BLACKGOLD2007

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.

I don't think there is one person in this thread that think Penn is going to win this game. Penn fans included. I do want to pose this question....If CP does not beat Penn like a drum....then what is your opinion of CP? I think CP wins by multiple touchdowns.... But, I am curious what everyone will say, if the expected scenario does not occur.

@temptation what are your thoughts on Cathedral upsetting North? Does Franklin Central have a chance v Center Grove?

He is a winner, and knows how to get the best from his team when it is needed most. If Semi-State comes down to LN v Center Grove...I am giving the edge to Center Grove, even though North beat them by 13 in the regular season. Semi-State is just a different level of pressure, plus you have to beat a familiar foe for a second time, which is always harder.

With CP at 3, if they play and win an ugly game against Penn, does that hurt them? How close are your teams from 2-5?

Penn has to find a way to keep their offense on the field. If they can play keep away from CP, this will bode in their favor. I think Penn's D is the only group that has improved from week to week. I know it has not been against CP caliber teams, but from week 1 to now, that is a better group of players....with a large number of them returning next year. If the O cannot stay on the field....good night and see you next season.

Man, I see this as possible....but I would love to see LN take this down undefeated in a historic run....that is unless Penn finds a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... then I will be selfish and wish for a Penn championship.

Glad Snider got that win. Wasn't pretty, but they got the job done.

We are at home, so we will be there. Then we get to CP if we don't crap the bed this week. Well Snider got their revenge the next year when we went to the Fort and got smashed.

Sure, you could never overlook an opponent. That was just my perspective of what Snider needs to do. I think the jacked-o-meter is going to be on the side of Elkhart, big time home playoff game that isn't Penn for the first time in a while...where they are probably "favored" in their eyes. I remember my Freshman year we had Snider rolling in for the semi state game, everyone was counting us out, Corey did a great job that week getting us hyped for the game. Normally hype wears off in a half...but we sustained it the entire game and bounces went our way that night....The next week we have Warren Central....and their messaging to us was so off base. The meek will inherit the earth bs...did not play well with the players...I am in no way saying that is why we go trounced...but it was not how you get a team that just dropped 60 on Snider ready for the biggest game of their lives..

NIC schools like Penn, St. Joe, Marian and the South Bend Schools do well in various sports. Penn has had a strong showing when it comes to the none football sports this fall. The issue with the NIC is that these programs are performing despite the conference's limitations. NIC teams already play a heavy Region and Fort Wayne schedule outside of conference...Now that will change some because in baseball and basketball the in conference games have changed. Dikos (Penn's baseball coach) has already complained about the changes to the baseball schedule. I don't think Penn's best bet is going independent in football only....I think they should petition the DAC and see if they will take Penn in, if they don't....I would then reach out to similar sized schools in our area and Fort Wayne and see if organizing a new conference with them is a possibility...I would explore those options before trying to go Independent...But, if Penn went that route...you now have two Indy schools that would want to play Penn each year moving forward....Almost a guaranteed win for both schools at this point.