DTs Dandy Dozen - 12 Questions for Region Football Fans

[Guest DT]

1. Highland defeated West Side by 3 TDs in their season opener. Is the Trojan program ready to take a step forward or should we expect to see the usual easy non con wins and then a 1-4 conference record? Does Coach K have the program ready to compete with Lowell , Hobart and Andrean on an annual basis?

2. Is there any chance that Hammond Central and Hammond Morton get invitations to join the NCC?

3. Are Griffith fans , supporters and the overall GHS football community wishing for a return to The NCC or are they glad with their new found status as the tallest midget in the GSSC?

4. Is Noll going to return to full varsity status, and should they even attempt to given all the headwinds facing the program?

5. Is competitive Munster football a thing of the past. Given declining participataion and general lackluster interest in the program at best, and with Munster continuing to become a more minority medical based community, are current demographic trends basically sealing the Munstangs future fate?

6. Merrillville is playing 4A and 2A schools in non con action to open the season. While both are great, nostalgic rivalries, do Hobart and Andrean prepare the Pirates adequately for DAC play? Should MHS consider looking at opiut of area competition as they used to with Warren central?

7. Is the Crown Point program in a position to be damaged by the potential move of Andrean to Winfield?

8. Is Phil Mason a lifer at Michigan City, or would he consider possibly either leaving the area for Indy or taking on a local rebuilding project like Munster or Lake Central?

9. Bill Marshall is having more success at Valpo than Mark Hoffman did and has the program positioned for long term elite status. Did Marshall and his staff just get lucky and catch a big wave of talent, or is their something in his methods and overall coaching philosophy that have propelled the program to new heights?

10. James Broyles has Kankakee Valley at 3-0 heading into games the next two weeks against North Newton and Munster. The Kougars should be 5-0 heading into a week 6 matchup with rival Lowell. Has KV turned the corner, or is the jury still out?

11. Is Chesterton having any regrets over their decision to play Pioneer?

12. What is the future of the EC Central football program. Its been all downhill for the Cardinals since the 2013 semi state season. ECC has a 5 game schedule this year, which includes 2 games against West Side and matchups with Bowman and River Forest. How can the program advance and progress with that kind of slate? ECC along with Hamm Central and Morton should all get invites to join the NCC

[region]

1. Highland will go sub .500 again this year like they have the last several and likely 1-4 in the NCC. Your Trojans are probably not going to ever beat Hobart and are just as unlikely to beat Lowell and Andrean this year. Ceiling is 2-3 in the NCC this season and Sectional runner-up with the right draw.

2. Slim. Too much mismanagement in Hammond. Kids wanted to play - school board says no. One of the only districts in the state to suspend athletics. Give the consolidation era a couple years to see if things improve across the board (cumulative improvement/competativeness in athletic programs at Morton and Hammond High (not just in football basketball), stability at AD, community support, numbers in programs to provide full freshman and JV teams, things of that nature) and maybe then they’ll get an invite.

3. Griffith is in for a long year. Hear the sideline wasn’t too deep against Lowell Friday. They’ll be down for a while and will struggle to pick up many wins in the GSSC this year. Bad time for Gtown. But it’s a pandemic

4. They’ve already returned to full varsity. Probably have more kids in the program than Griffith. Hopefully BNI can get a win this week against a very down Boone Grove. 

5. Munster will get back eventually. Shows how impressive a job Leroy did keeping the Mustangs competive for all those years.

6. No. They did that in the past from 07-12 and had Penn on the schedule for 4 seasons after that. Merrillville-Hobart is a premier Region rivalry renewed that I doubt either side is looking to get rid of any time soon. Andrean rivalry went 5-5 last decade. Andrean is 2A enrollment, but 5A in spirit. Niners won’t leave the schedule so long that school is on 5959 broadway a mile north. The inevitable move south could change things.

7. Probably a little bit. 

10. Good class of talent in DeMotte-field this year. That’s part of their success. Another part is a weak non-conf. schedule that should set them up to be at least 2-1 to start every year.

