First_Backer_Inside

They had a move in that was bigger than their big back, so they moved the big back to HB and the move in to FB I'm pretty sure. Maybe its flipped the other way around. All I know is they got a stud move in over the summer.

Vicki Vallencourt said those singles were probably even stickier than the ones you get from your mom Phyllis!

I will agree, the HNAC was probably better than the TRC this year. The top three teams are pretty evenly matched from both conferences. After that, if you're just playing better bad teams are you really getting more prepared for the playoffs is my only thing. I don't think Rochester being in the HNAC would make that much of a difference. If you had every team in the top 200 in the state like the HNAC has had then I'd say there is an argument there. That wasn't the case this year. Also when talking about a conference change, I know its hard because I do the same thing with football being the main reason for someone moving conferences, but you do have to think about the other sports at your school as well. The TRC is just a better fit for Rochester all-around in sports. I would agree. I expect to see a 1A HNAC team in the semi-state. I think Laville is solid as well. I'm just not sold on them being great yet. They beat an Andrean team that was 3-6. They also did it in conditions that suited them for beating Andrean. The field kind of took away from the speed and elusiveness factor I think Andrean had over Laville. Did not expect Laville to move the ball going right at Andrean like they did which was very impressive. Andrean made a lot of mistakes that Laville capitalized on which is what good teams do. I just don't know that if you play that game over in better conditions that you can confidently say Laville still wins that game.

So your telling me Rochester playing Caston and Culver would have made them better and more prepared for LCC? All the more reason Rochester needs to get the win, and send them back down to 1A 😉

Outside of Knox, how tough was the HNAC really this year?

The only thing that pride did was get you bounced first round of the sectional. And my mama said visors are the devil!

i thought this was interesting. I went back and looked at starting lineups for both teams. Both defenses return 7 guys that played as starters in the Sectional Championship from last year. The major difference is LCC only returns 2 guys from the starting lineup on offense last year whereas Rochester returns 7 on offense. I didn't realize LCC returned that many on the defensive side of the ball. Both defenses played very well last year. Will be interesting to see if that is the theme for this years game.

I don't think so, but it could go either way for them. I think you could make the same argument for LCC as well. Both have beaten who they are supposed to and lost to who they were supposed to. At the time, losing to Peru seemed like a pretty bad loss, but Peru just played Guerin for all 4 quarters and only lost by a touchdown. The only other loss was to Valley and I'm sure you saw first hand the difficulty of a 2A roster trying to matchup with Valley. I don't think their best player even played in the Bremen game. You are definitely correct with area teams being down such as Northfield and Southwood that usually are very tough, but Rochester also beat a Cass team that while they aren't great, are easily in the top half of 2A teams this year. They also handily beat a Maconaquah team that isn't great on defense, but has a very explosive offense that scored 42 in one quarter the other night and Rochester held them to 14 points. I think Rochester had a more consistent team last year, but I think when both are playing their best football, this years team is much better.

That was quite the Eastside team they ran into that year if I'm not mistaken. I think they will make it out of their sectional this year. Just not sure they have what it takes to go much further than that.

I don't know man, I still don't think Sagarin is quite right. Knox might be the #4 best team alive in 3A but they aren't the #4 best in 3A as a whole this year. Heck Sagarin has them as the #38 team in the state. I'm telling you right now there are more than 37 teams in the state of Indiana that can beat Knox right now. This isn't a knock on Knox (even tho it sure as heck sounds like it as I'm rereading it), but I just don't think Sagarin is something that I trust as far as what a team is ranked or whether or not they will win the game or not.

The more I look at it, the more I think the North will be represented by Rochester/LCC/Laville with a possibility of Bluffton. I don't think Luers is as good as people think, and i think their record is very misleading. Luers got blown out by their two non-conference opponents on the schedule, not to say they weren't good teams, but they weren't even competitive. The Fort Wayne schools as a whole only beat each other without making much noise outside of Carroll and Snider outside of the conference. If you watch Luers play, outside of pretty good defense, there isn't any consistency in the offensive game plan, no identity from what I can see. Just athletes making some plays here and there and the further you get into the playoffs, the more athletes everyone has. I just don't think they are going to go as far as people think they are going to go.

Probably said the same thing about Churubusco

They might have been one of the best teams in the nation that year. So much talent and so fun to watch.

West Lafayette @ Rensselaer Maconaquah @ Hamilton Heights Rochester @ Central Catholic Tipton @ Eastern Brownsburg @ Ben Davis Plainfield @ Harrison Clinton Prairie @ North Vermillion

My momma said North Central already packed up all their practice gear and equipment. Swear to god she did!

