Cougars are part of that solution. 4A south has been on a different level lately with New Pal, Roncalli, and East Central being some of the best programs in the state outside of Center Grove and Cathedral, sprinkle in an Evansville team emerging every year and it's a meat grinder to make it to Indy. Again congrats to the trojans on their title yesterday; much deserved.

Can't speak for the other games, but it was about a 30 minute line to get tickets for the 4A game right before kickoff. Lots of upset fans missing the first part of the game because it was a mess getting tickets. I miss the days of walking up with cash or card and getting handed a ticket...