BTF

13 minutes ago, psaboy said:

Yeah, I know. The schools and fans like the ease of all conference games and little travel. I do think it is a negative when if comes to state playoffs. Yes the SAC is a very good conference, 3rd or 2nd in state, but the teams are struggling when it comes to matching up year in and year out vs the traditional power teams of respected class. Probably be the way it is for quite awhile. Just was hoping SAC may look at being on cutting edge and trying something new one of these years. 

I couldn't agree more. 

1 hour ago, Thor77 said:

Ok, whatever. Just sounds like an excuse. 

I don't have a dog in the fight, but I know a good football team when I see one. Kind of like South Adams..........a very good team that would wax many schools twice their size. Last year Homestead beat Dwenger because they were the better team. Then they lost their running back Braeden Hardwick at the end of the season. Ask any player, coach, or fan at Homestead if they were a different team after that. It's the same thing with Dwenger not having their RB Tippmann playing in the game. And it still took Homestead a last second score to to force overtime. Dwenger has a special team this year. It's a shame they won't be able to call themselves SAC champs. It's ok though, they've got their sites on getting to the state championship game.

Good luck to the Starfires. This could be their year. 

1 hour ago, Purdue Pete said:

So the question is ... “if Homestead and Carroll hadn’t been voted off the NE8 island would they be there today?” Or... would they have joined the SAC of their own volition by now?  They obviously belong there.  Good fit.

Agree, it was a win/win for all. The SAC lost Elmhurst and Harding and gained Homestead and Carroll. That's a win for the SAC. Homestead and Carroll have better competition in the SAC than they did in the NHC (mainly because of school size), therefore raising the bar for their athletic programs. 

1 hour ago, Thor77 said:

Ummmm how can Dwenger be the best if Homestead beat them? 

Dwenger was in control most of the game despite being without their best player.........which happens to be a running back. Dwenger wins that game 9 out of 10. So yes, Dwenger is the best team in the SAC. 

1 hour ago, Staxawax said:

Certainly won’t be the first time Westfield has been a thorn in the side for SAC teams.

Agree. Their nice little comeback cost Snider a state championship in 2016.

7 minutes ago, TheDoctor22 said:

Congrats Trojans! What a fun game to watch! It wasn't always pretty, but Chatard showed up ready to play. They played tough, physical football all four quarters, which I think was the difference in the game.

A lot of people quick to dismiss Merrillville after that game, but I'm not so sure. Merrillville was every bit as big and as athletic as advertised. They have some VERY good players on both sides of the ball. As others have mentioned, I think the travel definitely had an impact. Merrillville was also down a few starters. Lastly, Chatard is a pretty darn good football team. They played a competitive game with Cathedral (who is historically good by their standards), which no other Indiana team can say so far this year, including Merrillville's potential semi-state opponent Westfield. I wouldn't count Merrillville out just yet. If they get healthy and clean up some mistakes, they could be a very dangerous team in November. Keep your heads up pirates and good luck the rest of the year!

Great post. How do you think this years team stacks up with Chatard's all time best?

Homestead solidified itself as the second best team in the SAC last night. But the score versus Carroll is a bit deceiving. Although Homestead is very good, they aren't 29 points better than Carroll. After a couple of charger turnovers, the Spartans took a 14 point lead. Every time Carroll came within 7, Homestead would go up 14. Once Carroll realized that, they seemed to have lost their luster. The difference in the game was really a matter of turnovers...........and kudos to Homestead, because that's what good teams do. I look for a closer game if they play again in sectionals.

Although I've dubbed Dwenger as the best team in the SAC this year, is Homestead the true kingpin? The Spartans are 7-0 versus Snider, Dwenger, and Carroll over the past two years. 

Homestead will win Sectional 3 in my opinion, but we'll find out what they are really made of when they play Westfield. The Shamrocks might have their best team of all time this year. 

11 hours ago, psaboy said:

You split the SAC into two divisions either by mutual/balance or be size. 5 teams each division, or you go rob NE8 conference of New Haven and Leo and have two 6 team divisions. The you have either 4 or 5 games in your division, a rotating cross over game or two (depending if you have 10 or 12 total teams) and then 2 OOC games and then last week have a champion week games of #1 vs #1 from other division. #2 vs #2 and so forth. 

It's really a simple scenario, but it will never happen unfortunately. The SAC is content with "ease of scheduling" by having ten teams play a nine game schedule. From the outside looking it, it appears that simplicity overrides interesting matchups and higher attendance. 

44 minutes ago, psaboy said:

I agree, don't count Homestead or Carroll as an easy out in Regional game. I think Homestead has chip on shoulder from last year. They barely get by Noblesville last year, then beat Carroll but got smoked at home by Carmel. Going out on limb here and will see what happens next week, but Snider is starting to play better, they dominated team that beat Homestead. Yes I realize that was first game of season and Homestead my have overlooked the Bruins. I think when Snider plays Dwenger it will give an indication if the Panthers are improving. The #3 sectional is probably the most balanced in 6A this year

Defense wins championships. It's the reason why Dwenger will play in the state title against Cathedral. It's the reason Homestead will win Sectional 3. Kudos to the Spartans. After years of being a team known for their explosive offenses, they finally have balance.

1 minute ago, Bears62 said:

Chatards defense is just too good for Merrillville. MV has their most hyped/talented team in a long time and can’t come through. Them or Jeff will come out of sectional 1 but just don’t have the teams this year to beat a Westfield caliber team. Carroll and Westfield will be a game to look forward to for a title game birth

Homestead and Westfield.

