Lysander

Nope...again. https://youtu.be/6emWN2tEPMk

Nope. Fish are otherwise occupied.

Again, not biting. I’ve enjoyed the arguments we’ve had over the years but I agree with you WAY too much to look to fight with you at the moment. You win.

Every 2.

Not biting. We can’t even seed Sectionals.

So what’s your “new” plan?

I haven’t checked recently. I used to know this stuff....and argue with Coach G (good dude who I oft corresponded with) of Brebeuf who (I think) pitched it to the IHSAA. It used to take 4 points to remain in a class above. I think it’s only 2 points now in any given period. That amounts to 2 Sectional Championships or a single Regional Championship..

Well....let’s bring up the uncomfortable conversation many here don’t want to have. Excuse me from droning on...and on...and on. And on. I, literally, see all these different schools (posters) beating their chests about all their great D1 players. It’s been truly tiresome for years for me to read this....since there is no greater TEAM sport than football. Some of you folks simply won’t shut up about them. Apparently we have the next Peyton Manning in Indiana as well. Admittedly, reading the Indiana HS Football Facebook page (some friends recently...and, unfortunately, pointed me towards....and since then I have dropped several levels of IQ after reading) I saw more than a few posting that Merrillville had 12 plus D1 players (or those being recruited). At least here, I only saw “at least” 5 D1 players mentioned. On that same Facebook page, I saw the remark that Chatard had the “best team money can ”buy””....I think, ironically, from a Mt. Vernon Mom (Geist privilege....and a stolen Greenfield QB...). Geist folks (HSE and Mt. Vernon) vs. self-awareness are literally matter vs. antimatter....those generally rotund and non-working Mom’s and their personal trainers exist in a totally Independent universe....admittedly a wealthy one. They are, still, between their Pilates classes, very knowledgeable about Football in archdiocese schools...just ask them. They have important and well-informed opinions. I’d have hoped Chatard could have “bought” at least 1 (Dammit, we tried....just 1) Division 1 player...somehow they failed. Neither did they steal their QB from a neighboring school. Well, since Chatard doesn’t have a single D1 or even D2 player this year apparently Chatard is as cheap a date as I used to be but is ANYONE willing to recognize that football is a team sport and not about how many D1 players you can acquire? Is ANY game more evident of the importance of that than the Chatard/Merrillville game? THIS is what those many tiny, tiny CYO 18 player teams are all about. Let’s be clear, Merrillville was a total and absolute class act from everything that I saw. I absolutely hope they kick the sh!t out of everyone from the North in 6A. Great kids from all I could see. But, if they got anything out of Friday night I hope they got that it’s ALL about team. ....and, yes,....a small Catholic school full of underdogs and undersized players can kick your rear end....and maybe even be one of the best 5-6 teams in the State. By all accounts, they were last year as well. Really, really tired about all these D1 players everyone seems to have.

Chatard needs to win both Sectional and Regional this year to move up to 4A (hardly a given with the distinctly loaded nature of Sectional 28). They were Success Factored into 4A in 2013-14 but during that time you needed 4 points per period to stay “up”.....they were unable to do so at that time. BTW, if they can win a Regional, they will join previously 3A Evansville Memorial who is locked into 4A for the next 2 years due to Memorial’s 4A State Championship last year. Kudos to Memorial.

Well, I’m probably not going think of the Cathedral game as especially “competitive“. It was, I think (Carmel may have been an exception), Cathedral’s only game against a team from Indiana so far not featuring a running clock....but that’s not exactly something aspirational. But Chatard was as, or more, competitive in those games as was Carmel....certainly more so than Westfield it would appear. Both of those teams commonly considered amongst the 5-6 best 6A teams. That said, and I’m not saying anything new, I think Cathedral way overmatches everyone in the state excepting, possibly, Center Grove. They’re probably going to be every bit as good next year, btw. As to “gifting” Merrillville 2 TDs. In the case of the DOUBLE Unsportsmanlike......yep.....that was a gift. I’m not entirely sure on the initial call (Which I’m assuming was seen as a taunt) but clearly remarks must have been made that definitely warranted the second Unsportsmanlike. Bear in mind, I wish everyone played the game like Marvin Harrison but that’s not the game these days. I’m not sure I’d consider the strip/fumble TD as a “gift”, though......at least a gift based on sloppy play. The Chatard tailback was injured during the play and, apparently, gave up the ball. That said, it WAS worth the price of admission to see a 6’4” 350 lb D lineman clutching the football truck 50 yards down the field swatting or running over tacklers like gnats.

Man...don’t hang onto a ticket for me. That said, I’ll PM you if it looks like I might be in the area. Regardless, safe travels to both teams and best wishes to the Titans.

Ironically Chatard was more penalized than Merrillville last night but Chatard did win the turnover battle....which was critical. Merrillville was supremely talented (seemed abundantly obvious from the start) but I think Chatard’s fundamentals and discipline of play, constant physicality, swarming defense and, frankly, ability to adjust offset that, so, by game’s end, Chatard seemed to often be able to do what they wanted. Pretty typical recipe for a Chatard win....which more than a few times have been against more talented teams. Chatard teams generally will just wear you down. I think, playing a Chatard team for the first time is a bit of a shock to the system for most schools. As a fan I’m used to it but it just seems to throw a lot of teams off that first time. I really did want to remark about a couple of things that stood out to me regarding Merrillville. First, they truly are talented....admittedly, everyone acknowledges that. But the other thing was just how Merrillville handled themselves. I’ve seen a LOT of talented teams play Chatard and get visibly frustrated, then get chippy (both with Chatard and within their own ranks) and then......just.......quit. Merrillville did NONE of those things. They never got visibly frustrated or chippy and they darn sure didn’t quit. They played the whole game and played with class. I honestly think this game should make them better. Much like Doc22 stated above, I think people underestimate Merrillville at their own peril because of the result of this game.

