BLACKGOLD2007

Marian at St. Joseph ©, 7 pm It's the Holy War - St. Joe is likely the third best team in the conference this year. Penn at Washington ©, 7 pm - Penn by 40+ by half Adams at New Prairie ©, 7:30 pm - Even though NP is down, they are better than Adams. Riley at Elkhart ©, 7 pm - If Elkhart does not score 40 on Riley, they have a problem.

What cant get excited for the Penn v Washington game? hahaha

Man, I am just happy Penn is even considered for Temp's top 25. These first few weeks have surprised me for sure. Going down 16 fast to Mishawaka, to then come all the way back and win by 6. The O looks better than last year. I still think they have a tall task of winning sectionals this year with CP still looking like the team to beat from the true North.

So back in the early 00's like 01 or 02 Grissom's team was not large like ours (Schmucker), however they had enough for a two deep I believe. But, they were good. Some of Penn's best players consistently came out of Grissom. Has anyone outside of the Michiana area had Barnaby's, Bruno's or Saylor's Pizza?

Grissom struggles to field a full team, Schmucker is the middle sized team while Discovery typically has the larger team. Rocket football league numbers I have heard are down but there are more teams in the league than when I played back in the 90's. So, that Idk how to compare. I have also heard that there is a lot of pressure being put on middle school players and even younger to play only 1 sport by AAU/Travel teams. While we all would likely agree it is better for the kids to be multi-sport athletes. I used to never think this way, but as of the last decade I would gladly sacrifice Penn's season for a Notre Dame national championship. To me that is how bad it has become. I thought Penn could put together a season and come away with the title way before ND actually had a chance to win the Natty, now it seems like Penn will never win another state title while ND is at the door step. It is frustrating.

With the collapse of the NIC North/South the amount of non conference games was cut to two games. While I cannot speak for Elkhart and not scheduling better teams. Penn elected to drop Carmel for crosstown rival Mishawaka. It feels and appears that the Administration could careless about winning another state title game at Penn High School. I am sick of the opening of every home game...5 time state champions...yeah that was a bygone era that every Penn poster clings to as the golden age of Penn football. Penn will continue to prove they don't care at the top and the product on the field will show it. I hope I am wrong, but as a former player, this has been decades in the making.

Bardo bailed on his teammates during games. If things don't go well at Elkhart he will do the same.

Penn's program has been falling off a cliff. Last year after the Valpo game was just like poking yourself in the eye for pleasure. Elkhart while there has been big news, (and some concerns how they are doing it please refer back to last year's Mishawaka drama,) regarding new transfers coming in over the past two seasons, this program while not at the level of CP or Carroll in the True North is trending upward now. They are primed to take control of the NIC for the foreseeable future. Especially if Penn cannot right the ship. Look at it like buying stock...Elkhart in the North is a buy with promise. Penn is a sell.

No doubt. Those Warren teams were just different. I think the Penn teams of the 90s were able to adapt and overcome, but I don't know if the results would be any different than to 03 state game. I really am just trying to keep the past Penn team comparison with the most recent Penn teams. While the players are bigger faster and stronger, the Penn title teams in the 90s were playing teams bigger faster and stronger than them. That is why I believe that those teams would beat the Yeoman teams.

The 2003 Warren team was the best team I had seen take the field until I witnessed the 2017 BD team. To think that there are teams in the country better than that football team really had me thinking about the quality of those other teams. In regards to past teams stacking up against current athletes. The mental exercise of the Penn teams from the 90's even the ones that lost state games, I firmly believe those teams would beat the Penn teams that made it to state during the Yeoman years. Even though Yeoman was the DC for Geez, the difference at the top of program is 100 fold. Geez was a difference maker. Penn teams under him were hungry and disciplined, even when the were winning state titles. Yeoman teams (I was on the first 4) eventually became complacent and bought into the we are Penn, we will just win this game. Yeoman had some special teams, but I don't see the 95, 96 or 97 or 00 teams getting beat by 03, 11, 15 or 17. That 2017 BD team was nasty....Carmel was their only close game in the regular season. When Penn went to Carmel and walked them, I had false confidence we could make that a game...We quickly found out that was not the case.

This thread I thought was about Sag. ratings. My comment was directed strictly at Penn non-state champions making the list while the 2000 Penn team went 14-1 and won the title doesn't make the list. But, all is good. Just my 2 cents on Penn. I will say the state runner up teams of Geez would have beat the Yeoman runner up teams. Don't need to mention the Champion teams, they got the job done. lol

No 2000 Penn, what was there sag rating... Hard to believe non state champion teams are better than one that did win state. I know that isn't how sag works, but still.

Warsaw LET'S FREAKING GOOOO! Congrats you guys! I thought you were the favorite in 5A this season, after some bumps in the road....look where you are, playing for that 5A title. Get the job done!

Hey guys, First off I apologize I have been absent....not that you were worried...just work was really busy for once. I want to say Congrats to CP on an amazing win over Carroll. I was pulling for them against Westfield, unfortunately Westfield was just more than they could handle. CP has proved me wrong when it comes to the Northern teams. I think that they are at the door of being one of Indiana's elite teams, I think they just need to get a long term commitment from an Indy school to help them take that next step. Congrats to Brownsburg for finally getting that job done in November. 3 solid tight wins, feels a lot like Ben Davis from last year. I think this is the first state title where there isn't a metro Indy or One of the Big 4 (BD, Warren, Carmel or CG) represented in the state title game since 1998. For that we should all celebrate. I have been wrong a lot this season. I hope we see an amazing football games with this year's slate of games.