11. Nope

12. EC deserves to be independent. Pretty difficult district to work with. School board runs the show and that hurts the athletic department. Program will be fine. It’s a pandemic and they’re as urban and poverty stricken as you can get. They’ll be back post-pandemic to a full schedule. EC would be more likely to receive an invite to the GSSC before any other conference in NWI. No shot they’d get in the NCC, and the world will burn before they ever receive interest from Duneland again.

appreciate the Region discussion, DT

[Whiting89]

1. Don’t know

2. hell no they are awful at all other sports

3. No Griffith is turning into a Gary/Hammond school they are fine where they are fine in GSC

4. Need to start recruiting Illinois harder to get numbers up

5. it’s alright they are good at every other sport, no shame in being bad at football

6. Clemson and Bama play fcs schools in normal years, I see no issue with warmup games.

7. Crown Point is Munster light good at everything but football however they have won some sectionals recently.

8. no idea but he was a beast at Hammond Clark
 

9. In college while he was a player at the prestigious Valparaiso university we’d call him coach Marshall he was destined to be coach.

10. They probably don’t care did you see how weak their sectional is? There focus should be staying injury free as that sectional a cake walk.

11. No they came back and got a win vs MC, remember Indiana has a state tournament not a playoff so the regular season is irrelevant. If this was Nevada or Illinois the 2 other states I’m familiar with yes that would of been a problem. 
 

12. ECC was and will always be a b-ball school, no one cares about football. 

 

[Tommy]

8.  There was an article that stated that Mason was considering leaving Andrean and taking the Lawrence Central job before getting hired at MC. Coach Mason seems really happy at MC.  He has been given the green light by the administration to run the program the way he sees fit.  He enjoys frequenting Zorn Brew Works for some cold craft beers.  He also gets to bring his dogs to school from time to time.

9.  Mark Hoffman was the guest commentator with Paul Condry for last seasons semi-state game against Dwenger.  Hoffman stated that Bill Marshall was a gym teacher at one of the Valpo elementary schools where his wife Sue was also teaching and she recommended that Hoffy have Marshall join his staff at VHS.  That is how Marshall became the HC at Valpo, he was discovered by coach Hoffman’s wife Sue.

11.  Chesterton had originally scheduled 8A Illinois St. Rita in week 2 but St. Rita cancelled and Pioneer had an open date so that is how the matchup happened.

[oldunclemark]

23 hours ago, DT said:

. Highland defeated West Side by 3 TDs in their season opener. Is the Trojan program ready to take a step forward or should we expect to see the usual easy non con wins and then a 1-4 conference record? Does Coach K have the program ready to compete with Lowell , Hobart and Andrean on an annual basis.

2. Is there any chance that Hammond Central and Hammond Morton get invitations to join the NCC?

1. Highland defeated West Side by 3 TDs in their season opener. Is the Trojan program ready to take a step forward or should we expect to see the usual easy non con wins and then a 1-4 conference record? Does Coach K have the program ready to compete with Lowell , Hobart and Andrean on an annual basis?  (That day is coming. Keep watching (I know you will)

2. Is there any chance that Hammond Central and Hammond Morton get invitations to join the NCC?

(No, the next NCC team will probably be Hanover Central),

3. Are Griffith fans , supporters and the overall GHS football community wishing for a return to The NCC or are they glad with their new found status as the tallest midget in the GSSC?

(That ship has sailed. Hanover has 753 kids, Griffith 643) 

4. Is Noll going to return to full varsity status, and should they even attempt to given all the headwinds facing the program?

(Noll will return to full varsity status).

5. Is competitive Munster football a thing of the past. Given declining participataion and general lackluster interest in the program at best, and with Munster continuing to become a more minority medical based community, are current demographic trends basically sealing the Munstangs future fate?

(Munster will be fine. Everything goes in a cycle.) 

6. Merrillville is playing 4A and 2A schools in non con action to open the season. While both are great, nostalgic rivalries, do Hobart and Andrean prepare the Pirates adequately for DAC play? Should MHS consider looking at opiut of area competition as they used to with Warren central?

