NLCTigerFan07

Halftime of tonight's games represent the official midway point of the regular season. Always flies by! I went 3-1 last week on my predictions with my Tigers thankfully proving me wrong. 17-5 on the season in picks that mean nothing. Here are my uneducated guesses for Week 5. Concord (3-1, 2-0) at Goshen (2-2, 0-2): I think the RedHawks did a good job last week proving that they will at least be a respectable opponent the rest of this season. I have no doubt they should win later season contest against Plymouth and Wawasee, but the Minutemen are just the better team here. Concord's offense has been clicking more consistently the last two weeks to catch up with their defense. Concord by 14 Northridge (4-0, 2-0) at Warsaw (3-1, 2-0): Game of the week in the conference, and possibly one of the best games in the entire state tonight in the Lake City. The Raider defense will see their first test of the season after feasting on lesser opponents to start the schedule. They have gone 0-3 against Warsaw since Coach Curtis came to town with his Bart Ball offense, and their only 3 losses last season were against teams that pound the rock (Warsaw by 13, Mishawaka by 20, and Leo by 7). If they can force the Tiger offense into 3rd and longs and create turnovers, they can certainly win. However, I question what they can do on offense themselves. As stated, the teams they have played so far this season are not exactly defensive juggernauts, and the Warsaw defense showed up in a big way last week in the Princess City. Should be a great game at Fisher Field. Warsaw by 6 Plymouth (0-4, 0-2) at Mishawaka (3-1, 1-1): Someone had to lose last week, and the Cavemen just happened to be on that side of things. I am assuming the younger Fisher will still be starting at QB this week, and a matchup with the hapless Rockies is just what he needs to develop more experience and confidence under his belt. No reason to think this game will be close whatsoever. Mishawaka by 35 Wawasee (0-4, 0-2) at NorthWood (2-2, 1-1): The Panthers are still an intriguing team to me. They get one more warm-up game before a hellacious three game road trip against Northridge, Mishawaka and Warsaw. How'd that happen? Either way, their goal this week against the Warriors should be to come out healthy while getting Coach Andrews his 100th victory as a head coach. They will have plenty of say left in the NLC race. NorthWood by 21

Tippecanoe Valley vs Rochester (Bell Game) has been cancelled due to Covid issues within Rochester's football program. The AP poll (3A) #9 Tippecanoe Valley Vikings (4-0) will now travel to AP poll (1A) #7 North Judson Bluejays after their highly anticipated game against AP poll (1A) Winamac (3-0) was cancelled due to Covid issues within the Warriors program.

Teams ranked/receiving votes in polls after Week 4: 6A: Warsaw (RV - 12th AP only) 5A: Mishawaka (Ranked - 6th AP / Ranked - 8th Coaches) Concord (RV - 13th AP / RV - 14th Coaches) 4A: Northridge (Ranked - 7th AP / Ranked - 8th Coaches) NorthWood (RV - 13th Coaches only)

Very random, but just an observation I made recently. First, I want to preface that I hope there are some viewers/guests to this thread that would consider creating an account to provide their own thoughts and opinions on the NLC. I say that because outside of a handful of users making posts, this thread is CRICKETS! However... even though there are few posting, this thread still gets a lot of views! Check this out. As of me writing this post: NLC - 2021 45 replies - 5.5k views Let's compare that to some other threads with a similar number of replies: Snider 2021 60 replies - 2k views New Pal headed back to 4A? 53 replies - 3.4k views Hoosier Conference 48 replies - 3.6k views Bishop Chatard at Cathedral 44 replies - 2.5k views Merrillville 41 replies - 1.5k views As you can see, we have plenty of people stopping by to check out what is being written about the NLC. Would love to see some more of those who are viewing give their own inputs 😄 Don't be afraid, we won't bite