I think we are getting closer to a North team getting through the glass ceiling. I think this could be one of those years where Carroll or CP catch the right team on the right night kind of situations....but overall we are still a ways out, Carroll is already going the road of playing Indy schools to help themselves prepare for what is to come. CP can take that next step in scheduling moving forward. Another thing, as Penn grad and die hard... this game was an awful slap in the face as to where these two programs are going, CP has buy in, Penn right now does not. This is year one, but I think at the very top of PHM there is no care if a sports team actually wins state... I mean our marching band can't even make state now. Like wtf. CP is on a rocket ship to the top of 6A north...Penn is fading to obscurity. Die hards and past players left last night at halftime...me being one of them. We all shook our heads and laughed. It is pathetic, this is also not a dig at the kids...it is all frustration towards the program and who runs it.

I think CP's next step to getting more respect is adding an Indy school to their schedule each year. If they start playing a Indy school each year, and win or get beat in a close game, come the playoffs, people will be actually looking at them and say, yeah they have what it takes. The players went out an took care of business. I am not trying to take that from them.

You brought Geesman into this, Did you mean to say, if Geesman was leading this specific team the result would have been the same? Because That I would agree with, but do I think that the team may have at least tried. outcome probably very similar...but it takes CP longer to get to that point. Or the game ends 21-0 becasue a Geesman team traditionaly executed better and would be able to at least minimize possessions.

I am sorry, Elkhart was good on one side of the ball. That was it, Elkhart gets beat by CP as bad as Penn does...why Because the Elkhart Penn game was a 0-0 tie in the second half. It would have ended if Penn doesn't suck and muff the punt. The quality of teams in this area are not what they used to be. When Penn was in the early 6A, the biggest complaint from the people in the North was Penn had it easy in sectionals 1 and 2. They had an open Door to Semi-State. CP has an open door to regionals. We sit here on this thread and argue strength of schedule for the teams in the South and the HCC, but when Carroll players two quality opponents outside of their conference, it means nothing all of the sudden. Carroll has seen the level of competition of CP already...twice. I don't expect Carroll to be overwhelmed in the moment. This is the program you were saying could take the North mantle and run with it...now because CP drubs a bad Portage and Penn team they are the anointed Kings? Again, if CP beats Carroll I will carry the flag, but God please every stop acting like this game is over before it even happens. You might as well be South Bend LaSalle.

I am sorry, how can you equate Geesman teams that won state titles against Ben Davis and Bloomington South and this Penn team that has not accomplished anything? Beating Penn now by 35 is ho hum, beating a Geesman lead team by 35 didn't especially to region teams.

On a positive note...Congrats to the young men and coaching staff at Lawrence North on their strong win against Cathedral. Their first sectional championship since 2021 and only their second sectional championship win in decades, last time before 21 was in 1990

Ok guys, I am going to say this one last time....stop giving any credence to the results of games against the St. Joe/Elkhart county football teams...Elkhart was not a good team, Penn was awful this year. Concord gets beat in sectionals. Mishawaka is literally the last school standing...and they struggled with a down Northwood team. CP is good football team. Who has not played anyone to the caliber of what Carroll has seen this year. If Carroll gets trounced I will carry the CP banner the rest of the way, but they are a good team, they aren't the best team I have ever seen. Carroll can win this game. It will likely be an ugly one. @BTF bro I know you see the Ft Wayne schools up close and in person week in and out, but until CP beats a quality team I cannot fathom them beating a quality Carroll and one of the better teams from Fishers or Westfield. I am willing to be wrong I have been many times this season, but beating Penn 35-0 is not the accomplishment it used to be, @temptationwould agree with that statement. The only thing I can say is that CP right now has the feel of early 6A Penn, the only difference is Penn had a weak Sectional 1 for regionals. CP actually has to play a competent team in regionals.

Congrats Concord....You couldn't even make it out of Sectional...Thus proving my point about St. Joe/Elkhart county football....It is bad....It is all bad!

Geesman teams played better and more talented Ben Davis teams than that CP team. I am sorry... CP is good, not that good.

A Geesman lead team would have kept that game close. They may not have won, but they would have actually fought to defend their home field. CP is the better team....Penn has massive issues with entitlement and lack of competition from the depth chart. Some parents are saying there are underclassmen that are not playing to give the Seniors their chance....That would work...if you had a well oiled machine that gives your underclassmen playing time against varsity level competition... This Penn team was bad. CP did what they had to do. They won the game in the first 3 minutes. Penn better scrap the depth chart, send the seniors away and actually start to build a culture that the players buy into....That was the most noticeable difference. CP players were bought in they were hyped and ready to play...Penn was lethargic. If this is what Penn football is going to be for the foreseeable future, I wont defend them anymore. I will honestly stop going to the games.

If CP rolls Penn, it will be as expected. With How Penn has looked against somewhat competent defenses, they have struggled. If CP wins ugly like last year, or it is a defensive battle, then I think either we have to think CP is more towards the level of Penn rather than Penn being to the level of CP...at least that is how I will look at it.