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SAC potential matchups


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If this new format comes to fruition. 

Who they should schedule and why:

1.        Snider vs Penn – at one time the best non-conference rivalry in the state. This one shouldn’t fade away. Penn leads 9-8, but they are 4-1 during the Yoeman/Tippmann era. Snider wants to right that ship against a program they have a ton of respect for. 

2.       Homestead vs Carmel – Homestead waxed the Greyhounds 27-3 back in 1998. But they are 0-4 ever since with the closest game a 21 point margin. The Spartans need another win to prove they belong with the big boys. Not to mention, the schools and communities are almost mirror images of one another (with the exception of size).

3.       Carroll vs Valparaiso – They’ve never played one another. But I think this would be a good measuring stick for both programs. Nor would they meet again in the playoffs. Both programs appear to be on a level playing field and the drive is only 1.5 hours.

4.       Dwenger vs Central Catholic (Toledo) – Indianapolis rivals Cincinnati, Fort Wayne should rival Toledo. Two cities of similar size separated by only 1.5 hours. Komets vs Walley is vicious. We need this in football too. A border war if you will. Like the Saints, Central Catholic is loaded with football tradition.

5.       Bishop Luers vs Coldwater – Two great programs separated by 1 hour. Both are small schools and Coldwater is widely considered one of the most dominating programs in Ohio pound for pound. If Luers doesn't go after them, someone should.

6.       Northrop vs Leo – Separated by 15 minutes and never met on the gridiron. This would be 5a vs 4a, but Leo is the better program. Northrop isn’t bad, they just play in a good conference. I think this could become a good rivalry.

7.       Concordia vs Indianapolis Lutheran – The battle of the Lutherans. Only three in Indiana with the other being Trinity out of Semour. It’s 3a vs 1a, but I like it. I think others around the state would like it too.

8.       Wayne vs Adams Central – It’s 4a vs 1a, but I think Adams Central would jump at the chance at playing the SAC’s southern most school. The question is, would Wayne go for this. I like the matchup, and at some point, we need to see some Fort Wayne schools take on the hard nosed football programs of Adams County.

9.       South Side vs Indianapolis Attucks – Central Fort Wayne vs Central Indianapolis. I like it. Two struggling programs with similar demographics.

10.   North Side vs New Haven – 5a vs 4a, separated by 8 miles, and have never played one another. Both programs seem to be of equal caliber. 

On the radar: Toledo Whitmer, Bishop Hartley, HCC, DAC, and any school from Lafayette. 

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The biggest challenge will be finding their desired opponents in week 1 or week 2 only.  If they had the option of playing out of conference during other weeks, more options could be considered.  Here are a few ideas.  “Wish List” opponents are those that probably couldn’t be worked out based upon current schedules and games the opponent would not want to drop to pick up an SAC school.

 

Homestead - Wish list: Elkhart.  Realistic: Week 1 Carmel, Week 2 Valparaiso.

Carroll - Wish List: Elkhart.  Realistic: Week 1 Chesterton, Week 2 Harrison (WL).

Snider - Wish list: Merrillville.  Realistic: Week 1 Lafayette Jeff, Week 2 Penn.

Dwenger - Wish list: Cathedral, Roncalli, Brebeuf.  Realistic: Week 1 South Bend St. Joseph, Week 2 Chatard (after they drop Arsenal Tech, see South Side below).

Luers - Wish List: Andrean, Mishawaka Marian.  Realistic: Week 1 Indianapolis Scecina, Week 2 Leo.

Northrop - Wish List: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Anderson, Week 2 South Bend Adams

Concordia - Wish List: Indianapolis Lutheran.  Realistic: Week 1 Culver Academies, Week 2 Norwell

North Side - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Huntington North, Week 2 Hammond Central

South Side - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Marion, Week 2 Arsenal Tech (renewed series).

Wayne - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 New Haven, Week 2 Indianapolis Attucks

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18 hours ago, HoopsCoach said:

The biggest challenge will be finding their desired opponents in week 1 or week 2 only.  If they had the option of playing out of conference during other weeks, more options could be considered.  Here are a few ideas.  “Wish List” opponents are those that probably couldn’t be worked out based upon current schedules and games the opponent would not want to drop to pick up an SAC school.

 

Homestead - Wish list: Elkhart.  Realistic: Week 1 Carmel, Week 2 Valparaiso.

Carroll - Wish List: Elkhart.  Realistic: Week 1 Chesterton, Week 2 Harrison (WL).

