First_Backer_Inside

I don't think people are under estimating Judson and how good they are. I think the North goes through Judson in 1A this year. A lot thought Knox was a top 5 3A team and maybe the best team in the North. To lose to Judson by 3 scores makes you question that. Obviously its week 1 and a long way to go.

What offense did Winamac run? I'll be the first to admit they proved me wrong already. Hopefully they can keep improving.

Illinois has some good ones. Fighting pretzels are good, but the Hoopeston Cornjerkers takes the cake!

Really tough to see the Rochester Zebras didn't make the top 10 or even an honorable mention 😉 Cool list though

The digest book says two Olineman and a tight end on offense. Two on the defensive side as well. Were each of those more like a rotator guy than a true starter? Depending on how good of a blocker the tight end was in that offense, that could be consider a big hit in the line upfront. The book isn't always too accurate or specific, so I'm sure you know better than the rest of us if they really lost a lot or not.

LCC and Lutheran rematch for the state title 5 years later...in 2A. Have your fun while you can 3A, in 2029 you're next.

I believe you fill the preseason one out as soon as you can.

It does take a little bit to get them back on with the straps and snaps that need to be run through the facemask. My guess is with my little bit of experience with them, if the cap comes off of a player's helmet, a couple straps probably broke, and the player would need a new cap anyway.

I think they beat Frontier, but that isn't a conference game. Just going off of the teams Rochester has seen in the summer and seeing Winamac Friday, it's what I'm predicting. I'm sure they will be competitive in most if not all the games you listed. I just don't see them winning most if not all of them.

The conference is Judson's to lose. Really interested to see if North Miami can make some noise in the new conference. I don't know if Winamac wins a conference game this year folks, good experience for the young guys this year tho hope they can stay healthy. Bold prediction on the year, Caston beats both Winamac and Pioneer in the same year for the first time in probably school history, you heard it right here first. Good luck to the conference. Some really good football played throughout the years from this conference. Hopefully it continues with the new look.

I'm goin with what the guy above me said. Other than Valley, I think most will be close competitive games that are fun to watch.

A lot of southern teams in 2A

From what I have heard this is Penn States year. They have Ohio State at home. They're only real road test will come at USC. Arguably the best running back duo in the nation, solid second year quarterback, defense has been solid the last couple years and is supposed to be even deeper. I feel like Franklin has underachieved big time since being there, but he keeps bringing in good talent. Maybe with the expanded playoffs, even a loss to OSU they make it.

Tragic but you're probably right. Unfortunate to think you made it to the playoffs and still don't think you have a chance. Hopefully the 2018 UCF team can inspire some of those teams to give it a shot, but when players are saying even the playoffs aren't worth playing for is unfortunate.

This is why I'll forever have mad respect for Saquon Barkley. New he was an early Round 1 pick. Went out in a nonplayoff bowl game and balled out for his university one last time. I understand both decisions, play or don't play. A lot of respect for the guys that suit up one last time for the university they committed to.

Are the hot a$$ chicks with the big personalities in the ads coming back, if so I might end up regretting this? Thanks fellas for keeping this site goin!

As a coach, you never really know what you have until full pads are on, the coaches aren't in the huddles, you have to play a full 48 minute game, and the kids execute or don't execute the game plan put in place. It usually is week 3 or 4 when all the teams in the state are up to full speed with things. Nothing will drive a coordinator crazy like a 7 on 7 or an 11 on 11. No game plan, don't know what the team is going to lineup in and do. Really its just an opportunity for coaches to see who can play and who can't play at the varsity level in my opinion. "Iron sharpens Iron" The kid has two choices. You can complain about the situation you are in all year and waste your last year of playing football you might have, or you can go out and get better everyday competing for that spot to create competition and better play. Its not easy for a young man to keep a level head about and do no doubt. A few buddies of mine and myself were in a similar situation in college. We played at a college in Indy that was pretty good. We were on scout team for a lot of our career. We would get after it with our starting defense everyday trying to get noticed ourselves. The week after a game our defense would tell us we were better than the offense they just faced on Saturday. At the end of the first year, we had one guy transfer to another school. He had great stats for his position at a middle of the road D2 program that went .500 on the year every year he was there. The rest of us stayed and continued playing scout team for a team that won multiple conference championships and never was out of the top 15 in D2. It was hard to do as a college kid and I'm sure it is even harder for high school athletes to have that attitude. But to be apart of something great is worth it to me. Tough situation at Warren and lots of pressure, but pressure does produce diamonds. Maybe this will be the year for them.

Rochester scrimmaged Knox, John Glenn, and Bremen this summer in different 11 on 11's. All three teams are going to be very solid this year. Was very impressed with the improvement of Bremen from last year to this year. Obviously things can change good or bad with putting on the full pads and getting after it but keep an eye on the Bremen Lions. I think they will be more than competitive. John Glenn has some good size and speed on their team. The offense seemed to be running smoothly and effectively considering they just got a new coach not too long ago. And then Knox definitely has the best player in the conference if I had to guess in Mclaughlin. Might even have the second best player in the league in Conroy. They combined for 500 carries last year. A bigger and faster conference this year. Hopefully they can hold up the entire season with that many carries. Its too bad Knox and Valley couldn't have matched up last year would have been a heck of a game. I'm sure this years matchup will be a good one as well.

Those numbers are low at Rochester as well. Could be a contributing factor at other schools though. Haven't heard enough from other coaches to confirm that. Some smaller schools don't play soccer at their school, like Lewis Cass, and still don't have the numbers they used to have in past years.

From a coaches stand point, idk what it is about the sport, but in a lot of public schools right now it feels like fewer and fewer kids are coming out for football, regardless of the class or success. Rochester has been very successful the last couple of years, and yet coaches fight tooth and nail to get 35 kids through 4 classes to come out for the team. Gone are the days of a freshman team, JV team, and Varsity team for most public 3A teams and down, maybe even some 4A. I'd like to blame baseball for it, but I don't know enough about travel ball and haven't researched enough to really know for sure if that is the reason or not. It just feels like in our area we have a lot of kids playing baseball all year long. It is a headache though trying to get the numbers on a football team we would have seen 10-15 years ago.

I'd like to vote for the first four classes. This is awesome, thank for doing it.

LET'S GO MONROVIA BULLDOGS!!!

Rensselaer coming back down in 2A taking the place of Laville in that sectional will keep it more competitive. The Bombers have always been very competitive in 2A, are well coached, and I expect they will be again this year being back down. We always scrimmage them at Manchester camp and are always impressed with a lot of their guys.

Never know what you can put together with 4 different classes of kids. Some groups can fill the holes others lack to turn out very good teams. I have no doubt Adams Central will be a threat in 2A no matter who they put on the field. Hopefully 2A can provide better competition and closer games than a lot of the ones AC played the last couple of years in 1A. Not a knock on 1A North either. Some great teams, the last couple of AC teams have just been special. Which makes those Lutheran teams even more special. Anyone got any predictions on the South or what some teams bring pack. Did North Posey graduate a lot? Stockton, Triton Central, and Brownstown Central had some good teams last year. Returning any talent from those teams?