 Andrean and Hobart are natural rivals for Merillville. With that said, a Merrillville-Elkhart game would be primo.

7. Is the Crown Point program in a position to be damaged by the potential move of Andrean to Winfield?

(No. its not 1995. Andrean is 10 minutes from CP now and CP has 2,800 kids.)

8. Is Phil Mason a lifer at Michigan City, or would he consider possibly either leaving the area for Indy or taking on a local rebuilding project like Munster or Lake Central?

(Nobody is a lifer anywhere).

9. Bill Marshall is having more success at Valpo than Mark Hoffman did and has the program positioned for long term elite status. Did Marshall and his staff just get lucky and catch a big wave of talent, or is their something in his methods and overall coaching philosophy that have propelled the program to new heights?

(Not a question an outsider can answer but probably both.)

10. James Broyles has Kankakee Valley at 3-0 heading into games the next two weeks against North Newton and Munster. The Kougars should be 5-0 heading into a week 6 matchup with rival Lowell. Has KV turned the corner, or is the jury still out?

(Depends on if the jury wants to rule in respects to the Northwest Crossroads Conferernce or 4A Sectional 18. 2 different goals.)

11. Is Chesterton having any regrets over their decision to play Pioneer?

(No. Had an experience. Played a good team. Bounced back to win the league opener the next week.  All good.

12. What is the future of the EC Central football program. Its been all downhill for the Cardinals since the 2013 semi state season. ECC has a 5 game schedule this year, which includes 2 games against West Side and matchups with Bowman and River Forest. How can the program advance and progress with that kind of slate? ECC along with Hamm Central and Morton should all get invites to join the NCC.

(Cant judge EC football in the virus year.   Does the new Hammond school have a pool, a gymnastics room, tennis courts. You need to compete (or even just participate seriously)  in the majority of ther IHSAA sports to join the NCC (or most any conference)   

 

 

Thanks for the 'region' questions, DT.   

Apologies to those who dont know what its like to be on top (of the state) 

• southend
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[Gipper]

1.  I don’t really care about Highland all that much.

2.  No way they get invites before schools like Hanover and Wheeler 

3.  Like Highland, I don’t care about Griffith all that much, but I do think their bolting was a bad move.

4.  Noll will field a varsity team again.

5.  Munster will be back, although it’s a bigger school, athletics are cyclical.

6.  Merrillville’s schedule is fine as Hobart and Andrean would finish in the top half of the DAC.

7.  I doubt it.  The move is just speculation anyway.  
8.  I don’t know, but will ask him the next time I’m shooting craps at Blue Chip.

9.  A little of both.  Both are needed.

10.  Jury’s still out as NN, Rensselaer, and Wheeler aren’t a murderers row.

11.  They shouldn’t, but get an F in overlooking a quality team.

12.  Football at EC is just conditioning for basketball.

13.  San Dimas High School Football rules.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Gipper

[Boilernation]

On 9/7/2020 at 9:15 PM, DT said:

1. Highland defeated West Side by 3 TDs in their season opener. Is the Trojan program ready to take a step forward or should we expect to see the usual easy non con wins and then a 1-4 conference record? Does Coach K have the program ready to compete with Lowell , Hobart and Andrean on an annual basis?

2. Is there any chance that Hammond Central and Hammond Morton get invitations to join the NCC?

3. Are Griffith fans , supporters and the overall GHS football community wishing for a return to The NCC or are they glad with their new found status as the tallest midget in the GSSC?

4. Is Noll going to return to full varsity status, and should they even attempt to given all the headwinds facing the program?

5. Is competitive Munster football a thing of the past. Given declining participataion and general lackluster interest in the program at best, and with Munster continuing to become a more minority medical based community, are current demographic trends basically sealing the Munstangs future fate?

6. Merrillville is playing 4A and 2A schools in non con action to open the season. While both are great, nostalgic rivalries, do Hobart and Andrean prepare the Pirates adequately for DAC play? Should MHS consider looking at opiut of area competition as they used to with Warren central?

