BLACKGOLD2007

🤦‍♂️ I dont remember him being there at all.

It has been a while since there have been this many Penn guys on this thread. It is nice to see you guys all on here.

#1 Westfield v #9 Carmel - I think Westfield beats Carmel by at least 10 #2 Crown Point v Arizona College Prep - I know nothing about ACP, so I assume they are really good if they are willing to come this far to play ball....I also didn't look into them. #3 Cathedral v #6 Brownsburg - I think this is going to be a banger. I would not be surprised if this game comes down to the wire or goes into OT. #4 Warren Central v (#4 in 5A) Warsaw - Warren works out the option attack quickly and dominates Warsaw. Good on Warsaw for putting Warren on their schedule. #5 HSE v North Central - HSE gets a breather before jumping in to HCC play. #7 Center Grove v #14 Carroll - Center Grove has not lost two games in a row since 2019. I think Center Grove keeps that steak alive but Carroll puts up a fight away from home. #8 Ben Davis v Avon - Ben Davis gets back in the win column. #10 Penn v (#4 in 4A) Mishawaka - Penn's new found speed in the backfield gives Mishawaka more than they can handle. Penn wins by multiple scores. #11 Fishers v Pike - I don't know much about Pike, but Fishers has gone 7-3 over the last 10 games against Pike, I think they get win #8 Friday. #12 Lawrence North v Fort Wayne North - Fort Wayne North beat a consistent Northridge last weekend, but they run into LN who some of you think is going to make waves in the Indy landscape this year. #13 Columbus North v Columbus East - Columbus East beat the 5A runner up from last years state finals game last week. They come up against crosstown rival this weekend. I think North pulls it out in a tight one.

Where was Bardo last year? Is he a transfer in? The name doesn't ring a bell from last year's team.

Some of this can be attributed to week one issues, some of it was Valpo execution and I think the rest was being tired. You are on the field you give up a 7 play 80 yard td drive, just to have your Offense score in one or two plays, that is a couple minutes real time of rest to then have another 80 yard drive put on you. I think the D played pretty poorly. I think the issues they have will be masked by the weak schedule. Come Crown Point I think the D is in for another shoot out.

I would say it is much closer to accurate than what we have seen in the coaches and media polls for sure.

Well yeah, just like in college, but the fact it said Lake Central was laughable.

Well, the highest I expect Penn to get in the rankings is 10, even if they are undefeated. Their schedule after week 2 is put on auto pilot. I think after the rematch with CP, we will know if this Penn team is for real or not. Obviously if they lose that answers the question.

That sounds right. I am sorry, I need to start getting the program and learning these guys names.

Yes it would. But, I think, and this has ruffled some feathers, that we scored too quickly at times during the game against Valpo. The D was on the field a lot Friday night. That will wear down anyone, especially when you are up against a team that is blessed with size like Valpo. In the Third quarter alone I think there was 35-42 points scored by both teams. Penn would give up the TD, and score on the next play or in two plays. That is little to no time for the D to recover. Valpo was good at generating drives and also at scoring with relative speed.

I believe that Moore is the OC or at least OC in waiting. On the defensive side of the ball, it is hard to say what we have because Valpo was up and down the field on us. We are small on the D-line, but that seems per usual at Penn. On the offense we are using multiple formations, we still favor that Pistol with a TE and sometimes TE wing. Most of the faces seem similar. I sit up towards the top of the stands, sometimes faces are hard to make out. Watson the QB has state finalist track speed. If he gets in the open it will be very hard to catch him. We have a stud with glue for hands at WR, his name escapes me at the moment. He has good speed and is shifty to where he is hard to bring down.

Right now from the things I have heard about how Pete is running the coaching staffs from Varsity down to Freshmen is positive. I was 100% worried about the hiring. I have come around to a neutral position right now. I would like to see some changes in the schedule. I know this is not a popular idea, but because JV games are hard to come by, I say send the JV and maybe the first string of the freshmen team to play the Varsity teams of Washington, Adams and Riley. IDC if we get waxed. The Varsity needs to be playing better programs if we ever want to compete for a state title again.