5 minutes ago, Bears62 said:

Westfield beats HSE again, they’ve got a pretty clear path to the title game.

If I remember correctly, Westfield isn't Carmel. I see Homestead giving them all they can handle.

1 minute ago, DT said:

Carroll reminds me of Texas Tech and Baylor..  .  They put all their best players on offense.

Homestead did that for years. They're finally playing defense the last couple of years. Maybe the team to beat up north?

Homestead 49, Carroll 35...........7:55 left in the 3rd

Shocking? Yes. I felt Coach R built a program that reloads every year, not rebuild. Apparently it happens to the best of programs though. It's happening at Snider. There is no guarantee that every senior class is going to have the leadership and talent of the championship classes before them. What is most shocking of all is the number of top programs who are all down in the very same year. Penn, Snider, New Pal, Ben Davis, and Warren Central. According to Sagarin, Ben Davis is the highest ranked of those five at #18.

1 minute ago, Staxawax said:

JV, Frosh and middle school trends would tell more than a one season snapshot. 

 

 

6 hours ago, Staxawax said:

But you’re basing your argument on Carmel’s lopsided losses, to arguably the 2 best teams in the state. They’ve since established themselves as the 2nd best team in the best conference. They should be at the very least a co-favorite in sectional #5 alongside Brownsburg. Burg is #2 and Carmel #3 in 6A Sagarin. I think if Carmel were still in Sect. #4, Westfield would be 1st, then Carroll in Regional, then either Jeff, the Pirates or Elkhart. Thus this is now Westfield’s path to LOS. No one down here will be surprised if the Shamrocks are playing Thanksgiving weekend.

Two storied programs who might even be having their best years ever. I get it, those two losses were to great teams. An overtime win over Pike. Wouldn't you consider this Carmel team average by their standards? We all know what average is to Carmel. It's still Top 10 regardless of class. I maintain that there are 3 or 4 teams up north that "could" beat Carmel. I think they would have to be at the very top of their game four weeks in a row to escape the north this year. Too bad it won't play out. 

5 minutes ago, dazed and confused said:

I may be wrong but I think Olympion06 was being lightnearted

Could be. Either way, I think they would have struggled this year. They would have had to beat either Jeff or Westfield, then more than likely Carroll, then Merrillville. That would have been a brutal three weeks. Not saying they couldn't do it, but unless they were playing at top form three weeks in a row, I think one of those teams would beat them. 

Overall, I see this as being a very competitive game that could go either way. I'll take Bobref's word for it and go with "big, fast, and athletic." Merrillville by 7. 

14 hours ago, Olympian06 said:

I figured with Carmel being in the south it would weaken it enough for a Region team to make it... 

Being in the south has nothing to do with it. There are three or four teams up north that could beat Carmel this year.

Center Grove is very good.........for sure But they'll have a hard time claiming "best team ever" with 6a having potentially their worst year ever overall. I'm not saying they are or aren't, they'll just have a hard time making that claim. If they beat Cathedral by more than a touchdown, I might be sold on making an argument. But that's all it will be, is an argument (friendly debate). Carmel, Ben Davis, and Warren Central had some pretty good teams. As did Penn. 

Still parents only.

10 minutes ago, FridayNightLights said:

CG doesn't seem to care about enrollment...

Reread my post. Thanks.

10 minutes ago, FridayNightLights said:

6A 1 Center Grove 6A = 113.95 5-0

6A 3 Brownsburg 6A = 103.47 5-0 

6A 5 N.Cent.(Indpls)6A = 96.23 4-1

6A 6 Carmel 6A = 93.35 3-2

Merrillville 6A = 93.11 4-0

Westfield 6A = 92.40 4-1

Lawr. North 6A = 92.08 3-2

Hamilton SE 6A = 90.02 3-2

Ben Davis 6A = 89.88 2-3

Avon 6A = 87.42 2-3

 

 

Sure is a nice time to be coming out of the north 🤣. I only see those ratings separating more as the season progresses. Winner of the north gets the opportunity to not have a gauntlet of the south and to say they've made it to a state championship.

No different than any other year. Fifteen of the last nineteen state champions came from schools with enrollments of 5286, 4499, and 3821. Keep thumping that chest. 

4 minutes ago, Bears62 said:

Merrillville has a date with HSE or Westfield at semi-state IMO

I guess I got so caught up thinking about actual "north" programs that I forgot all about Sectional 4. So yeah, I think there are 7 pretty good teams that it will come down to. Can't forget about Lafayette Jeff either. 

19 hours ago, DT said:

6. FW Carroll  4-1 / The high flying Chargers are sitting atop the Summit , tied with Dwenger and Homestead for the conference lead.  Doug Dinan's team is averaging 48 ppg on offense, even after scoring only 3 TDS in a 31-21 loss last week to Dwenger.  Carroll is one of the fastest rising 6A programs in the state.  Look for them to be in the mix in November

There is a lot to like about what is going on at Carroll. Not only do they have a good coach, but they have an enrollment of 2412 in an area that is still growing and a 7 million dollar football stadium coming their way in 2021. Whoever takes out Carroll in the tournament will have to put a minimum of 35 points on the board. Carroll already faced the best defense north of Indy (opinion) and managed 3 touchdowns against them. 

6A North will come down to Merrillville, Elkhart, Carroll, and Homestead. That's right, don't count out the Spartans just yet. They finally have a defense to compliment their perennial offensive fire power. And it looks like their new quarterback (might as well just refer to Homestead as Quarterback U) has found his rhythm.