Reactions from Week 4: No surprise at all with the Concord and Northridge wins. No sense in beating a dead horse, but Plymouth and Wawasee are unbelievably bad this year. Quite possibly the worst teams in 4A. I had a bit of a feeling that Goshen might surprise us and keep it close with NorthWood, and they did just that. The Redhawks don't get to play Plymouth and Wawasee until the end of the season, but as long as they make it mostly healthy until then, they should end the season 4-5. The Panther Defense is the only thing that might be able to keep them around in upcoming games against Northridge, Mishawaka and Warsaw. Hats off to BOTH defenses of Mishawaka and Warsaw. What an absolute SLUGFEST of a second half that game was. I lost count how many possessions were played back to back with each offense going for it on 4th down, only for the opposing defense to stuff them. It felt like the entire second half of the game was played between the 20 and 40 yard line on the Warsaw side of the field. All it took was for one of the teams to finally break through, and that is what happened for the Tigers. Still, the Cavemen defense held Warsaw to a 4th and Goal situation and the Tigers decided to go with the freshman kicker to boot the game winning field goal. Incredible high school football game. *Side note - also really cool that both the Mishawaka and Warsaw coaching staffs wore T-shirts in memory of the late Mishawaka assistant defensive coach Gregg "Smitty" Smith who died this past spring. Really cool to see.

Went 4-0 last week, but 3 of those were gimmies. Picks are 14-4 on the season. Onto my Week 4 uneducated predictions: Concord (2-1, 1-0) at Wawasee (0-3, 0-1): echoing what has been already said on this thread this week. Things do not look good in Syracuse right now. Taking less than 30 kids to Middlebury last week, and the coach mentioning the possibility of cancelling gams in the future? Bleak outlook. Even worse, the Minutemen have a pretty stout defense, and the Warriors have only scored 2 touchdowns all year... Concord by 28 Goshen (2-1, 0-1) at NorthWood (1-2, 0-1): If the Redhawks want to prove they are not pretenders this year, this would be the game to show it. The Panthers are tough, but down from years past. However, I still believe Fairfield and SB Clay are awful and Goshen's game last week against Mishawaka did nothing to inspire me. Has potential for a good game depending on how both teams bounce back from losses last week... NorthWood by 15 Northridge (3-0, 1-0) at Plymouth (0-3, 0-1): You know things are bad when you decided to completely overhaul your offensive scheme in Week 3. Maybe after another week of practice, the Pilgrims have made some progress, but when I tell you last week might have been one of the worst NLC teams I have personally witnessed, sheesh. This one will get ugly early as the Raiders have another tune up before heading to the Lake City next week... Northridge by 35 Warsaw (2-1, 1-0) at Mishawaka (3-0, 1-0): Game of the week for sure in the conference, and one of the better games in the state honestly. A homecoming for Coach Curtis in the now annual battle of "Bart Ball" in the NLC. A lot depends on if the elder Fisher is playing QB tonight for the Cavemen. I believe I heard he is unfortunately out, but do not have confirmation. The big difference here will be DEFENSE. Obviously, both teams face this same offense each and every day in practice, so neither team will be unprepared. One thing I look at, who has improved from last year? That goes to the Cavemen. Last year they gave up 44 to Marian and 35 to Elkhart before giving up 40 to Warsaw. This year? Only 16 to Marian, 0 to Elkhart, and 7 to Goshen. The Tigers are still very susceptible to giving up big plays (and points). My heart tells me Warsaw, but my gut says the home team in a close game... Mishawaka by 6

Following up - the Channel 46 Sports crew did confirm on the broadcast this was a new offense for Plymouth to run last week.

Pretty sure SB Washington and LaVille are teams that are OUT because of Covid, so neither of those options would be available for Snider.

I did not see the offense that Plymouth ran in Week 1 and Week 2, but yes in fact last week against Warsaw, they tried running some variation of the triple option. I was surprised to see it as well, and you could tell the kids did not seem comfortable in it, specifically the linemen. I couldn't tell you how many times I saw their QB or a running back getting hit behind the scrimmage by the Tigers, and darn near every Plymouth lineman was standing there looking back. Last week's game was the Channel 46 GOTW. You can watch it here:

NLC Teams ranked/receiving votes in polls after Week 3: 5A: Mishawaka (Ranked - 4th AP / Ranked - 7th Coaches) Concord (RV - 15th AP only) 4A: Northridge (Ranked - 7th AP / RV - 11th Coaches)

