oldunclemark

1 hour ago, JeffO2 said:

Then every state is a basketball state and the NBA is more popular than the NFL? You could argue more kids participate on football teams. The bands are bigger. 

No, you cant argue that. More kids play basketball by far than play football if you include all the teams.

Band is not a sport.   Football is just a weekly fall diversion. Didnt even have a state tournament until the 70s. 

Basketball is bigger than football in most every state. Illinois, for sure. 

   But we're not every state.   Our entire rural makeup as a state is intertwined with basketball. 

To win the Indiana state basketball championship means far more than ANY OTHER SPORT, not just football.

To win the Indiana state basketball champions means more than winning the NCAA title.

In our state, Basketball is life, my man..    

2 hours ago, JeffO2 said:

I guess it depends what your criteria are for top sport in the state as a whole. I never considered that it had to be popular in every single school. Cost may be playing a bigger role than interest.

 

But pure numbers is why its  a basketball state.

How many football teams are there?  300

How many basketball teams are there 650, 700?.  How many Indiana basketball games are played every year. 

Not just games. Indiana basketball games.  Football is a one-day-a-week oddity. You live with basketball Noveber to March...

On 2/5/2021 at 1:01 PM, Muda69 said:

No.  High School basketball is King in Indiana and always will be.  

True words, Muda.  Football's post-season is far too long and dominated by private schools...

A number of little schools still dont have a football team (up here, Hebron, Kouts, Morgan Township, Westville, Marquette)

Damn few girls play football.....thousands play basketball

Basketball rules in Indiana. That wont change soon.

On 2/6/2021 at 4:17 PM, Titan32 said:

I'm sure there are places in Indiana where basketball is still king...but I haven't been there.

Come to Porter County.

On 1/27/2021 at 10:59 AM, Tommy said:

Look more long term this time.  I don’t want La Porte to become another program that has the seek a new head coach every 3 or 4 seasons.  Maybe get one of the players dads to volunteer to do it, when son graduates, get another volunteer dad.

Tommy, you probably know that LaPorte has a lot coming back for 2021. The team was rising as the season ended.

 Also, being a 5A schools is much better than being a 6A school if we're talking about winning the sectional.

 I dont know but I'd guess the new coach will stay awhile.

On 1/25/2021 at 4:52 PM, Tommy said:

Region Sports Network is reporting that Crown Point has hired Homewood-Floosmor and former Portage and Michigan City head coach as their new field general.  Crown Point will have their best coach since Brad Smith.

 

For the record, Chip Pettit was 72-51 in 11 season with CP, taking over a program that was 0-10 in the year 2000.

CP had back-to-back undefeated DAC title in 2005 and 2006. In Chip's final season, CP was 9-4 and won the sectional championship.

Coach Chip was very, very good. 

4 hours ago, Boilernation said:

That would be extremely coincidental it's not his daughter. Doesn't Lux live in Crown Point with a kid on the basketball team?

Yes, AJ Lux is a regular for the Bulldogs....got a lot of potential

  Im not buying into the logic that CP will soon dominate Merrillville regularly (that has never happened) but the fact that coach Buzea would take this job indicates that he feels he is in good health.

I'm glad he's okay.

On 1/25/2021 at 5:32 PM, Boilerup said:

Hope he brings Zac wells with him as Defensive Coordinator. Way to go Dogs!

Boiler;

There is a sophomore soccer and basketball player at CP named Zoey Wells.

...Does coach Wells live in CP.?

On 1/6/2021 at 10:19 AM, Wedgebuster said:

Is there any precedence for a "this sport only" conference?  

Not in this state that I know of.

On 1/5/2021 at 9:52 AM, DT said:

The best way to eliminate the longest potential road trips in the expanded DAC would be for Penn, Elkhart, Lake Central and Crown Point to play their games on saturdays at Ames Field in Michigan City.  A Saturday afternoon DAC Double Header at Ames would be a good drwa for the local community.

You and I are the only people who like Saturday football.

You must have a little 'Illinois boy' in you

20 hours ago, DT said:

I played in a great rivalry - Highland vs Munster in the late 70s.  It was the biggest game in the Region back then, unless Merrillville was playing a big game that night.  

I do believe this "championship mentality" does exist.  It mnakes no sense for kids at Highland, Munster, KV, Gavit, Clark, ECC, Hammond, Noll, Chesterton, Portage, LC, CP, Lake Station, RF, Calumet, BG, Whiting, etc etc etc to be running around talking about winning state championships during the offseason.  Those schools have not been in the running.  They dont have the mentality or the resources to compete at the highest level.

There is nothing wrong with that.  Setting a goal to beat Hobart _0-18 lifetime) , win the conference championship and win a sectional would be huge for Highland.  

Hobart, Andrean an Lowell natutrally think bigger because tghey have been to the dance many times.  Valpo and Merrillville are livig on past glory but never give up the hope that they could someday break thru.

Crown Point has not had a champuionship mentality.