7. Is the Crown Point program in a position to be damaged by the potential move of Andrean to Winfield?

8. Is Phil Mason a lifer at Michigan City, or would he consider possibly either leaving the area for Indy or taking on a local rebuilding project like Munster or Lake Central?

9. Bill Marshall is having more success at Valpo than Mark Hoffman did and has the program positioned for long term elite status. Did Marshall and his staff just get lucky and catch a big wave of talent, or is their something in his methods and overall coaching philosophy that have propelled the program to new heights?

10. James Broyles has Kankakee Valley at 3-0 heading into games the next two weeks against North Newton and Munster. The Kougars should be 5-0 heading into a week 6 matchup with rival Lowell. Has KV turned the corner, or is the jury still out?

11. Is Chesterton having any regrets over their decision to play Pioneer?

12. What is the future of the EC Central football program. Its been all downhill for the Cardinals since the 2013 semi state season. ECC has a 5 game schedule this year, which includes 2 games against West Side and matchups with Bowman and River Forest. How can the program advance and progress with that kind of slate? ECC along with Hamm Central and Morton should all get invites to join the NCC

2. No. Can't compete in all sports. 

3. Good questions. It feels like Griffith has lost their identity. Maybe Hammond has swallowed Griffith and Griffith is more like an extension of Hammond and no longer the Griffith we once new. The last time I saw Griffith play was when they rolled into Arcadia with caravans of cars and buses emblazoned in "Bad To The Bone" messages and they took Hamilton Heights to the woodshed for a Regional Title. Maybe Russ saw the writing on the wall when he bolted for New Prairie. That program went from being a finely tuned Russ Radtke machine to just another Highland, Hammond Gavit, etc.

6. Yes, I would still like to seem them play at least one of their rivalry games with Hobart/Andrean; however, I feel they need to test themselves against a Central Indiana team at least once a season. Merrillville appears to be one of the few Northwest Indiana teams still taking football seriously. They don't want to wait until they run into a Fort Wayne or Hamilton County team in Semi-State to see the weaknesses Duneland teams can't expose.

7. No. it's football. Baseball is king in Crown Point. I think we'll see a resurgence at Portage before Crown Point is a Duneland contender again.

8. Lake Central is a baseball first school and Michigan City will always have better raw talent than Munster. IMO, he would be crazy to leave for either unless it's strictly a financial decision and the money is right. We always speculate whether Central Indiana teams reach out to him. What about Penn? Would Penn be better off with him? Personally, I would take Penn over any job in Northwest Indiana.

9. Hoffman won 6 Regionals and 2 Semi-States. Though he did have a lot of lean years in the middle of his tenure. Marshall still has ways to go and time will tell if he just benefited greatly from an extremely talented wave of players to come through the system.  Similiar to Hoffman, Marshall isn't catching any breaks at chasing a Title. Hoffman faced Jeff George in '85 and James Banks in '01. Marshall drew Charlie Spegal last year and this year he's facing Covid 19 and the potential of a historically great Cathedral team. 

12. My initial though is similar to #2. But, maybe you're on to something if it's limited to basketball and football. Not sure how the schools would fair in track, soccer, softball and baseball. It definately would benefit any Northwest Indiana Conference to have Hammond Central and East Chicago basketball in the mix. 

[Lysander]

Going to be honest.  Not trying to be nasty....but puzzled by the general overall uncompetitive nature of the area.

If I were some dude from outside the State and I had to go to Indianapolis every year for the last 15-20 years for Thanksgiving and my in-laws insisted we go see the Indiana HS Football State Championships all those weekends, I wouldn’t recognize any single name of any High School listed in the above references (I would recognize Lowell...but they weren’t mentioned).

None....nada.

I would know the names of a LOT of teams in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and the Evansville Area.  

Hell, I’d know the name of a school in Southeast Indiana who’s town is the equivalent of postage stamp (East Central).

Why is the “Region”, almost alone, simply not competitive?

Unless you folks want to claim Rensselaer along with Lowell.
 

 

[Lysander]

Okay...I missed Andrean.  Still, the “Region” is the 2nd largest population concentration in the state of Indiana (roughly 820,000)....yet a school in St Leon, Indiana (population 671) has been featured at LOS more times than any school from the “Region” over the last few years.