Rochester averages 40 points a game, so they are more than capable of putting up more than just a few touchdowns. I understand the strength of schedule isn't great, but they scored 23 on a Peru defense that only allowed 27 against Guerin. Rochester also did it running the ball where Guerin did a lot of their damage through the air. As far as pass defense goes, they played a Maconaquah team that averages 271 passing yards a game and that had thrown for 28 touchdowns to just 14 points. On the right track here! About the only two comparisons you can make for the two teams is Lcc played Guerin and lost 27-3. Rochester played Peru and lost 34-23. Guerin beat Peru 27-19. Lcc played West Lafayette and lost 37-7. Rochester played Valley and lost 39-8. Valley beat West Lafayette 35-13. Both teams have beaten who they are supposed to and lost to who they are supposed to. Which team is going to win a 50-50 game that in my opinion neither team has had this year? It's going to come down to senior leadership, defensive execution, and who can win the turnover battle. Like you said should be a great game and in my opinion the game of the week in the 2A North.

I think the HNAC will get 3 wins. I don't know about 4. I think the North Judson and Triton scores are pretty accurate. I think Knox will win by more than a touchdown. I just don't think Laville will pull it off. I think it will be close, but watching Andrean they still have a lot of talent there for 2A. Not enough to beat a lot of the teams on their schedule, but enough to still win their sectional and make a run in 2A. I think Laville will give them all they can handle with their QB play, but just not enough in my opinion. I hope I'm wrong because I would like to see Andrean knocked out of the 2A tournament for my Zebras sake, but not sure if it will happen.

Couldn't agree more, if it ain't broke don't try and fix it. If you only have to run 3 plays to win the game, then only run 3 plays to win that game. Coach Moriarty does a great job of this.

They will appear balanced, but they want to run the ball. They will line up in I-formation with a lead fullback at times, and other times they will come out in what looks like a wing-T formation. When they are feeling crazy they will line up in gun sometimes with their normal QB and other times with a wildcat kind of guy. Once they find something they like they will stay in it until you stop them tho.

Does anyone close to Valley know if the Parker kid is playing or not? I assume he is, but he's been in a boot the last two games. The coaches son has also been out with a broken fibula. Two important players for the Vikings right there. If the Parker kid plays at full strength, I think Valley will hang with them for a while.

It seems like 3A just has to have a super loaded sectional somewhere in the North no matter who is in the class. Sectional 26 would have been loaded with good teams with the best one cruising to the state championship.

#1 QB was injured in the first couple of plays. I don't think it will be as close if they meet to play one another again.

Evansville Mater Dei receiving votes with a record of 2-7 in 2A, c'mon man.

Mississinewa @ Western Twin Lakes @ Boone Grove River Forest @ West Lafayette Rensselaer @ Griffith Northwester @ Maconaquah Hamilton Heights @ Oak Hill Winamac @ Central Catholic Benton Central @ Seeger Blackford @ Tipton Hobart @ New Prairie Tri-Central @ Frontier

I have not seen a single 2A North sectional thread so I figured might as well just put them all together. This might be the most wide open the north has been in a few years without a clear front runner to represent the north at LOS. I think there are at least two teams in every sectional that have a pretty decent chance at being that team. Here is my pick for every sectional and who might give those picks problems on their way to claiming it. Sectional 33: I'm going to go with Andrean here. I wouldn't be surprised if Laville beats them, but I think Andrean has played a tough enough schedule they will be ready for the Lancers. I think the winner of that first round game will be the one that wins this sectional. Sectional 34: LCC is the defending champ, so I think that makes them the favorite, but if anyone is going to knock them out of the playoffs in the sectional, it is probably going to have to be Rochester. Great game last year that was a lot closer than the score looks. I look for this years game to be a lot like it. Close all the way to the end. Sectional 35: I think this one might be the easiest to pick. I think Luers walks through this one fairly easy. Eastside will give them the greatest fight, but I don't think it will be close when they meet. Sectional 36: I think this one could go one of three or four ways. I think Bluffton is probably the favorite, but Alexandria has been playing very good football from what i have heard the last couple of weeks. I think they are a contender. Hard to not say Eastbrook has a chance. Record isn't as great as in past years, but they have a history of being very good in the playoffs. I think the wild card in this sectional is Eastern. I don't think they have played a very tough schedule, but winning 7 games still isn't necessarily easy so I'd say they have a chance. Would love to hear what other people think. Maybe a team I haven't followed that others think might have a chance to make some noise this playoffs.