I believe the building blocks are being put into place to establish that mentality.  It will not develop over night.  It will take multiple DAC titles, dominance over Valpo and MV, a few semi state runs and steady development of D1 players.  This is how the central Indiana powers do it.  This is how Center Grove does it.  

 

CP's never going to dominate Merrillville and Valparaiso. Those are football powers. The Bulldogs beat Merrillville for sectional titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018 but they certainly didnt dominate them.

I just dont think there's any comparison between Crown Point and suburban Indianapolis.  

And my larger point is that when the season begins, all teams in all sports wat to win the sectional. More realistic for some than for others but realistic for all. You win your conference or your sectional most every year (and send some kids to college at ANY level) and you have a 100% success program.

You do not need to win state for your program to be great.

3 hours ago, DT said:

My high school buddy Kevin Boling went to Western Michigan  Good school.  Played under Elliot Uzelac.  

When I refer to a "championship mentality." I can think of only a few Region schools who possess that trait.

Hobart

Lowell

Andrean

Valpo-Merrillville

These schools have championship level football ingrained in their DNA.  Their goals go beyond success at the local level.

The purpose of this entire thread centers on the possibility that CP could become a member of that elite group.   UIm hopeful that they will because it will elevate football in NWI across all levels.

Interesting how the CP kids are mocking their Lowell counteparts and the Lowell lineman is holding the rivalry game trophy.

LOL

 

The championship mentality you site is interesting.   I know you know that a state title is a lot more realisitic goal in 4A than it is in 6A

But you suggest that teams that dont win state dont really want to, are athletically inferior or are mentally weak..   I dont know.

I think multiple sectionals (Lowell won 5 in a row a few years back) is more important to a program than one state run...more boys got that trophy...more kids watch the winning.    The question still stands. Would you trade one state title run for 5 consecutive sectionals.

Those two photos (above) are from different years but you are right, Lowell has won their fair share of games from CP. That's why its a great matchup.  It doesnt mean CP is bad. It means Lowell is good.

A rivalry.   If you were there, you'd be painting your face, wearing those overalls and shucking that corn.....you know you would.

On 1/21/2021 at 12:28 PM, vito said:

Beyond the fact it's one of Indiana's oldest rivalries (some say the oldest), you are overlooking a very important fact as to why the CP-Lowell rivalry will remain:   Economics! Lowell fans travel better than any other team in the Region.

Plus, the kids are just getting back to school, it's week one of the HS season, the CP kids love to dress up as farmers to tweak the Lowell kids, etc. The stands are PACKED.  You need to lighten up old man and realize competition isn't everything!  If you weren't such a curmudgeon I'd invite you to the game at the Inferno next year as a side trip to visit your family.  It's a top 10 Indiana HS Friday night atmosphere IMO. 

 

Tell 'em Vito

    Lowell-CP is always going to be played.  Warm summer night....week one..

And you are so right. The CP kids painted freckles on their faces, wore overalls and kerchiefs and carried ears of corn to the game......To make fun of Lowell as if there's no farms at the south end of Crown Point !  So funny.

I guess the school board got a complaint a couple of years ago and they asked the kids to stop it.

But CP-Lowell...for the 'Old Leather Helmet'....you dont mess with that game.

On 1/21/2021 at 1:13 PM, DT said:

Its called having a state championship mentality.  

Kids at BD/WC/CA and CG dream of state championships and D1 scholarships

Kids at Crown Point dream of beating Lowell and Merrlllville and wining a sectional title and going to Western Michigan.

Everything MUST elevate for a school like CP to achieve beyond the local level.

Nothing should be off the table, including a money making rivalry game like CP-Lowell.

 

 

You suggest that a Division I scholarship to Western Michigan is somehow a yellow brick road to mediocrity...... Folks in Kalamazoo would be miffed with you, DT

Who benefits if the local high school wins state as opposed to just winning the sectional.?

Who benefits if CP cancels their game with Lowell to play a powerful Warren Central team (as Merrillville did in the last decade). 

In your opinion, Why do you have a football program.?

On 1/21/2021 at 3:51 PM, DACNUT said:

Crown Point has always been tough, physical, but why are we shooting for them, like Lake Central, to take on challenges with the MIC, when they have demonstrated they can't consistently be 1-2 in the DAC. Would anyone who knows the DAC say that Crown Point is even top 3 team in the conference? in the last 3-5 years. They just graduated a 3 year starter at QB and were mediocre at best.

Top teams in the DAC have done miserable against HCC competition and has been a push with the Summit, minus Valpo beating Dwenger. DAC schools tried to play Southwest Suburban Conference (large school conference across the border) schools recently and went 0-3, so for right now, get better playing Penn, Elkhart, and Warsaw before thinking about MIC schools.

No one has ever consistently dominated the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC). It is unlikely to ever happen unless the enrollments change....

Your goal is to win your sectional...In the last five years in 6A Sectional 1, ..CP has 3..Merruillville has the other 2..

For the record, Valpo's beaten Penn 3 years in a row ..and Michigan City beat Warsaw by 20 last year.

