BTF

Didn't realize that............thanks.

I'm not trying to ruffle feathers, just trying to figure out how a program (Center Grove and Cathedral) produces 10+ Division 1 football players. Certainly they don't breed better athletes in those neighborhoods than they do in other parts of the state.

There isn't a Catholic elementary and middle school that feeds into it?

I honestly don't care if a program recruits or doesn't. If you can get a kid out of your district to come play football for you, then you are doing something right as a coach. They want to play for you for a reason. I'm just think you need to play in the respective class to warrant that. I was simply stating that most of Dwenger's kids come through their Catholic feeder schools. They get a transfer here and there, but it's not a priority of their program.

This topic makes me appreciate schools like Bishop Dwenger who predominantly work within their Catholic pipeline. I do credit Cathedral for going out and scheduling the best football programs they can find, but they should be battle testing themselves for the 6A tournament annually. What is the point of playing 5a ball other than stocking their trophy case? Having lots of trophies is fun, but the 6A champion will always be acknowledged as the best team in Indiana.

In 2005 South Side fell to the eventual state champions by 2 points at semi-state. I believe the archers can reach that level of success again. They were 11-3 that year with their other losses coming at the hands of Snider in a close game and Dwenger. The season before that they were a touchdown away from reaching semi-state. They clearly bought into Matt Land's system before he defected to Tri State to take on the head coaching position there (if my memory serves me correctly). Sensing an opportunity, Mike Cheviron left Carroll to pick up where Land left off, leading the Archers to 27 victories over the next 4 years.

They will be battle tested for sure.

Ohio, like Florida, is considered a football state. Indiana is a basketball state. I think it resonates when recruiting networks like 24/7 rate a kid. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

100%

That's because they're from Indiana, our kids get slighted for that. If Indiana was a southern state, they'd have 20 four star recruits. I actually wouldn't mind seeing an Indiana All Star team play IMG. If a 7 on 7 team from Fort Wayne can win the whole IMG 7 on 7 tournament, why couldn't the entire state of Indiana put together a team that could compete with IMG in 11 on 11?

The 2pt stay up doesn't necessarily bother me. The IHSAA believes that if you are good enough to win a sectional, then you are good enough to stay in that class. I don't dispute that. What bothers me is having a dominant class bumping the rebuilding class up a level. For many programs, their run of success is based on a two year cycle, then they go through a rebuilding phase. So coming up with a certain amount of points over a four year span instead of two makes more sense to me.

If Dwenger doesn't get out of sectionals, it's not because they are bad. It's because they are in the same sectional as Snider. Something's got to give. I agree with regard to the success rule. But I also don't have the perfect answer. I do like a four year success factor versus two.

How bout this for a compromise. Warren Central on turf. Center Grove on grass.

You have to take national rankings with a grain of salt. Carmel was #4 in the country in 1986 and they weren't even the best team in the state. I've seen a lot of football. Warren Central from from 2003 to 2006 was just a different beast. Four state championships in a row. I'd put the Snider 2004 team up against any team from any era. They just happened to run into the most dominant four year span this state has ever seen.

Agree. Two D1 recruits can't carry a team. It's a pretty good start though.

I don't know much about Gabe Johnson. Losing Mo Moriarty can't be a good thing. I actually thought they would have posted better records during the Drew Wood years. Good luck to them though. When I think of power programs down south, they always come to the surface.

Can never count out Columbus East. An oversight on my part.

All of the aforementioned teams will be will begin summer practice with full intentions of winning the state championship. But for the purpose of this thread, it looks like the biggest question is who Cathedrals strongest contender will be. I know I left out some pretty solid programs..................Whiteland, Decatur Central, Harrison, Plainfield, Castle, Michigan City, and Mishawaka.

Northern 5A gets a new look with Snider jumping into the mix. Overall though, it's looking like Cathedral at the top..........unless they are going through a rebuilding year. Who comes next though? Zionsville seems to be the safe bet, but you can never count out New Pal. Snider returns a boat load from last year. Cathedral – Reloading as usual? Up or down this year? Does it make a difference? Number one until proven otherwise. Zionsville – apparently a pretty good core returning from last year? They were pretty good in 2020 and kids tend to make massive improvements from their junior to senior years. New Palestine – Although I wasn’t real impressed with his assessment of the Snider/New Pal game in 2015, I still think he is one of the Top 5 coaches in Indiana. Up or down? Someone from Central Indiana chime in on this one. Dwenger – coming directly from the Dwenger community, this could be a rebuilding year. Or is it? Jason Garrett has proven himself as a top tier coach. Dwenger is Dwenger, so I’m not buying into the rebuilding talk. Reloading is probably more than likely. They have a tough act to follow though. I’ve never seen a team as dominant as Dwenger over the last two years and not even make it to the state championship game. Valpo – another program whose contingent claims to be in a rebuilding year. Apparently they’ve lost a lot of studs, but word has it that there is a pretty good quarterback in the pipeline? Snider – one year removed from their most lackluster performance in three decades, this years team needs to prove itself on the field. Returning 17 starters including an Ohio State recruit anchoring the offense and a Purdue commit anchoring the defense, the pieces are in place for a return to glory

I heard that too. But not an actual interstate, that would cost too much money..........limited access with lights. Should be ready to go by 2031. Anything to save money. Kind of like that "unique" only the second of it's kind, Diverging Dimond Interchange on Dupont Road. Not what was needed, but it did save the state some money, lol.

Another reason the State of Indiana needs to allocate funding for an interstate connecting Fort Wayne to Chicago running through Warsaw. US 30 is a nightmare and one of the most dangerous highway arteries in the state. Oh wait, that money is going toward an interstate from Indy to Rockville.

That wouldn't surprise me. But back then, it didn't seem to matter what competition Penn faced. Chris Geesman found his way to five state championships despite playing a weak schedule. In all fairness though, Central Indiana wasn't back then what it is today. Two or three good teams for sure. But now it's ten or eleven. By and large, unfortunately many on here still have no clue what that means, a strong schedule goes a long way in building a program. As does enrollment. Penn was an exception to the rule when it came to playing a tough schedule. Center Grove has proven to be an exception to the rule when it comes to enrollment..............or not. Would Center Grove teams of today match up well with WC and BD teams of the past? I've said it before........ *I still don't think 6A is as strong as it has been in the past (the 90's), which allows a school like CG with an enrollment of 2500 to sneak in and get a few rings. *Just an opinion.

I wouldn't say they are in purgatory with regard to the north, just the Central Indiana behemoths. With an enrollment of 2100 and a pretty good coach, there is no reason they shouldn't be a major player north of Indy. A 6A championship may not be very realistic, but they could potentially become one of the better 'pound for pound' teams in the state.

It's unfortunate that Snider didn't have the two points needed to remain in 6a. But it was never meant to be. Homestead had the better team both years. Snider's down cycle pushed them down a class just in time for their up cycle. Then there's the chance that the up cycle will push them up a class for their down cycle. Still with me? There has to be a better system than this, lol. Anyway...................

Then the coach turns away from the play as if to say "wow", instead of immediately checking to see if the kid is ok. Ignorance on full display.