Lysander

I recall that when Downey first took over they lost the first several games and had a losing record going into playoffs. They then go on a run that takes them all the way to the State Championship game. They played well in that game and I will contend but for that Chatard scoop and score 70 yd TD on a bad snap that that game could have gone very differently for Chatard.

Interesting to hear. I recognize that CYO numbers are down in Indy as well but I don’t think they ever lost the core of kids who would end up being starters. One would think that, living in the shadows of Norte Dame, there would always be a core group of Catholic kids and families that couldn’t wait to play football every Fall. Clearly Marian has been dominant recently. Is the influence of Norte Dame that shallow in South Bend?

I get that to a degree…but St. Joe was in 2 successive St. Championship games just 10 years ago. It’s like a spigot just turned off there immediately afterwards.

Clearly South Bend has problems and no doubt politics likely plays a big part in it, but even a program that was pretty legit just 8-10 years ago like SB St. Joe has fallen off the edge the Earth in recent years. Curious, so aside from a political failure in the city, there would appear to be other major factors at play - at least in the case of St. Joe….or are their woes stemming from something altogether different? To a point, one might think they would directly benefit from the woes of their local public schools in terms of public school kids moving over but there is no evidence of that happening - at least on the gridiron so far. BTW, thanks for indirectly reminding me that I need to ante up again as well. Just keep forgetting.

Agree that it’s a shame this game is taking place now and it exposes the gaping flaw in our current system, in my opinion. I have to admit that there have been a couple of early West Lafayette losses in Sectional that absolutely left me scratching my head. Last year’s loss to a very modest Guerin team being perhaps the most puzzling.

Yep. Congrats Center Grove mom.

I submit the Sectional 28 (“Sectional of Death” as called by many here….thanks Foxy) West Lafayette v. Brebeuf face off is the Week 1 playoff Game of the Week. First, it should be a great game….at least on paper. Second, it likely determines who is the 3A North representative at Lucas Oil. Seems to have all the makings of a great and significant game. Does anyone have any thoughts or expectations as regards this game? Alternately, does anyone have another game they consider a more significant game?

Probably. Personally, I think they have been roughly equal with Carmel the last couple of years. With that, I was just confirming that they have not defeated Carmel at least as far as Harrell’s records going back to 1994.

Not since 1994…..but I think they have only played 3-5 times during that period.

I can’t help but chuckling and thinking of a certain scene in “Life of Brian” reading this. Nothing to do with the player (I’m sure he’s a great kid)….just the “Latin”.

I’m an EC fan having competed against them in HS. Honestly, if they were in the Indy area, they would be on the tip of everybody’s tongue as to being a perennial power (same could be said about Lawrenceburg in 3A, btw) They just happen to be tucked away alone in the SE corner of the state and only talked about in the Cincy media. They are a threat every year in 4A.

I don’t think my feeling’s have changed much about Chatard all year. Over the first four games, they played the most difficult schedule in the State of Indiana up to that point - Brebeuf, Warren Central, Roncalli and Cathedral. That was supported by BOTH Sagarin and CalPreps. Other than the Cathedral game, they were very competitive in the other games (they even lead a good part of the Warren game). In retrospect, I think they should have won the Brebeuf game but 4-5 turnovers against a great team is almost always terminal. I think they win that game today. I was never disappointed in this team’s record knowing just what they had been through those first four games. The fact is, after the Warren and Roncalli games, I was really impressed with them. Most teams their size would have huddled in a fetal position and taken the expected beat down. These kid’s didn’t. They gave back as good as they got. This is a solid Chatard team and as good as the majority of their prior State Champion teams…but, admittedly, not quite up to the mark of, arguably, two of the better Chatard teams ever that we witnessed the last couple of years. I stand behind my observation some weeks back when they were 0-4 and I asked that, other than Roncalli, what other 4A team in Indiana could have survived those first four games let alone have been competitive in three of them? I didn’t think there was another 4A team then (other than Roncalli) and my opinion hasn’t changed since. In fact, I think that Chatard has likely improved comparatively more than any of those teams they played in their early losses. I still believe Roncalli is at another level vs. the rest of 4A this year - but I also think that Chatard is the second best team in 4A this year and has an outside shot at them. God knows, no one else in 4A has fought the wars these kids did early on and they’ve earned a ton of respect from me in watching them (not that they needed it).

That’s certainly my take…and would be the normal result.

Gibson Southern vs. either The Preppies (Brebeuf for those unwashed) or West Lafayette at Lucas Oil. I don’t have a 4th Team. I’m slightly favoring Brebeuf v West Lafayette simply in 2 weeks because it’s a home game for Brebeuf (and the fact that Brebeuf has played a much more difficult schedule). As to who wins Thanksgiving Weekend, no idea….but I will be personally favoring one team….IB.

Thanks Doc. I was unaware of this. I’m in Florida for a couple of weeks and assumed I would miss this one. MD - I’m not aware of any consistent radio coverage. Chatard doesn’t have the Cathedral or Roncalli $$$ to pay for radio game coverage.