scarab527

Week 2 Pick 'Em Games: 1. Cathedral @ Brownsburg 2. Homestead @ Noblesville 3. Roncalli @ Franklin Central 4. Harrison @ Plainfield 5. LaPorte @ Lowell 6. Evansville Mater Dei @ Castle 7. Culver Academy @ Mishawaka Marian 8. Franklin County @ Connersville 9. Brownstown Central @ Charlestown 10. Owen Valley @ South Putnam 11. North Decatur @ Eastern Hancock Standings after Week 1: 1. @whiteshoes 10 points T2. @LC_Bears_04 + @Bears62 9 points T3. @Muda69, @Boilernation, + @Plymouthfan91 8 points T4. @temptation, @sbriant20, @WCGrad92, @Mongo, @PCFan1996, @Landrys Hat, @Jbk2, + @swcgillespie 7 points T5. @FridayNightLights, @CJJL, @DumfriesYMCA, @CLKeller16, @hallrc, + @Formerly Number 39 6 points T6. @NLCTigerFan07, @gonzoron, @NE8_Fan, @00NWP, + @scarab527 5 points T7. @1st_and_10, @bigcityp, + @TransplantedPanther 4 points Tried to be thorough and double check the standings, but please let me know if any errors were made.

Looks pretty good overall. Actually some pretty interesting games this week. Andrean hasn't beat Merrillville since 2017, but I think this year is one of their best chances since then, as the Pirates don't look to be as good as they have been in recent years. Think this one will be a low-scoring defensive battle. The team that makes fewer mistakes on offense and can generate some big plays on defense will win. Think Merrillville by 7 is pretty fair. Chesterton and Hobart will also likely be a low-scoring defensive battle imo. Both teams return a lot on defense but limited amounts on offense. I have to give Hobart the edge as they'll have the biggest offensive threat in the game in Calumet transfer WR Terrell Caldwell. I'll go Hobart by 7. Valpo and Penn I think will be close too. Should be a good early barometer of where both of these teams are at. Portage and Morton won't be a good game but it does have the narrative of Roy Richards taking his new team, Portage, back to the place where he originally made his name. Morton hasn't been nearly the same since he left. The most-interesting game of the week for me is Warsaw and City. A lot of people are taking Warsaw in this game, but I'm very torn. Last year at Warsaw the Tigers ran all over the Wolves, which was the start of a hugely disappointing season for a MC team coming off a Regional Championship at the time. But they've got a new (albeit young) coach and some really good players, plus this game is at Ames Field. Prior to last year's drubbing, City had one the previous two meetings by 20 and 19 points, respectively. How City does in this game should again be pretty indicative of how their entire season will play out. If they win decisively, they should be a player in the DAC and in 5A as a whole. If they lose decisively, they'll need to figure some things out quick, because with Jeff next week and then DAC conference play beginning, their schedule doesn't really let up.

Since I haven’t seen anyone else do one like we have in years past, going to run the pick ‘em league this year. Going to be 11 games per week, with Week 9 having 12 games, making the total 100 games for the season. If this catches on we can discuss whether we want to do a different one for postseason or just add it onto this one. Going to try to get most areas of the state every week and have all classes represented. Going to try to pick games that project to be competitive to make this a little difficult. Also going to omit any games versus out of state competition in order to make this completely about Indiana. With all that said here are the Week 1 Pick ‘Em games: 1. FW Carroll @ Hamilton Southeastern 2. Lawrence North @ Avon 4. Warsaw @ Michigan City 5. New Palestine @ Westfield 5. Chesterton @ Hobart 6. Leo @ Kokomo 7. Jasper @ Evansville Memorial 8. Western @ Tri-West 9. FW Concordia @ Indianapolis Scecina 10. Perry Central @ Tell City 11. Tecumseh @ South Spencer

Has anyone started a pick ‘em for this year yet? If not, I could facilitate if there’s enough interest.

Wasn’t able to make a scrimmage last night, but would love to here reports from those who got to go to some around the state.

Honestly no idea whether he’s been at practices and not sure what I can exactly say on here because of a lack of official announcements.