Reactions from Week 3: No surprises really. I would bet 3 of the 4 games last week, everyone and their mother would have picked Mishawaka, Warsaw, and Northridge to win. All 3 teams looked superior over teams that are obviously behind in talent. The Cavemen dominated Goshen with the brothers Fisher. I hope Justin is healed up and healthy for this week's game. Northridge completely overran the short-handed Warriors. Coach Reutebuch commented after the game how they only had 28 kids on the trip to Middleburry and hinted at having to cancel games in the future. That does not sound good. Warsaw raced out to a 29-0 lead in the first quarter against quite possibly one of the worst high school football teams I have ever seen. I knew things were rough in Plymouth, but sheesh, they might need to be called the Pilgrims the rest of this season. What everyone predicted, the Concord vs. NorthWood game was without a doubt the best of the week. What a start for the Minutemen and comeback by the Panthers. Love that NorthWood decided to go for 2 in OT, and what a way for the home team to stuff that attempt to win their Homecoming game. With all that being said, nothing really changes from my previous weekly recap/reactions. Mishawaka is still the team to beat IMO, especially if the older Fisher is healthy. I would say Northridge has overtaken that #2 spot for now, especially when you look at points scored by SB Adams and SB St Joe in their games not played against the Raider defense. Warsaw is obviously right there with those two, but cannot make any mistakes early against the Cavemen or Raiders. Concord is certainly right in the mix as well. They've got a solid defense in their own right and face NLC cupcakes Wawasee and Goshen the next two weeks. Goshen, Plymouth and Wawasee... I don't know what to say. The Redhawks are probably at the top of the list here and could possibly end up with a 4-5 regular season record with victories over these two squads. I cannot image either the Warriors or Rockies winning a game this season with the exception of whoever wins the NLC Toilet Bowl on September 24th in Week 6.

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I mean - It's more me thinking they'll win 35-0 haha

Oh I don't disagree. Snider should destroy Concordia. That's why I said I didn't know why, I just felt some weird feeling that they were going to get the upset tonight, but maybe that's just the Taco Bell from last night sitting in my gut 🤣

Figured I would jump in over here since the NLC thread is mostly me and 1 or 2 other guys: Carroll at North Side - Give me the Chargers in a tight one. Expecting a good game with a lot of offense. Dwenger at South Side - Happy for the Archers getting a victory last week, but this will be a shot right back to reality. Saints should roll. Luers at Homestead - should be a classic. I'll take the home team and the 6A squad, but wouldn't be surprised to see the Knights win. They've done it before. Snider at Concordia - I honestly don't know, I just have this strange feeling in my gut the Cadets pull it out. Not sold on Eshbach as their coach though. Had an unimpressive tenure at Wawasee, so I'll take Snider. Wayne at Northrop - Thought the Bruins might make a little noise this year. Doesn't appear to be the case. Someone gets their first win of the season, and the Generals have definitely played a more difficult first two games.

My previous post with rankings was incorrect. John Harrell's site still hadn't been updated for me for the AP poll. I was shocked to see Warsaw still ranked lol - they are not. Anyway, last week I went 6-1 with my picks, only missing on picking NorthWood to win on the road. Puts me at 10-4 in picking games this year, which means absolutely nothing. First week of conference games are here. Lets pick Week 3: Mishawaka (2-0) at Goshen (2-0): In a match up of undefeated teams, this is a Contender vs. Pretender game. The Cavemen have beaten vastly superior opponents so far this season, and the Redhawks will get a quick dose of reality tonight. Mishawaka by 42 NorthWood (1-1) at Concord (1-1): I would say this is the game of the week in the conference and will help us know more about each of these teams. Both beat a common opponent in Jimtown. Both have stout defenses with more to be desired on the offensive side of the ball. Last year's matchup in Nappanee went to the Minutemen by a score of 14-6, and we could see a similar barnburner tonight. Going with my gut that the home team is the better team. Concord by 8 Plymouth (0-2) at Warsaw (1-1): Not sure if you read @DT interview with Pilgrims' Coach Barron, but SHEESH things do not have a good outlook in Blueberry Festival land. Chuck Freeby and company will be in the Lake City broadcasting tonight's game for the Channel 46 GOTW. I do not see this being much of a contest. While the Tigers struggled early against Michigan City, Plymouth does not have the size or athletes to cause them the same amount of problems. Garcia might help keep things somewhat interesting, but the Pilgrims have given up 48.5 points a game in their first two of the season. The Tigers will get back their mojo on offense. Warsaw by 21 Wawasee (0-2) at Northridge (2-0): Honestly not much to say here. We have one team (Northridge) who's only given up 14 points through their first two games. We have another team (Wawasee) who has only scored 14 points through their first two games. This will get ugly early in Middlebury. If the Raiders score enough points, I would not be surprised to see a running clock in effect for most of the second half. Northridge by 35

"What if I told you a team made up of 19 and 20 year olds didn't come to play school..."

