BLACKGOLD2007

On 12/14/2023 at 1:21 PM, BDGiant93 said:

Penn/Mishawaka is like BD/Warren, Avon/Brownsburg, Bloomington North/Bloomington South, HSE/Fishers right? I mean, not the same district but huge rivals. I can see this making difference in gate receipts, but I think Penn needs to play someone down in this area. 

 

I think Penn needs to have Mishawaka on their schedule. It is good for our area. What threw me into a frenzy, is the fact that we (the school) are so worried about hurting conference schools feelings that we are sacrificing our competitiveness in the 6A tourney for a conference championship. 

I would rather have Mishawaka on the schedule and send the JV to play most of our conference schedule.  That gives us 3 or 4 games we could play Carmel and other 6A schools. 

But, we care more about feelings than we do about winning.  

4 hours ago, NLCTigerFan07 said:

I saw that... and literally my jaw dropped. I know it's likely just coach speak and not publically saying anything to ruffle feathers, but I couldn't believe that was the actual quote.

If you remember the animated movie Hercules, when Hades erupts in flames...that is how I felt in that moment....

Sorry everyone, I know...I will leave my grown up and man cards at the table on my way out. 

10 hours ago, Grover said:

I get it.  I just have a personal vendetta against the cowards in Carmel.

That is what I thought was your sentiment, but just wanted to be sure. lol

Keep the Vendetta strong. 

15 hours ago, PDB26 said:

Maybe not a big fall as reflected in the rankings, but Penn's objectively below average schedule is about to get much worse when it needs to get much better. Could it be the worst schedule in 6A?

Elkhart's schedule cannot be any better. 

at least we have that going for us. 

20 minutes ago, US31 said:

Just out of curiosity, I checked John Harrell....last season they ranked 24th in 6A and 33rd overall.  Not a whole lot of room to drop unfortunaltely.  As a Northern Indiana guy I feel Indiana HS football is better when Penn is relavent.  

If I'm Penn, I'd try and schedule 3-4 of these teams each year

Snider, Carroll, Homestead, Crown Point, Carmel, Cathedral, Chicago power, Ohio power, Michigan power.

Agree. 

It just boils down to the lack of ability with the current conference schedule. We should have two Region teams (Valpo, the Ville, or CP) each year, a top Fort Wayne school each year and two Indy schools yearly. That leaves 4 games for local rival games. That is a lot of travel, but at this point it is what is needed to be considered competitive. 

Heck even if Penn could join the DAC it would be an upgrade in competition. Ville, Valpo and CP all on the schedule yearly, NC can have Mishawaka still and go to Fort Wayne and pick up Carroll or Snider. If they aren't available you can swing for the fences and go Center Grove, @Grover is saying they have openings they need to fill. 

Pipe dreams. 

26 minutes ago, PDB26 said:

The big stink in all of this is keeping the series with Mishawaka over an Indy program. Mishawaka is fine on the schedule if they're the third or fourth best opponent, but it's not great (being generous) if they're the second best. However, one positive is it does get the JV and freshman a better game that week since Penn has never found a way to get its younger players onto the field against the JVs from one of the better out of conference programs. 

 

If you look back into the 90's Penn's schedules were not that strong, but they had two top 5A teams on them. Valpo and BD followed by Mishawaka. The rest of the schedule was not that good. This could have at least mirrored closely those schedules with at least having Carmel an Indy school on the schedule. But, I am just an alum that rants on the internet. 

On 12/9/2023 at 1:50 PM, Grover said:

You just traded up.  

Do you think Mishawaka is better than Carmel, even after the tough year Carmel just had?

My beef with the decision to drop Carmel, isn't directly about Mishawaka, it actually is more about how the administration allows these decisions to be made over doing what is actually best for the program. Scheduling St. X and Cathedral were awesome pick ups...but we have been uncompetitive for like 5 years now....Carmel being on the schedule would have kept the schedule palatable. Penn is about to play one of the weakest schedules in 6A next year. 

On 12/9/2023 at 1:57 PM, Grover said:

Get your AD to play Center Grove.  We have a couple openings next year.

I would gladly take that thumping yearly over playing our schedule next year. However, there has been an article locally that quoted our coach as to looking forward to the new challenges of the NIC...

Penn v Center Grove wont happen. 

On 12/9/2023 at 12:51 PM, PDB26 said:

I can appreciate the sentiment about not wanting to be dinged up for the tournament, but I'd rather be better prepared than just healthy. I know garbage time is better than nothing for underclassmen, but I've never been convinced that it's all that valuable--at least against NIC teams. Of course, the jv and freshman games are worse.

I couldn't agree more with your point about Morton and Portage.