Thx! I’d hate to put Titan32 or anyone else out for what, at best, would be a last minute decision by me. My thought was that depending on how the day turned out I might make my way out there (with my wife being out of town this weekend) but I was just going to play it by ear....and didn’t want to make any firm commitments. I always figure I can catch a GS game online sometime.

Ok. Thx.

Curious - would tickets possibly be available to the public at the gate for this game if someone decided to attend?

Now you’re just being intentionally obtuse.....hopefully.

Doesn’t change the fact that your premise was dead wrong. The SF had nothing to do with breaking up Roncalli’s so-called “Hegemony”. During the 7 or so years prior to the institutionalization of the SF, they were barely over .500 and hadn’t made it out Sectional. But don’t let facts get in the way.... And tyrants...

This game will be live-streamed on the Bishop Chatard Facebook page. It was announced about 3 hours ago. Dunno about popcorn at the concessions stand, though.

In roughly the 7 seasons prior to the start of the SF, Roncalli never made it out of Sectional and was marginally over a .500 program. Apparently “Hegemony” has a different definition for some. Honestly, the SF factor was a salvation for them.

What?

It’s possible Chatard will be streaming it on Facebook since that is what was done for the Cathedral and Guerin games (one other game as well, I believe). That said, I never quite know just where to find that information since it likely seems to either be: (a) closely held along the lines of the nuclear codes and apparently crucial to national security or (b) a last minute decision made seconds before game time to just “throw it up there“. With that, for anyone attending, hot dogs and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches will be available for the first time this season. The school has deemed that information essential for the sake of football fans everywhere.

I’m surprised that someone hasn’t. I was never a believer in school extracurriculars (including sports) as regards keeping kids out of trouble when I played simply because I was never going to get into trouble - it just wasn’t part of my make up. Admittedly, the fact that sports allowed me to go to college was a bonus, though. In the rear view mirror of life, having raised kids and seeing others grow up with them, I now have little doubt that sports and other extracurricular activities are an absolute salvation for many. I’ve seen more than a few kids that fell into the cracks of life once those things were taken away. Frankly, my oldest could have cared less for school and would admit that it was ONLY sports that made him care about his grades. In his case, he cared about grades all the way through college sports and ended up with a paid masters degree as a grad assistant. Honestly, not sure where he would have ended up without football. He was a pretty headstrong (or hard headed..) kid that needed coaches just as headstrong.

As many of us recall, there were criticisms here regarding some of the scoring differentials in years past between New Pal and many of their opponents. The reason for those scores from those with some direct knowledge of New Pal was that it essentially had to do with their small roster size and needing to preserve JV players for JV games. I think varsity roster numbers mentioned weren’t ever more than 45....maybe even in the 30s. Assuming that: (1) those low numbers still hold true; (2) there is a just a slight decrease momentarily in talent and ADD; (3) COVID roster depletions and you have a recipe that would potentially drive a team off the cliff.

I am hoping not to speak too much out of school (and yet I will). My kids played at Chatard some years back but I have been around long enough that I think I have some sense of the ethos for kids at Chatard. My oldest son played against Merrillville at the St Joe Camps for some years back in the day. His comments would be long outdated and unhelpful in evaluating Merrillville these days no doubt. Nonetheless, Chatard’s goal is to win (fairly, btw) every possible game placed in front of the kids. Maybe it’s a regular season game. Maybe it’s a Sectional. Maybe even more... Just win....whenever Covid (which seems to weigh so heavily on so many) or God gives you the chance to take the field. In the end, that attitude gave them 14 State Championships. Just win....and if you lose be sure the other team remembers the bumps and bruises it took to earn that win. And play some hard nosed Defense....whatever else you do. I don’t like comparing teams but last year’s Chatard team ended the year #3 All Classes per CalPreps/MaxPreps and #5 All Classes Predictor per Sagarin. They seldom ended a game without a running clock. They could have beat anyone in the State on any given day....many times...badly. I fully believe that. This year is a new year....a new chance for legend. I think I saw an article that called them “a work in progress”. Probably so...seems an absolutely valid description. They are a very good team....but are they, perhaps, maybe, the best 3A team...or even, maybe again, a top 10 best All Classes team....which they clearly were last year? Friday’s game might tell that tale. Some here seem to expect the historic grind and pound clock control offense. Last year, Chatard could put 21 on you in 5 minutes between passing and running. I have no idea what to expect Friday. The only prediction I have is that it won’t be anything that anyone here predicts...with one exception. There will be some few bumps and bruises by games end if Chatard plays well, even if losing. Over the years, there have been damn few games between the best teams in Northern Indiana and Central Indiana. The Cathedral game against Penn is probably unfair. Looked to be a possibly historically good Cathedral team versus a down year (perhaps historically down) Penn team. A few years ago, there were some games between Central Indiana and Ft Wayne until the SAC, sadly, closed ALL doors. This is the sole and an absolutely incredible opportunity to have the most significant game (this year) between two State Championship level contenders from the Region and Central Indiana. Classes be damned. BIG TIME GAME.