Imagine being affiliated with the Bishop Sycamore "program", agreeing to a game on ESPN, thinking it was going to somehow BENEFIT the scam you were running!?!?! Of course, maybe that was the plan all along. Somehow keep things together until a pay day of some sorts and get out of dodge before you're found out. Don't see how that is likely though when you put the spotlight on your "program" for a nationwide audience. These guys can't even successfully run a scam! *side note - at Trivia last night, we selected our team name as "Bishop Sycamore Quiz Bowl Team" ... we promptly placed 7th out of 8 teams 🤣

Teams ranked/receiving votes in polls after Week 2: 6A: Warsaw (RV - 13th AP only) 5A: Mishawaka (Ranked - 7th AP / Ranked - 7th Coaches) 4A: Northridge (Ranked - 9th AP / RV - 14th Coaches) NorthWood (RV - 18th AP only)

Highland will be playing at Knox on Friday

Haven't had a chance to post reactions from last week yet. Not much to change the tune I have been spouting. Mishawaka is head and above the best team in the conference this year. I don't care if Marian and Elkhart both lost a lot from last year or had other injury/COVID issues. Outscoring those two teams 71-16 in their victories cements them as the team to beat. The pecking order beneath them is where things are shifting. Northridge is obviously rising, but I do not think we will have an accurate view of the Raiders until week 5 when they visit Warsaw. I can't tell you that Adams and St. Joe are all that good this year, and getting to play NLC cupcakes Wawasee and Plymouth the next two weeks won't show much either. However, there is no denying the defense is quite possibly the strongest of the conference. They'll need it against the Tigers and Cavemen. I am not overly worried about the Warsaw loss at Michigan City. The Wolves have some DUDES on their team, and were especially big on the defensive line. That didn't allow the Tigers to get going on offense, and digging yourself into a 3 touchdown deficit early using "Bart Ball" makes it tough to come back. Those early mistakes sealed the nail in the coffin early for Warsaw, and honestly, that will always be the case. It's an offense built to play even or from ahead. Behind? Tough tough task to ask. Concord bounced back with a good win over rival Jimtown, and their defense has looked every bit as strong as Northridge's, but I'm still not sure what's going on with their offense. Only Wawasee has scored fewer points through two weeks in the conference. Anyone have any insight into the offensive woes occurring for the Minutemen? Kudos to the NorthWood coaching staff and athletic administration working together with Logansport to play on Friday. I cannot imagine playing an opponent on 24 hours notice and not being able to game plan/scout. However, I applaud everyone involved in getting the kids an opportunity to play the game. This week's game against Concord will be a true test for us to gauge both programs IMO. Congrats to Goshen on beating up the Little Sisters of the Poor in their out of conference schedule. I will be shocked to see them win again until week 8 when they visit Plymouth. But who knows... maybe they'll surprise between now and then. Hard to gauge how impressive their victories have been considering SB Clay is quite possibly the worst team in the state. Plymouth and Wawasee... not much to say. Both programs are down bad, but someone has to be. At least one of them will get a victory this season when they matchup in week 7.

I believe Culver is the school with COVID issues, so Knox would be the option between the two schools.

Sorry @trojan474 my response was not directed to you. It was directed to @ASJCPUMA who said: Didn't really understand why ASJCPUMA did not want to post a news article concerning the thread.

Agreed! I am sure the coaching staffs would have preferred having some time to game plan better, but for the kids' sake, FANTASTIC job by all to get the game scheduled and played. The student-athletes only have so many opportunities to play the game, and this was truly awesome that they were able to get this done.

Not sure why you wouldn't post it? It's a news article related to the situation. Truly heartbreaking! https://www.wndu.com/2021/08/30/mother-triton-high-school-student-killed-crash-heartbroken-after-losing-son/