Because Corey cares so much about conference titles, he wont do this, but you want to give your underclassmen good experiences...Have your JV play most of your NIC games....Send the Freshmen to play the rest....who cares about winning the game at this point. We want these young men to get better....well have them play the NIC varsity teams their Freshmen and Sophomore years....Keep the JV playing the JV's of Valpo and Mishawaka but, send them to play Marian and St. Joe...those are good games. Send the JV to play Riley and the Freshmen to play Washington and Adams. I am torn on sending the JV to play Elkhart as well as NP, but if the Elkhart program continues to slide, then screw it. 

pipe dreams. At that point I see the NIC kicking Penn out. 

Dikos should send the JV to play these schools then....

Dikos wants a three peat....do what is best for your team, don't worry about hurting feelings. 

Dikos gets it, Corey does not. 

16 minutes ago, PDB26 said:

I'm not sure there's even that much value in more than one "Marian" type of game on the schedule for a 6A team since the implementation of the running clock--unless you challenge yourself to keep it a four score game throughout.

I understand that having a 3A school that you roll over is not helpful, but play a team like Morton or Portage that is the same thing. Just a bigger classification of school. You need to play games in which your back ups will see playing time against Varsity level players. Also, gives you an opportunity to rest and recover. It cannot be a murderer's row, where your team will be dinged up going into the playoffs.  Keeping a local "rival" on the schedule does more for the community than, an outside pushover. Marian and St. Joe benefit from us coming in to their place. 

But, I admit, I am arguing out both sides of my mouth, complain about the softness of the schedule and then advocate for having softer teams on the schedule to give your team a blow. 

8 minutes ago, BTF said:

Let me put this a different way. We'll use Center Grove as an example..........any year. Clone their team, put Penn uniforms on them and play Penn's schedule. When the two teams meet at the end of the season, the team wearing the CG jerseys win by two touchdowns. 

It's another day at the office for the guys wearing the CG jerseys. The guys wearing the Penn jerseys won't know what him them until the damage is already done. 

This was Penn's issue for most of the 90's they were state contender's but until they started playing BD yearly, that is when Penn takes off and wins 2 out of 3 titles in 5 years. The 95 title I think was a team that transcended their schedule no mater what. 

20 minutes ago, BTF said:

The landscape of football now is different than what it was in the 90's. A good team could obliterate a weak schedule and still win the 5A (now 6A) championship. To make a run to Lucas and expect to win, you have to see at least one, preferably two title contending teams. I think Penn should pick up one team from Fort Wayne (Carroll or Snider) and one team from Indy (pick from ten). 

Penn and Center Grove could be on equal footing, but if Penn doesn't see the caliber of a Top 10 team during the regular season, it will be like hitting a brick wall when they do. For Center Grove, it's just another day at the office, it's nothing new to them to play a team like Penn. I'll take the Trojans by two touchdowns in that scenario. 

Scheduling Mishawaka is fine if you're shooting for the 5A title. But 6A is another ball game. 

Preach

12 minutes ago, temptation said:

I’ll take the Trojans by four touchdowns in that scenario.  
 

You continue to be too kind to non Indy 6A teams.

Not sure what else you need to see.

I agree

1 hour ago, temptation said:

“The CG class of 22 went 3-1 in State finals games.”

2021:  won state over Westfield

2020:  won state over Westfield

2019:  lost state to Carmel

2018:  lost semi state to Warren

 

I am sorry, I wasn't thinking about that. I guess it would be the class of 23. 

4 minutes ago, psaboy said:

I agree, problem is conference. Why don't they go independent? 

Administration and Coaching must not want to. 

Winning the NIC is just too important. The NIC should join the Pac12 in fate. 

1 hour ago, psaboy said:

Mishawaka is a quality team !! But you are right, they ain't no Carmel.

This is game is the culmination of my frustration. Keeping Mishawaka on the schedule would not be so frustrating if you have Carmel and at least another quality 6A on the schedule....

But we get Mishawaka on top of Adams, Washington and Riley....This is possibly the worst schedule Penn has played since 98.

I would rather play Carmel, Valpo, Mishawaka and a top Fort Wayne team or Indy area school and go 1-3 in those games then be undefeated and get owned at home in game one of the Sectionals...

We have seen schools send their JV to play teams of similar quality and the IHSAA doesn't punish them, Penn can do the same thing. This opens up 3 additional games a year for Penn to add quality opponents. 

1 hour ago, temptation said:

Huh?

The senior class from CG went 3-1 in state final games.

The Warren class went 4-0 in state final games, winning each game by double digits each game.  

That is impressive. 

The CG class of 22 went 3-1 in State finals games. 