Snider - Wish list: Merrillville.  Realistic: Week 1 Lafayette Jeff, Week 2 Penn.

Dwenger - Wish list: Cathedral, Roncalli, Brebeuf.  Realistic: Week 1 South Bend St. Joseph, Week 2 Chatard (after they drop Arsenal Tech, see South Side below).

Luers - Wish List: Andrean, Mishawaka Marian.  Realistic: Week 1 Indianapolis Scecina, Week 2 Leo.

Northrop - Wish List: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Anderson, Week 2 South Bend Adams

Concordia - Wish List: Indianapolis Lutheran.  Realistic: Week 1 Culver Academies, Week 2 Norwell

North Side - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Huntington North, Week 2 Hammond Central

South Side - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 Marion, Week 2 Arsenal Tech (renewed series).

Wayne - Wish list: South Bend Washington/Clay/Riley.  Realistic: Week 1 New Haven, Week 2 Indianapolis Attucks

Why play teams you might meet in the playoffs. Being a Luers fan I would like them to play teams they haven't played before.

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Blitz already excited about the potential matchups we will see over the first two weeks of the season. 

Haven't been this excited about the SAC in a long time. And to showcase the talent of this league around the state, AND to give area leagues a chance to see how they stack up against the SAC? 

Blitz is here for all of it. 

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12 minutes ago, jakone said:

The last time the SAC had out of conference games Luers played Toledo Whitmer and Columbus Bishop Hartley. 

I think the main obstacle would be getting games with either of those schools in week 1 or week 2 (the problem with any of the opponents I included as “wish list”.  When Luers played Hartley it was in week 8, and the one year they played Whitmer it was in week 4. They replaced Whitmer with Leo for the next two years before the SAC went back to 10 teams.

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3 minutes ago, HoopsCoach said:

I think the main obstacle would be getting games with either of those schools in week 1 or week 2 (the problem with any of the opponents I included as “wish list”.  When Luers played Hartley it was in week 8, and the one year they played Whitmer it was in week 4. They replaced Whitmer with Leo for the next two years before the SAC went back to 10 teams.

I'm Not saying they should play those two teams I'm saying think outside the box. Team from around the area could include New Haven, Leo, Norwell, East Noble. 

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8 hours ago, Blitz said:

Blitz already excited about the potential matchups we will see over the first two weeks of the season. 

Haven't been this excited about the SAC in a long time. And to showcase the talent of this league around the state, AND to give area leagues a chance to see how they stack up against the SAC? 

Blitz is here for all of it. 

Agree. And I maintain that attendance numbers could go up under this new format. It's like you stated in your article. Playing the same schedule year in and year out gets kind of stale. Actually, VERY stale. 

And the Sagarin Ratings won't be so jacked up :). 

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9 hours ago, ASJCPUMA said:

I would like to see a double header:  Luers/Marian  and Dwenger/St. Joe rotated between the 2 cities

or they both play same night in same city

maybe rotate who plays who

I like the Luers/Marian matchup. But not so much on Dwenger/St. Joe. They don't seem to be the same program they once were when the Downey's were leading the way. I think Dwenger sets their sites a little higher. 

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Maybe a pipe dream, but Blitz would LOVE to see a one-day, shootout-style football event in Fort Wayne on a Saturday in Week 1 or 2. 

Some of the matchups you all have mentioned above in this thread. Put several of em in one day. Three, four or even five. Similar to what TRC has done in the past at Ball St. but non-conference games. 

A Carroll or Homestead could host. Or you have it at a Saint Francis or Trine. 

Games at noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:30. One fee gets you in all day. Bring out food trucks. Concession stands will make bank. 

Again, maybe a long shot...

 

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2 hours ago, SAC_Insider said:

Would love to some SAC vs NLC match ups 

Here's of those matchups I would want to see:

Warsaw vs. Snider/Dwenger - Would love to see the Tigers match up against either of these teams. I would not want them facing Carroll or Homestead in the regular season knowing they are sectional foes, so the next two "big dogs" in the SAC would be valuable.

Concord/Mishawaka vs. Carroll/Homestead - This could be a huge/valuable game for the Minutemen and Cavemen. Both schools compete well against Warsaw, and adding another 6A school to their schedule would do nothing but better prepare them for the 5A tournament. For Carroll and Homestead, playing Mishawaka would give them a chance to see "Bart Ball" during the regular season and have that exposure before seeing Warsaw in the sectional.

NorthWood vs. Luers - Two historially strong programs that I do not believe have ever met on the gridiron. The smallest schools in each conference, but pound for pound arguably the best of the NLC and SAC.

