foxbat

Yep, I've seen it in programs and I've seen it across sports where a kid might "quit" mid-game. Yes, it can be a culture program, but I've also see it when it's not culture. I'm not familiar with Merrillville as a program, so I can't speak to their culture, and it's also why I mentioned specifically "personal attitude" rather than team culture in my statement of response.

Looks like they played them again this season and forfeited. Wonder if they had a contract that's still in dispute, so they took the loss. They had a game scheduled that same weekend the next day, so it must have been some type of administrative plan as I can't imagine IMG, no matter how go they are, scheduling two games in two days like that.

To be fair, if someone walks away due to their own personal attitude when a team is down, and someone else steps into their shoes and does better, I spend my focus in the moment on the guy willing to sit the bench and support the team as he can until his time arrives and then step in and perform when the team needs him. Doesn't mean I abandon the guy who walked away and it doesn't mean that I don't try to work with him to see if we can perhaps get him back on track, but a lot of times character shines through in adversity ... both ways.

Now that there's funny. I don't care who you are.

A lot warmer up in that booth in Indiana in November ... and the food's better than on the field.

OT: One of those knockoff AR Bushmasters or the real thing? ... I have a Colt that I've had for almost 30 years now.

I agree for the finals. Was just wondering if it was only for finals, as per the thread title, or possibly extended to a bigger part of the post-season as per the National Federation's new rule.

Would there be a standardization of required video capability/capacity at all sites? I'm not overly familiar with the required standards at the NFL and college levels, but there is a generic level of fan expectations from those such as x number of angles and close-up ability even if fans don't know what those specific requirements are. There are some online games that I've watched that the image quality looks like family vacations at the beach from the 60s. Others are much more defined and others beyond that have several angles/several cameras. If the IHSAA considers it, it would make sense to have a particular minimum standard and, perhaps limitations on the types of calls that could be reviewed. For example, things like number of players on the field, players on the line/off the line, etc. are probably always doable regardless of image quality/number of cameras, etc. whereas things like sideline catches might stay as "decision on the field" without review. Just curious ... who would foot the bill for the tech and the extra body in the booth? I'm assuming that the extra bodies would come from ref teams that did not have latter post-season duties? Edit: This is less of an issue if we are just talking the finals as the infrastructure's there at LOS. If this is expanded to post season in general, then my post above applies.

The key to LCC being able to have a shot at winning is tied to a couple of things ... figuring out how to stifle the passing attack and doing so with a defensive scheme that limits the run ... not necessarily an easy task. This is particularly true given that Andrean will sling the ball and do so successfully ... and LCC's vulnerable to the pass under their current defensive scheme. Andrean falters when rushing for under 100 yards in a game. The rush limit is definitely doable as LCC limited Rochester's 3-headed running attack to just under 60% of its season average rushing and making for the second-lowest run total of the season. With that said, Rochester didn't have a passing game to offset, so LCC's going to have to do something other than cramming 10 in the box as a defensive scheme. If LCC puts 10 in the box, they are likely to get scorched in the air as Andrean's QBs have around a 70% completion rate and have aired the ball out a couple hundred times and have 18 TDs to show for it. My guess is that they are going to have to give plenty of different looks on D and rely on stunting. The key might be in studying what Merrillville or Lowell was able to do on the run. Then again we are talking about a 6A and 4A team, so the obvious answer might be, "They were just bigger and had depth." The bigger issue for LCC is going to be the offensive side of the ball. Andrean has only given up a max of 28 points this season. When giving up 27-28 points, they are 1-3 for the season. If LCC is able to find a way to trade punches, then that gives them a puncher's chance. The problem though is that offense is somewhat choppy for LCC. Rochester held LCC to 24 points for the game there was a late-game TD to get to that 24. LCC will need to find a way to move the ball and keep it close to provide some potential slack for the defense to get things figured out ... again, I think LCC's going to need to do something other than standard D to have a shot. Special teams have helped LCC this season, but Andrean's likely to blunt that ... and least from the kicking side. They have a kicker who can kick touchbacks with 8 of them for the season and average kickoffs of 47 yards. By contrast, LCC has one touchback and averages around 32 yards. They are both roughly even around 32 yards for punts. Where LCC tends to have the advantage is in kick and punt returns. While averages tend to be similar, LCC tends to be explosive on returns and is always dangerous in that category. LCC has three games with punt returns of 40 or more yards and four games with kickoff returns of 40 or more yards. Andrean;s stats, which might be lacking, show one game with a punt return at 40 or more yards and no games with a kickoff return of 40 or more yards. LCC's Henry is 5-6 on FGs with a long of 28 and 54 of 56 on PATs. Andrean's Cusick is 2-3 on FGs with a long of 27 and 29 of 36 on PATs. Leg points favor LCC.

Just saw your post with the same issue I had on permanent regional sites.

The problem with permanent regional or even semi-state sites is, unless the sites are non-high school, the regular inhabitant of said site might still be in the mix.

That's kind of what I was thinking. Five TDs is a lot to come from behind on with a regular clock. With a running clock, you'd have to be pretty dang near perfect ... which would beg the question about whether said perfection would have been better-served in the first half.

They'd be in good company with a lot of other teams.

I think he's joking and not hinting at anything nefarious. @AG's from the Pioneer contingent which often ended up on the threads back in the day with the LCC folks; for obvious reasons. The city speed / county speed discourse harkens back to the 2011 season when LCC was gearing up to play Scecina. Recall that Lafayette-area speedster Danny Anthrop was burning up the gridiron in his senior year that year. In the run-up to the title game, there was some inference from a couple Scecina posters that, while LCC had speed, they had not seen/experienced the "city speed" that Scecina had ... [edit: note that this was the reference used by the Scecina folks themselves]. Anthrop torched Scecina in the state title game that year for over 250 yards and three TDs including something like a 70-yard TD romp on LCC's first play from scrimmage as LCC easily dominated 38-7. That launched a whole genre of city/county speed jokes that has been a staple among the Lafayette crowd and others on GID for the past decade or so.

Not sure, all I know is that LCC qualifies as county speed in the city speed/county speed argument and Jeff a mile down the same street from LCC.

Nope, Lafayette's considered county speed ... even in the heart of the city.

What a jagoff! I see he's still spreading his disinformation. I also see he's still not able to hire a decent graphics designer for his logo either with all of his media savvy. What is this now? The 38th iteration of his Hoosier *fill in the blank* Gridiron activity? Mine's coming in this weekend.

And underrated. I will say, I saw Plainfield play earlier in the season against Harrison and thought they had a gritty team. I think they should be a decent team again next season too. Harrison's JV faced Plainfield's JV the day after the earlier season game and that score was 14-8 Harrison. Don't know what DC has in the pipeline coming up, but Sectional 13 may end up with some decent parity next season sans McCutcheon unless things really turn around quickly there.

When I see this discussion about "undeserving" teams who have somehow weaseled their way into the tournament and, even when they perform, are still undeserving, I just envision the 50% selection process in the old ping pong room ...

Traditional bend not break.

West Lafayette 44 - Hanover Central 17. Final.

Plainfield got grief earlier in the season too and they just won their sectional with a 13-10 win over Decatur Central.

Jeff wins first sectional title in two decades with 38-28 victory over Crown Point.

West Lafayette 37 - Hanover Central 17 with 10:34 left in game.

Jeff leads 31-21 with 5:15 left in game. Last Jeff sectional title was two decades ago. Now 38-28 with 2:29 left in game. And Jeff just picked off CP's pass. Bronchos have the ball with a 10-point lead and 2 minutes left in the game.