23andCounting

I see them beating Cathedral once every 4 or 5 years. I actually see them winning 3 of 5 over EC.

A school that size typically has to wait for a special class to come along to be a serious contender in 6A (maybe once or twice a decade). The Dragons scream 4A dynasty and would be a major player in 5A every season. But 6A is a different beast.

I'm not the one to ask. I heard somewhere on this board that they were returning 15ish starters? Not positive.

As good as you're going to get considering enrollments and pay scales. I honestly think some coaches put family before ego. Kudos to them.

Insulting considering The Region and Fort Wayne represented the north two of the past three season. Then you have Snider wasting WC on their home field a couple seasons ago. Can't say football isn't serious up here Temp. I get it, by and large, the rest of the state can't match up with Indy's massive enrollments and high paid coaches, but there's some good programs up here nonetheless. I remember a time when the HCC was a tune-up game for the northern powers. The gap will close, it's just a matter of time.

One of the best pound for pound programs in the state, they'll get their fair share of unfair criticism all season long. For those of you who need an education regarding "pound for pound." Pretend that the Pirates had the same enrollment as Ben Davis or Warren Central. Good grief.

That means nothing to me. Homestead played that game half asleep until they needed to wake up enough to win. The following week they played the best team in the state (Carmel) even up for a half without their best player.

I follow Snider first and foremost, so not that much different.

So to qualify as a respectful program, you have to be one of the best 6 or 7 teams in 6A. Got it. The North should start out with three programs that have potential to be respectful, but in the end, there will be only one. East Central and Decatur Central don't qualify. New Pal probably because they return a lot of starters from what I hear. The Dragon's will go back to non-respectable next season more than likely.

Jimmy Sullivan transferring to Carroll to play for Dinan didn't do Sparty any favors. The Millers had the luxury of catching Homestead during some of their most mediocre ball of the 22 year Chad Zolman era. Odds are that they'll trend back up.

Remember when everyone wanted to leave Snider for dead during covid? Let's not forget that Sparty is only a few years removed from back to back SAC championships. Give Zolman a run on talent and they'll be back in the conversation. I'm not expecting them to win sectionals this year, but I don't think they'll be a team to be overlooked. Agree. I like that matchup better than I do Carroll/Center Grove. Props to Dinan for going all in though.

What's a respectable program? One that can compete with Center Grove year in or year out or one that can compete with New Pal year in and year out. Depends on your definition.

Nonetheless, they're two of the six most respected programs in 6A North (north of Lafayette). It just gives us an idea early on if they are contenders or pretenders. I wouldn't be surprised if Carroll keeps it within a touchdown, nor would be surprised if CG running clock's them. Homestead might surprise some this year. They may not get blown out by the Miller's like you're expecting. In fact, I'll just call that one even up at this point. June 27th, 2025 3:24pm

Week two will be telling for the North. You also have Carroll/Center grove and Homestead/Noblesville.

Not sure how the SAC stacks up in recent seasons, but the fall of Dwenger and Concordia doesn't help their cause. Luers is still just a 3A school.......good program or not, they're not winning 4A anytime soon. You basically have two teams at the top, Snider and Carroll, no order. I imagine Homestead would do just fine against any conference's third team not named HCC or MIC. Same with North Side against someone else's #4. I'd really have to dive into this to come up with a ranking. Hate to say it, but maybe just defer to Sagarin for the time being. At the end of the day, no one really cares about chanting "we're #3." The gap between Indy (6A only) and the rest of the state needs to close. The SAC took the first necessary steps a couple of seasons ago.

I'll roll with that.

Literally made me laugh. C'mon Temp, come up with a scenario that's fair to the rest of the state. Like maybe Crown Point + Whiting. If you gave Buzea Merrillville's kids in addition to his own, he'd real off a dynasty like Wright, Dullaghan, or Geesman has never seen. Maybe they wouldn't running clock Brownsburg, but no one in Indy would come withing three touchdowns.

Hate seeing kids cross the border. I try purposely to lose track of them if they were recruited in state.

Not saying it will. But I wouldn't be surprised to one day see East Noble and Leo enter the SAC mold. Would love to see Huntington North continue to develop. Maybe see the likes of Adams Central and South Adams add to the SAC small division. As I said...............a speed burner or two away from a state title. They're close.

Crown Point + Merrillville = running clock vs Brownsburg. Sorry, that would be lethal. No excuses for Carroll. Snider's a 5A program limited by enrollment.

Agree, all on a level playing field DT hit the nail on the head. Northern Super Conference. Carroll, Homestead, Snider, Penn, Elkhart, Crown Point, Merrillville, & Valpo. Two open dates for "rest" games.

Title(s)? Presuming Valpo won. Who else? And don't sell CP short. Every HCC team has potential to be "mid tier." It's a compliment.

Top three..............signed, sealed, delivered.

Snider will be 5A championship good, but 6A is a different beast. Carroll has proven over the past several years that they will just reload. Homestead might threaten those two for SAC supremacy, but no way they get out of their sectional. For now, gotta roll with Buzea and company.

I don't see why not, Buzea has put together one of the best programs in the state in four short years. The dude has a resume Temp. Besides, what fun would the regular season be without a team from the North to boast about. Crown Point is just a couple of speed burners from a state title.