Merrillville 2025

[23andCounting]

9 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

No

Johnson is entering his fifth year as a head coach. In year two, his Legends could have beaten any team in 5A on a given night. Year three was the dumpster fire before a decent rebound in year four. Maybe the program learned from it? I'm not throwing this coach and his team under the bus just yet. One of us will be right, the other wrong, but it may be a few years before we find out. In any event, the SAC is better when North Side's knocking on the door. Had Snider not been in their way in 2022, hell, they have been state champions. 

[First_Backer_Inside]

20 minutes ago, 23andCounting said:

Johnson is entering his fifth year as a head coach. In year two, his Legends could have beaten any team in 5A on a given night. Year three was the dumpster fire before a decent rebound in year four. Maybe the program learned from it? I'm not throwing this coach and his team under the bus just yet. One of us will be right, the other wrong, but it may be a few years before we find out. In any event, the SAC is better when North Side's knocking on the door. Had Snider not been in their way in 2022, hell, they have been state champions. 

They lost to Snider and Snider didn't even win state so...???

[23andCounting]

3 hours ago, First_Backer_Inside said:

They lost to Snider and Snider didn't even win state so...???

Just because Snider lost to Valpo in a winter storm doesn't mean North Side would have. Not taking anything away from Snider or Valpo. I saw what I saw in that North Side team. They had a 50/50 shot of beating any of the top teams in 5A that year. They lost to Snider twice by a combined 6 points. Their only other loss was to the 6A runner-up by a touchdown. People can discount North Side all they want, but the fact of the matter is, they're only three years removed from having one of the better teams in the state. 

Meant to say the "might" have been state champions in the earlier post. 

Not sure how we got off the Merrillville topic. I'll start a North Side thread at some point before the season starts. 

Edited May 22 by 23andCounting

[Sparty]

4 hours ago, 23andCounting said:

Just because Snider lost to Valpo in a winter storm doesn't mean North Side would have. Not taking anything away from Snider or Valpo. I saw what I saw in that North Side team. They had a 50/50 shot of beating any of the top teams in 5A that year. They lost to Snider twice by a combined 6 points. Their only other loss was to the 6A runner-up by a touchdown. People can discount North Side all they want, but the fact of the matter is, they're only three years removed from having one of the better teams in the state. 

Meant to say the "might" have been state champions in the earlier post. 

Not sure how we got off the Merrillville topic. I'll start a North Side thread at some point before the season starts. 

Winter storm?  Did it blizzard?

[psaboy]

3 hours ago, Sparty said:

Winter storm?  Did it blizzard?

No, just a typical late fall game, a few flurries here and there

 

[23andCounting]

3 minutes ago, psaboy said:

No, just a typical late fall game, a few flurries here and there

 

Lmao, were you at the game?

[psaboy]

2 hours ago, 23andCounting said:

Lmao, were you at the game?

No, I prefer to watch on the net now a days, If they come up my way SB area, I'll go to a game if decent out. 

[Sparty]

11 hours ago, psaboy said:

No, just a typical late fall game, a few flurries here and there

 

Thank you

[Sparty]

13 hours ago, psaboy said:

No, just a typical late fall game, a few flurries here and there

 

 Can someone pinpoint the time of the winter storm?   

[Boilernation]

On 5/22/2025 at 7:33 AM, 23andCounting said:

Johnson is entering his fifth year as a head coach. In year two, his Legends could have beaten any team in 5A on a given night. Year three was the dumpster fire before a decent rebound in year four. Maybe the program learned from it? I'm not throwing this coach and his team under the bus just yet. One of us will be right, the other wrong, but it may be a few years before we find out. In any event, the SAC is better when North Side's knocking on the door. Had Snider not been in their way in 2022, hell, they have been state champions. 

I agree with you regarding year two. They had a really good offense with Johnson, Lambert and Dickerson. But, that year can also be viewed as somewhat of an anomoly. Guys like Johnson are generational talents and I believe Dickerson was a portal transfer for his Sr. year. 

Going back on topic I noticed Merrillville has added Loyola Academy to their schedule. The Ramblers are consistently an 8A Title contender in Illinois. 