I just dont think there is a need for teams to win state to validate their quality as a program

On 1/21/2021 at 1:13 PM, DT said:

Its called having a state championship mentality.  

Kids at BD/WC/CA and CG dream of state championships and D1 scholarships

Kids at Crown Point dream of beating Lowell and Merrillville and wining a sectional title and going to Western Michigan.

Everything MUST elevate for a school like CP to achieve beyond the local level.

Nothing should be off the table, including a money making rivalry game like CP-Lowell.

 

 

This is where you and I disagree strongly, DT.

I think its fine for CP kids to dream of beating Lowell and Merrillville, winning the sectional and going to Western Michigan.  This isnt the NFL.

For those who dont know, Merrillville, Lake Central and Crown Point (total enrollment of 8,000) all sit in a 10-mile circle in South Lake County. Andrean is also there. 

The idea that an imaginary coach could get the majority of the best players in that area is a fantasy .......

The goal of high school programs in all sports should be to win the sectional.......  There is no need to win the state title to have a successful program.

To win the sectional and send a lot of kids to college is what I would want from Merrillville, Lake Central and Crown Point

On 1/21/2021 at 1:08 PM, DT said:

The Valpo feeder does not let these kids slip thru the cracks.  They capture them as 7 year olds and develop them until they reach high school age.  

There is no Andrean next to Valparaisao

On 1/21/2021 at 12:03 PM, temptation said:

Not from the area, but doesn't Crown Point have a damn fine wrestling program or am I mistaken?  Where is the disconnect between wrestling and football?

The connection between wrestling and football is one that has always confused me.

Some top football schools in NW Indiana: Andrean, Valparaiso, Morton .......are not high ranked wrestling schools..

I cant tell you why except that maybe its simple minded of us to tie wrestling success to football success 

Crown Point has an elite wrestling program......with Chesteron and Merrillville..the best in this area..

5 minutes ago, DT said:

There is my sweet niece Caitlyn  Her Daddy just recovered from a long and very serious bout with Covid.  

  DT;

I think you know what I do (or did before 2020 hit me) so you know how I have these photos and you can believe me when I tell you,

Caitlyn has 2 distinctions for me. 1.) I believe she is the only girl to ever start on two different regional championship teams (basketball and softball) at Crown Point in the same calendar year.

And 2.) while I do not know her (the sad part of following the kids is that there's no time to ever know them), Caitlyn, as I'm sure you already know,  is (or was) as well-spoken a teenager as I have ever run across. 

She didnt know me from a stray dog but she would answer all my stupid questions fully and in complete thought.

  These are hard times and I hope her and her dad are doing well. I really do.

I knew there was something I liked about DT!

On 12/24/2020 at 6:51 AM, DT said:

Do you think he could recreate the Lowell magic with todays Crown Point kids?

My niece was CP Female Athlete of the Year in 2018-2019 so I know what they can do over there when they commit themselves to a sport

Who is your niece, DT?   

I'm seeing Andrean at Crown Point////1st time ever...on Aug. 27

On 12/14/2020 at 2:00 PM, kingtut said:

It's an annual affair with top teams.  I think Heritage Christian is also there and another but I don't know who.  Linton Played Triton Central last year and lost by ten.  That played a large part in the Miners beating Triton Central in the tourney.

Looks Like Linton vs. Crown Point has been cancelled. 

CP is playing Lake Station (8-2) on Jan. 9 while Linton is hosting 3A No.  1 Evansville Memorial.(11-0)...

CP vs 3A No. 3 Andrean (11-0) has been bumped to Jan. 23..

So many schedule changes...

On 1/4/2021 at 6:47 AM, gonzoron said:

What were the stats for the North Central and Westfield games?

Sorry, I'm up here in the northwest corner of the state.

I didnt find box scores on the games at North Central...44-34 and 45-35 losses for SC.

But Silver Creek played two 4A No. 1 teams and split....The 44 points was North Central's season low..

3A No. 1 Silver Creek (12-2) 53, 4A No.  1 Crown Point (8-1) 49

Sydney Sierota (18 points) broke and 48-48 tie with 50 seconds to play

CP was 12 of 23 from the foul line

If schedules can be trusted, this game is 'on'

Set for Bowman Academy in Gary the day after New Year's Day.

I do not know what is occurring at Bowman that day but this will probably be the feature matchup.

Help me out folks.. Silver Creek (Sellerburg) is in Clark County..suburban Louisville ..no one has come within 10 points of them.

The Dragons (11-0) are 31-4 the last two years.. 

Crown Point (8-0) has won 55 regular season games in a row heading into next week's Twin Lakes Holiday tournament.

What kind of game is this going to be.  Any thoughts? . 

5 minutes ago, oldunclemark said:

Witht e consolidation in Hammond, there apparently will be a few new games on the schedule.

 

Morton will now play Elkhart  and Cathedrlal (wow)

..........Lowell now plays New Prairie..a good looking 4A matchup

 

 

anybody know of any more?

I made some multiple posts here. Can you delete two of them?