That is amazing, only senior class to be more impressive is the 06 Warren class that won 4 in a row, and won every game by double digits. 

14 hours ago, temptation said:

I mean, it means something, we can disagree on how significant it is I guess.

CG’s sustained success speaks for itself and every other team in the MIC has had at least 1 rebuilding year whereas CG hasn’t.

CG has not had a losing season since 2005…I know, you already knew that.

The crazy thing is how quickly Moore turned CG around. They have had some bumps in the road. But, his first season they go 5-5 and season 2 they are playing in the state finals. King had good teams going into the playoffs but couldn't generate any momentum in the playoffs. Moore has developed a Juggernaut. Seasons that were not what we come to expect from CG: 04, 05, 06 and 17 all ended around .500....They went 9-2 in 07 that ended in sectionals and a 7-3 season in 10 that ended in sectionals. Other than that they are competing for Regional, Semi or State titles. They are the measuring stick of how a program in Indiana today. 

Very impressed with the CG community and with Coach Moore. 

10 hours ago, npcougar15 said:

What a colossal waste of time, energy, and effort for Penn to play their schedule. Nobody gets anything out of Washington, Riley, Adams, St. Joe, Marian vs. Penn. Nobody. And with NP probably taking a step back this upcoming season, you might be able to add them to list. 

How did Yeoman say this with a straight face?:

“we look forward to new challenges in the NIC,” Football Head Coach Cory Yeoman said.

 

I hear you about all these teams being on the schedule for Penn, But, Penn does need to play teams where they can get backups playing time.  Not saying that is the case with NP, because for the most part Penn has not played NP well over the years. 

I am so furious that the AD went along with this garbage. Penn fans should just not show up to these games, listen on the radio, watch on RRSN, but don't give these schools the gate. If I had a slew of papers I would throw them into the air. 

2 hours ago, scarab527 said:

Seems like a play for the gate you’d get at those games more than anything and to rekindle that historical rivalry. 
 

But doesn’t help with making deep runs in 6A. 
 

Penn to the DAC when?

Penn administration and coaching seem to care more about the perception of a winning program then actually having a program that is respected by the Indy teams....Penn is an after thought in 6A football... They pissed away their chance against CP to maybe prove something, and now with this laughable schedule, it wont get any better. 

Adams, Washington and Riley provide you nothing in prep for what is ahead. 

14 minutes ago, PDB26 said:

I'm sure everything will be alright at the corner of Jefferson and Bittersweet as long as Dr. Thacker can get into a sectional championship picture every year. I'm probably about as big a homer for Cory as you can be, but, damn, this will be the worst schedule Penn has played in at least 20 years--possibly the worst since 1995.

It's like, sure it's fun to beat on Mishawaka, and I guess it's useful to face their offense with Warsaw, possibly, lurking in the sectional, but what in the hell are we even doing out here? This has to be the worst schedule any 6A team will play this year and moving forward. At least Elkhart has Penn on their schedule.

I mean, at this point why are we even considering playing this schedule. Cory is good man, but he needs to do what is best for his team. Playing Adams, Washington and Riley does 0 for your team. 

But, we would rather win an NIC title and maybe a sectional title....if we can even get through Carroll. Unless we have one of those teams that transcends how bad our schedule is, we wont be seeing Regional or semi-state any time soon. The lack of competition we will be facing with those three teams on the schedule is a joke. 

2 hours ago, scarab527 said:

Seems like a play for the gate you’d get at those games more than anything and to rekindle that historical rivalry. 
 

But doesn’t help with making deep runs in 6A. 
 

Penn to the DAC when?

Not any time soon, it needs to happen, but wont. 

6 minutes ago, waymobe said:

which do nothing to show them the play speed and player strength of the HCC, MIC, Carmel & CG. How sad....."new challenges"

This is the dang truth. 

We could have kept Carmel and added someone and just sent the JV to play Washington and Riley.  Those schools made it very clear that they don't want to play us at all. Then insult them with not even sending our 1s to beat them. This program will go no where in the 6A tournament as long as this keeps up. Corey is a good man, but I think it is time he hangs it up or sees the truth, we cannot win at this level if we are not pushing ourselves and actually challenging ourselves. 

BARF.

Penn Drops Carmel in favor of Mishawaka.....

We will be an undefeated paper giant going into sectionals for the foreseeable future. 

GAH. 

#droptheNIC

42 minutes ago, PDB26 said:

Looks like the Carmel series has been cancelled. 

https://pennant.phmschools.org/news/nic-changes-impact-penn-sports-schedules/

And we will forever be a mediocre program in the eyes of 6A football.

IDC how down Carmel is, they are better measuring stick than Mishawaka. 

BOOOOOOOOO the NIC 7 game schedule.