[Whiting89]

4 minutes ago, Lysander said:

Okay...I missed Andrean.  Still, the “Region” is the 2nd largest population concentration in the state of Indiana (roughly 820,000)....yet a school in St Leon, Indiana (population 671) has been featured at LOS more times than any school from the “Region” over the last few years.

Whiting oilers feared and known by all throw out last years results coaching regime change 

https://indianahsfootball.homestead.com/logs/Whiting.htm#loaded

[Gipper]

2 hours ago, Lysander said:

Going to be honest.  Not trying to be nasty....but puzzled by the general overall uncompetitive nature of the area.

If I were some dude from outside the State and I had to go to Indianapolis every year for the last 15-20 years for Thanksgiving and my in-laws insisted we go see the Indiana HS Football State Championships all those weekends, I wouldn’t recognize any single name of any High School listed in the above references (I would recognize Lowell...but they weren’t mentioned).

None....nada.

I would know the names of a LOT of teams in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and the Evansville Area.  

Hell, I’d know the name of a school in Southeast Indiana who’s town is the equivalent of postage stamp (East Central).

Why is the “Region”, almost alone, simply not competitive?

Unless you folks want to claim Rensselaer along with Lowell.
 

 

It’s all good.  Although there has been a dearth of Region presence at LOS in recent years (with the exception of Lowell), athletics are (where have I said this be?) very cyclical thing.  You could very well see Andrean, Hobart, Merrillville, and Valpo make noise in thus year’s tournament.  Beyond that, Crown Point, Hammond Morton, Lake Central, Munster, and Whiting (in addition to many others) have the potential to do something.

[Jim Beaver]

Boiler mentioned Valpo was just in the state finals for 5a (2019) last year and also in 2001. 

So that would make Lowell, Andrean, Whiting, and Valpo with state final appearances.  I guess most region people don't see Laporte county as part of the "region" but I should mention the Slicers run to the state title a few years back and New Prairie under Radtke made it as well.  

 

[Spock]

Who was the last Region team to win a state championship in football?

[Impartial_Observer]

5 hours ago, Lysander said:

Going to be honest.  Not trying to be nasty....but puzzled by the general overall uncompetitive nature of the area.

If I were some dude from outside the State and I had to go to Indianapolis every year for the last 15-20 years for Thanksgiving and my in-laws insisted we go see the Indiana HS Football State Championships all those weekends, I wouldn’t recognize any single name of any High School listed in the above references (I would recognize Lowell...but they weren’t mentioned).

None....nada.

I would know the names of a LOT of teams in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and the Evansville Area.  

Hell, I’d know the name of a school in Southeast Indiana who’s town is the equivalent of postage stamp (East Central).

Why is the “Region”, almost alone, simply not competitive?

Unless you folks want to claim Rensselaer along with Lowell.
 

 

He just called yo mamas fat.....and ugly.

[Boilernation]

48 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

He just called yo mamas fat.....and ugly.

Ha! Or, in the case of 6A, the dwarf brother in size compared to Central Indiana schools. Unless, you're talking about Lake Central, who only cares about soccer and baseball and fields a football team out of necessity.

[Guest DT]

7 hours ago, Lysander said:

Going to be honest.  Not trying to be nasty....but puzzled by the general overall uncompetitive nature of the area.

If I were some dude from outside the State and I had to go to Indianapolis every year for the last 15-20 years for Thanksgiving and my in-laws insisted we go see the Indiana HS Football State Championships all those weekends, I wouldn’t recognize any single name of any High School listed in the above references (I would recognize Lowell...but they weren’t mentioned).

None....nada.

I would know the names of a LOT of teams in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, South Bend and the Evansville Area.  

Hell, I’d know the name of a school in Southeast Indiana who’s town is the equivalent of postage stamp (East Central).

Why is the “Region”, almost alone, simply not competitive?

Unless you folks want to claim Rensselaer along with Lowell.
 