The biggest issue right now is that a majority of the fans at Penn home games are 4 year football parents and band parents. They don't care which direction the program goes after they are done. I bet if you lay out the pro and con of staying in the NIC or leaving for the DAC the hardcore fans would go with the DAC. If we drop 500 yards of offense a game this season, I think it is time to level up on the competition.

If Penn can put up another 500+ yards of O against the Cavemen, I am sorry for what is going to happen to the other NIC teams.

I have no idea, I will have to get a program at the next game.

Penn did drop the ball then, I would not be surprised at all if Penn and Elkhart go different directions. Elkhart is a better fit in the NLC, geographically speaking and culture wise. However, based on things I have seen the past couple seasons in two of the big sports, is that Elkhart and Penn are trying to come closer together. I would not be surprised if they try a package deal to the DAC. But, if Penn gets the offer and Elkhart doesn't, Penn has to go. If Penn goes to the DAC alone, I would not be surprised if MCity or maybe LaPorte drop out of the DAC. I would take the opportunity to see Mville, CP and Valpo each year. If MCity and LaPorte both leave, then I think that is even better. That is two more non-conference games that we can get back on the schedule. I would like to see Penn add Westfield, Carmel, Snider, Carroll, Center Grove, Ben Davis, Warren, HSE or Fishers to the schedule.

Like I said in my original post, leave the system alone, because moving it away from a participating schools looks to be too much of a hurdle for either high school sites or university sites.

How is Lake Central getting nods before us!?! I am sorry Lake Central has not had a winning season since 2014...How? It has to be...I was stunned to see that.

St. Joe's former coach Bryon Whitten is Penn's D coordinator? Shoot I had no idea. at least that is how I am taking your post.

If you do neutral site high schools, you could have the host school provide boosters or teams to work the concessions and gates. At the universities likely the IHSAA would have to work out a deal with the school to provide staff, and the gate fees will either go up or a larger portion will go to the school itself. The benefit for the schools is they get all concession revenue and they don't have to have more than one or two bays open on each side of the field. Less workers needed more overall revenue. In the North Penn or School field would be good hosting sites....depending on the size of the schools. Penn would be better fit for the 4A and larger schools. School field would be a perfect fit for 1A-3A schools.

Sorry I am having issues with my computer. It keeps posting the same thing. I apologize

I don't think you are going to get Penn or Elkhart to move with out the other at this point. There have been a lot of noticeable changes to games when Penn and Elkhart play in football or Basketball. It feels like they are trying to build up a bigger rivalry between the schools. The NIC used to be held up by the Penn Mishawaka rivalry, but now with the NIC being a shell of its former self, the two big schools are coming closer together then they used to be. I don't think you are going to get Penn or Elkhart to move with out the other at this point. There have been a lot of noticeable changes to games when Penn and Elkhart play in football or Basketball. It feels like they are trying to build up a bigger rivalry between the schools. The NIC used to be held up by the Penn Mishawaka rivalry, but now with the NIC being a shell of its former self, the two big schools are coming closer together then they used to be.

I think either Elkhart and Penn need to go to the DAC or if you can convince Snider, Homestead and Carroll from the Summit and Warsaw from the NLC that would be a strong conference. If they go DAC they need at least 2-4 teams to also join. They could then split that conference either by size of school or competitive balance the divisions and have 5/6 conference games and a better non-conference schedule.

We could go to neutral site games for Semi-State. Notre Dame will host if the game is between teams from the Region v Fort Wayne or Fort Wayne v Carmel/Westfield. Due to the central location of the St. Joe and Elkhart County schools, Purdue or Ball State may have to be host to those games. Butler or U of Indy can host all indy area school semi-state games. Purdue can host games from the Region to Northwest Indy to the state line IU can handle the southern portion of the state. Just spit balling here. This would force both schools to travel giving no one this advantage of not having to get on a bus and drive.... But, then again do we decentralize the state title games? I say leave it alone, and let the cards fall where they may. Sometimes you will get blowouts and sometimes you will get amazing football games.

Looks like games on Friday may not get played. I am seeing storms from like 2pm until after kickoff. Looks like we may be looking at Saturday morning kickoffs. Fingers crossed that does not happen. This is a good week to get back into the win column. Northridge from what I have heard is not going to be as good as years past. So, strike while the iron is hot. Good luck to you guys on Friday.