Boilernation

I'll give you some credit...at least you're consistent.

That's a shame. Was thinking they were in Sectional 14. Definately makes 5A a little weaker. Sectional 22 has the potential for a series of Hoosier Heritage rematches. Agree with New Pal. Zionsville? No, they belong in 6A.

How about Fort Wayne North? They may have the state's best skill player (regardless of class) at WR. I think I read a QB from Dwenger or Snider transferred in. Is North a true threat to Snider and Dwenger in Sectional 12 or just a decent team that will have an explosive offense?

What does Valpo have returning? Marshall has had a lot of very good talent, especially on the lines, the past 4 years. I guess the question is can he sustain the recent success or will Valpo fall back like Hoffman did after he lost the generational talent of Samardzija, Hanlon, etc.?

Fair assessment. This is why I'm probably the most interested in the 5A playoffs. From a Duneland perspective, it's their only shot at a State Title. From a competitive perspective, no Cathedral opens up the door for some new blood like DC or Merrillville to get a Title or a recent winner like New Pal, Columbus East, Snider, or Dwenger to add to their hardware.

Just my perception, but I think programs like Mater Dei, Memorial, Chatard, Cathedral, and possibly Dwenger are unique. They seem to have very loyal alums that stay connected to the program throughout their lives.

Agreed. But wouldn't that be more of a deterrent to the casual fan? Personally, I'll DVR a good college game in favor of a marquee Regional or Semi-State matchup. Of the HS sports I follow, football is the only one where the crowd size diminishes in Regionals and Semi-State. Is that due to Friday night games and/or weather conditions? Would fans be willing to travel more on a Saturday? IDK.

I don't think Illinois does neutral site, BUT they play a lot of Saturday afternoon playoff games.

I haven't seen DC play with him at QB. Is he primarily a runner? Kid is big. Guess I have to now lump Carmel and CG in with Chatard and Cathedral.

Agreed, but does Decatur Central deserve the level respect? I have the upmost respect for the Mid State and enjoy the top to bottom competitiveness of the conference; however, it's not the Hoosier Crossroads or MIC. IMO, those are the leagues along with Chatard and Cathedral that have earned the central Indy bias.

Sure, if the landing was soft, and there was value at the bottom.

For me it's not even about driving distance because I don't mind a good road trip to new or familiar areas. My longstanding gripe is that Regional and Semi-State matchups (sometimes even Sectional Titles) are often played in front of empty bleachers in horrendous Friday night weather. My hope would be mid to late Saturday afternoon game times at neutral fields could increase the crowd size.

Does Ohio go neutral in the later rounds or does it start in round 1?

In fairness, I think homers shouldn't be plural. It has been and currently is one homer who drinks the purple kool-aid. Speaking of DC, is Stevens playing QB? I see he committed to Virginia Tech as a LB.

Haha...Honestly, I'm a little concerned the Bears front office will botch this entire plan and someone find themselves still playing in Soldier Field. They are beyond clueless when it comes to running a Pro Team. But, I'm assuming Jerry and Co. are coaching them along. You have to believe the NFL wants the Bears in Arlington Heights with a "Jerry World" atmosphere. Lorie Lightfoot also said the Bears couldn't keep the Chicago name if they moved to Arlington Heights. So freaking clueless. She apparently doesn't understand trademarks among MANY things.

I think this was a complete joke and publicity stunt for the Mayor's office to say they made a pitch to keep the Bears in Chicago. Yes, the same Mayor who said less than a year ago the Bears needed to focus on winning and not be asking for a better stadium. The Bears are currently in contract negotiations to purchase the old Arlington Race Track in Arlington Heights. They're not leaving that negotiation table to discuss a new stadium with the city. ESPECIALLY, a stadium that the Chicago Parks Department will own and operate and still not be in the Top 10 attendance wise. The Bears can just build their own larger stadium in Arlington Heights and control all revenue. The other major elephant in the room is that a facelift to Soldier Field doesn't take away the fact it is in a very bad location. The parking is limited. It's basically sandwiched between Lake Shore Drive, a Museum, and McCormick's Place. It's not fan friendly at all to walk to. In Arlington Heights the Bears can build a full entertainment district like the one in Foxboro.

That would be an interesting scenario to me. Would Harrison, Jeff, McCutcheon, Logan, and Kokomo just stay at 5 and increase their OOC schedule in all sports or try to expand? I can't think of any reasonable option outside of trying to bring in West Lafayette.

Haha. Was he even a contributor for Andrean last year? I wouldn't be surprised to hear the "powerback" from Ben Davis was a 3rd stringer on the Giants 9th grade team.

Not likely. Still waiting to hear who the other 2 current D1 commits are other than Marshal. It's all hyperbole with this guy. New year, same story line...

Just seeing this and responded just a few months late. I'm assuming Chris Bootcheck is Dan's grandson. Chris was an All State Pitcher at LaPorte, pitched for Auburn, and did have a decent run in the Angels bullpen. He was also a standout basketball player on '97 LaPorte team that advanced to the last Single Class Final Four.

Lol...I knew I had to be missing something, but I was wrapped up in work to figure it out the obvious. My bad.

Larry Bigbie of Hobart was drafted in the 1st Round of the 1999 Amateur Draft by Baltimore. I played on a travel team with him when I was 15. At that point he was already jacking line drive homers out of ballparks with major league dimension. The Bullington kid from Madison is also missing from this database. Like Bigbie, he was a 1st rounder out of Ball State.

As a Cubs, Bulls, and Bears fan I listen to Chicago sports radio all day while working. The show I was listening to last week was talking about Montgomery easily being their #1 prospect and whether the Sox would trade him for immediate assets. I hope they don't. The season appears to be wash this year with too much disfunction within the Org (Ex. Owner bypassing GM to hire LaRussa).

Why do you feel the Gary/Hammond/possibly East Chicago kids will eventually transfer to Lake Central over Merrillville? Demographically, Merrillville makes more sense vs. St. John, Dyer, and Schererville. I think one advantage Merrillville has now is it's clear they have the attention of college recruiters. Granted, I think a D1 recruit at say Hammond Central or Morton is going to get attention as long as they promote themselves, but I could see how players or parents would find Merrillville appealing. Are the Chicago Catholic schools still recruiting NWI? I know Merrillville's RB from last year who went to Illinois State was at Joliet Catholic prior to coming back to Merrillville. I've also read Chicago Mt. Carmel had recruiting billboards up at some point on Route 30 in Lake Central's district. Agreed with your last comment. It's not easy to replace the guys they lost last year. And this current regime's marquee non Region Win is either Warsaw or Elkhart. By no means am I dismissing Merrillville as a 5A Title contender, but I'm in wait and see mode as to whether they can even win the North Semi-State.

Why are you so high on Elkhart? They went 5-5 last year, lost their HC, and they're new coach's only experience is at Peru. Penn, Carroll, and Warsaw will all be formidable foes for Elkhart in Sectional 2. Curious to know what you're hearing or seeing to be so bullish on Elkhart.