 

This a very interesting post, and clearly demonstrates the animosity, ambivalence and general  ingnorance central Indiana , and particularly Indianoplace folks have about The Region and Northwest Indiana.  

I vote we secede and just officially be who we are, a south suburb of Chicago.  We dont need the hillbilly mentality and false hubris that comes out of Indy. 

NWI has been forever the industrial, technological and cultural leader of this backward state 

The ignorance and lack of sophistication ooze out of Lysander's post.  

[gonzoron]

6 minutes ago, DT said:

This a very interesting post, and clearly demonstrates the animosity, ambivalence and general  ingnorance central Indiana , and particularly Indianoplace folks have about The Region and Northwest Indiana.  

I vote we secede and just officially be who we are, a south suburb of Chicago.  We dont need the hillbilly mentality and false hubris that comes out of Indy. 

NWI has been forever the industrial, technological and cultural leader of this backward state 

The ignorance and lack of sophistication ooze out of Lysander's post.  

Are you going to answer his question?

 

7 hours ago, Lysander said:

Why is the “Region”, almost alone, simply not competitive?

 

[Guest DT]

30 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

Are you going to answer his question?

 

 

Its an ignorant question.  He nees to do a little research and he will find out how clueless he really is on the subject.  

[gonzoron]

11 minutes ago, DT said:

Its an ignorant question.  He nees to do a little research and he will find out how clueless he really is on the subject.  

So instead of proving him wrong with your evidence, you're going to call names, take your ball and go home? Seems like you're giving up awfully easy.

[Impartial_Observer]

1 hour ago, DT said:

This a very interesting post, and clearly demonstrates the animosity, ambivalence and general  ingnorance central Indiana , and particularly Indianoplace folks have about The Region and Northwest Indiana.  

I vote we secede and just officially be who we are, a south suburb of Chicago.  We dont need the hillbilly mentality and false hubris that comes out of Indy. 

NWI has been forever the industrial, technological and cultural leader of this backward state 

The ignorance and lack of sophistication ooze out of Lysander's post.  

And he called their mommas fat...and ugly, culture withstanding of course.

[Guest DT]

26 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

So instead of proving him wrong with your evidence, you're going to call names, take your ball and go home? Seems like you're giving up awfully easy.

I have no need nor desire to prove anything to anybody.  Nor do I need to engage in a pointless argument that only further reestablishes ignorance reklative to this key critical part of the state.

He can dig himself out of his own hole should he wish to do so.

[gonzoron]

5 minutes ago, DT said:

I have no need nor desire to prove anything to anybody.  Nor do I need to engage in a pointless argument that only further reestablishes ignorance reklative to this key critical part of the state.

He can dig himself out of his own hole should he wish to do so.

As one who likes to stir the pot and create discussions about controversial subjects, you back out when someone else wants some debate? Should most of the schools in the Region consider contraction?

[Lysander]

1 hour ago, DT said:

This a very interesting post, and clearly demonstrates the animosity, ambivalence and general  ingnorance central Indiana , and particularly Indianoplace folks have about The Region and Northwest Indiana.  

I vote we secede and just officially be who we are, a south suburb of Chicago.  We dont need the hillbilly mentality and false hubris that comes out of Indy. 

NWI has been forever the industrial, technological and cultural leader of this backward state 

The ignorance and lack of sophistication ooze out of Lysander's post.  

Keep trying......I am admittedly ambivalent...I really don’t care.  I’m just looking at who has visited LOS these last 20 years.  

Seems pretty clear.

Good luck, though,  tying your identity to a city in another state that you don’t even live in.

BTW, I’m a proud hillbilly from Southeast Indiana....not Cincinnati.

 

[Guest DT]

3 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

As one who likes to stir the pot and create discussions about controversial subjects, you back out when someone else wants some debate? Should most of the schools in the Region consider contraction?

Another ignorant comment.  I'll be glad to debate when I find some intellectually stimulating subject matter.  That will be difficult here. 

[gonzoron]

2 minutes ago, DT said:

Another ignorant comment.  I'll be glad to debate when I find some intellectually stimulating subject matter.  That will be difficult here. 

I agree, it's a thread about Region football.