[psaboy]

On 5/23/2025 at 9:18 AM, Boilernation said:

I agree with you regarding year two. They had a really good offense with Johnson, Lambert and Dickerson. But, that year can also be viewed as somewhat of an anomoly. Guys like Johnson are generational talents and I believe Dickerson was a portal transfer for his Sr. year. 

Going back on topic I noticed Merrillville has added Loyola Academy to their schedule. The Ramblers are consistently an 8A Title contender in Illinois. 

That game at Merrillville or Loyola? That will be a good game. 

[Bobref]

13 hours ago, psaboy said:

That game at Merrillville or Loyola? That will be a good game. 

Home game Aug. 29

[Boilernation]

On 5/24/2025 at 10:50 AM, psaboy said:

That game at Merrillville or Loyola? That will be a good game. 

We'll see. It'll be week 1 for Loyola, but this is likely another case of Merrillville taking on more than they can handle in the regular season (Chatard). 

[psaboy]

11 hours ago, Boilernation said:

We'll see. It'll be week 1 for Loyola, but this is likely another case of Merrillville taking on more than they can handle in the regular season (Chatard). 

I need to now how many D1 players M-ville has on team, but think they will be respectable in game. 

[scarab527]

On 5/28/2025 at 8:30 AM, Boilernation said:

We'll see. It'll be week 1 for Loyola, but this is likely another case of Merrillville taking on more than they can handle in the regular season (Chatard). 

We criticize teams for playing cupcakes, then also criticize them for playing legitimately great competition. That's tough. 

For what it's worth, I'd be impressed if Merrillville kept this within 4 TDs. But I'm not going to blame them for going out there and playing a team like this. Valpo's playing Brother Rice, and will probably get thrashed too, but at least the DAC is actually taking advantage of their proximity to Chicago to play some better OOC competition. 

[Boilernation]

11 minutes ago, scarab527 said:

We criticize teams for playing cupcakes, then also criticize them for playing legitimately great competition. That's tough. 

For what it's worth, I'd be impressed if Merrillville kept this within 4 TDs. But I'm not going to blame them for going out there and playing a team like this. Valpo's playing Brother Rice, and will probably get thrashed too, but at least the DAC is actually taking advantage of their proximity to Chicago to play some better OOC competition. 

Agreed. At the end of the day the 5A Title is a realistic goal for both Merrillville and Valpo. Outside of Cathedral, the Pirates and Vikings won't see anyone in the playoffs at the level of Loyola and possibly Brother Rice. The Crusaders are not as much of a powerhouse as Loyola. 

I get the sentimental value of an old rivalry like Merrillville/Hobart being renewed, but that game did nothing to prepare the Pirates. Valpo had been playing Andrean and Hammon Central in Week 2. A big stepup for them as well in scheduling.

Edited May 29 by Boilernation

[Donnie Baker]

On 5/28/2025 at 9:15 PM, psaboy said:

I need to now how many D1 players M-ville has on team, but think they will be respectable in game. 

17

[Komets2727]

On 5/30/2025 at 8:08 AM, Donnie Baker said:

17

You low ballin bro, 55!!!

[Rodney]

5 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

You low ballin bro, 55!!!

On 6/27/2023 at 12:39 AM, Rodney said:

oh were reloaded alright, we got 67 kids going d1 next year and one being recruited by the avengers

[Komets2727]

13 minutes ago, Rodney said:

 

Love it

[RegionFBFan]

I don’t get all the disrespect this program gets all the time. Yes, the one fan on here can be a little over the top, but most 5A schools would love to be the program that Merrillville is. They just had another player drafted in the NFL. 

And oh by the way, they are going to be absolutely loaded this year especially with the new QB, two stud RB’sand transfers.

[psaboy]

2 hours ago, RegionFBFan said:

I don’t get all the disrespect this program gets all the time. Yes, the one fan on here can be a little over the top, but most 5A schools would love to be the program that Merrillville is. They just had another player drafted in the NFL. 

And oh by the way, they are going to be absolutely loaded this year especially with the new QB, two stud RB’sand transfers.

I don't know if I would call it disrespect, maybe just underachievers. Seems they usually have talent everywhere but just can't get that elusive state title. Just like you say they are loaded this year, so would you expect a title. if they flame out again, why??  I've seen them play a few times and they just seem to unravel when the game gets tight. I have nothing against the school or program, always enjoyed their matchups vs Snider and other top schools in area over the years. One of these years they should get their state title.