I think (maybe more so hope) what we'll see in the near future is that EC, Roncalli, and New Pal will become more or less permanent residents of 5A. This will make the class a lot stronger while also making 4A a lot more balanced. In that situation Roncalli and New Pal would likely be at least in the same regional, so they would probably take turns bouncing back down and up again. But I think this would be overall good for the competitiveness of 4A/5A. FW North is super intriguing for sure. They've got one of the best players in the state suiting up for them and a buzz around them as an up-and-coming program. As for their Snider roadblock, I think another big thing that gives the Panthers the edge in that rivalry is that Tippman has been coaching probably close to as long as North's coach has been alive. That degree of a gap in experience shouldn't be understated. The mental hurtle that you mentioned is probably playing a factor as well. When you've been 'little brother' for so long, that can start to effect the psyche of a team. Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. A year after it ended up being the most exciting class in the state, 5A is wide open again and looking like it'll be just as exciting. It won't be easy for whoever is left standing. I think NorthWood has the best chance of any 4A North team in a while to make the game competitive, assuming they get to LOS. But we'll see how it all plays out. The South has been so dominant in that class that I just would like a halfway decent game.

By the eye test and judging their victories last season, in my opinion, those three 4A teams were just a step above the 5A teams. Really more a testament to how good those teams were as opposed to 5A being weak (though it arguably is). I would also say the lines for those three teams down south were better than those of the northern 5A teams, for what it’s worth. North is the most dangerous team just by looking at their roster, but individual talent only takes you so far. As of now, the top teams in the class are all very close in terms of team skill. Valpo is far from a sure thing.

They would've had to win in that snowstorm to get to the LOS turf. Either way, I'd still take EC/New Pal/Roncalli.

Well, as it actually turned out, the team that beat all those teams didn’t end up doing much in 2A that year.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. NorthWood has to be the favorite in 4A North now, no?

Hard to say a team should’ve won state in a year they couldn’t make it out of Sectionals.

New Pal beat Westfield (#6 team in 6A per Sagarin) last year by 2 TDs. Roncalli also beat Franklin Central. Don’t think it’s too outrageous to say New Pal, Roncalli, or EC could’ve beat a majority of 6A teams last year in a 1-off game (competing against a full schedule of 6A teams might be a different story however). I also think any one of those 3 teams would’ve won 5A last year. But none of that matters to this year. I think East Central is a heavy favorite in 4A. They bring back all the key players that made them champs last year, and Roncalli/New Pal, their main competition, lost quite a bit (Roncalli more so). Hard for me to see anything other than an EC repeat this year, but this class has had a few big upsets in the Southern half of the bracket the past few years.

Durant was exactly who I thought about when I saw this. If it’s really just a calf strain, he’s extremely lucky, because he dodged a bullet.

Gap between 4A South and 4A North is arguably the biggest interclass gap in the state. A public school from the North hasn’t won 4A since Lowell in 2005 (only North school to win in that time is Dwenger), and most of the games haven’t been close.

Looks like Burrow might’ve just torn his Achilles. Hopefully I’m wrong, but non contact and grabbing the calf like that usually mean Achilles.

Think you’d have to put Decatur Central & Plainfield somewhere in there, but looks pretty solid overall. This class has a lot of parity again so it should be another fun year.

🤣🤣 For a guy who thinks he’s really smart, you’re completely clueless.

Lmao I’ve been here for years, if you’re trying to suggest we’re the same guy you clearly haven’t been paying attention.

Nothing official so it can’t be posted. I’ll dm you.

More flimsy excuses to justify people being bad at their job. I hope the IHSAA pays you for this, otherwise it’s really just pathetic and bizarre.

Of course it would’ve made a difference. But don’t worry, Bob will say whatever he needs to justify horrible officiating in his own mind. He was asked point blank on that thread that night whether the call was missed and deflected and didn’t answer. Pretty cowardly, but a pattern.

You were asked point blank whether the call was missed and didn’t even have the little courage needed to answer it. You should be embarrassed.

Back to actual DAC football talk: looking like CP might not be as strong as initially thought. Stay tuned.