Goshen/Northridge vs. North Side/Northrop - Good measuring sticks for the remaining 5A NLC school (Goshen) and one of the stronger 4A NLC schools (Northridge) against two 5A schools in the SAC. Even though for Goshen these are 5A foes, how the sectionals are currently set up, these teams would not potentially meet until the 5A North Semi-State, so not as big of a deal as the Warsaw/Carroll/Homestead thought process.

Plymouth/Wawasee vs. South Side/Wayne/Concordia - The rest of the teams who are currently all at the bottom of the barrel of each conference. Would be good matchups for each school as they continue to try and build up their programs.

 

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3 hours ago, Blitz said:

Maybe a pipe dream, but Blitz would LOVE to see a one-day, shootout-style football event in Fort Wayne on a Saturday in Week 1 or 2. 

Some of the matchups you all have mentioned above in this thread. Put several of em in one day. Three, four or even five. Similar to what TRC has done in the past at Ball St. but non-conference games. 

A Carroll or Homestead could host. Or you have it at a Saint Francis or Trine. 

Games at noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:30. One fee gets you in all day. Bring out food trucks. Concession stands will make bank. 

Again, maybe a long shot...

 

Maybe not a long shot at all. I thought splitting the division into two was a pipe dream, yet we are one year away from reality. I like Carroll as the host. They have better visitor accommodations. And lets be honest, although an older stadium, Spuller would make a great host as well. Spuller gives you more of a college gameday type experience, ample seating on both sides, a great parking lot for tailgating, and 30 seconds off I69. Several hotels, shopping, and restaurants within minutes. Carroll is more of a rural setting. 

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2 hours ago, Warren Central Warrior said:

I would like to see Warren Central play Fort Wayne Carroll, Homestead, or Snider. The Warriors last played the Panthers in the 2004 state title game where they defeated them 35-23.

Warren and Snider had a nice little series there for a few years. 

2004     Warren 35, Snider 23

1991      Snider 23, Warren 7

1990     Warren 21, Snider 10

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1 hour ago, NLCTigerFan07 said:

Here's of those matchups I would want to see:

Warsaw vs. Snider/Dwenger - Would love to see the Tigers match up against either of these teams. I would not want them facing Carroll or Homestead in the regular season knowing they are sectional foes, so the next two "big dogs" in the SAC would be valuable.

Concord/Mishawaka vs. Carroll/Homestead - This could be a huge/valuable game for the Minutemen and Cavemen. Both schools compete well against Warsaw, and adding another 6A school to their schedule would do nothing but better prepare them for the 5A tournament. For Carroll and Homestead, playing Mishawaka would give them a chance to see "Bart Ball" during the regular season and have that exposure before seeing Warsaw in the sectional.

NorthWood vs. Luers - Two historially strong programs that I do not believe have ever met on the gridiron. The smallest schools in each conference, but pound for pound arguably the best of the NLC and SAC.

Goshen/Northridge vs. North Side/Northrop - Good measuring sticks for the remaining 5A NLC school (Goshen) and one of the stronger 4A NLC schools (Northridge) against two 5A schools in the SAC. Even though for Goshen these are 5A foes, how the sectionals are currently set up, these teams would not potentially meet until the 5A North Semi-State, so not as big of a deal as the Warsaw/Carroll/Homestead thought process.

Plymouth/Wawasee vs. South Side/Wayne/Concordia - The rest of the teams who are currently all at the bottom of the barrel of each conference. Would be good matchups for each school as they continue to try and build up their programs.

 

Not bad. I like it. All would be very good matchups. I do think the "big dogs" need to reserve at least one of their games for an Indy foe. For the other foe, definitely someone in that Lafayette, Warsaw/Valpo, South Bend, or Region area. 

I kind of chucked at the "next two big dogs." I would compromise at "other," but "next" is unacceptable 🙂

Just now, NLCTigerFan07 said:

Not sure I call 3 matchups over 14 years a series per se, but agree it would be great to see Snider and Warren matchup more frequently.

Valid. Is was really just a two year home/home. The visitor won both games. The other happened by chance, the state championship. 

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1 hour ago, BTF said:

Warren and Snider had a nice little series there for a few years. 

2004     Warren 35, Snider 23

1991      Snider 23, Warren 7

1990     Warren 21, Snider 10

Which city was each game played?

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8 hours ago, NLCTigerFan07 said:

 

NorthWood vs. Luers - Two historially strong programs that I do not believe have ever met on the gridiron. The smallest schools in each conference, but pound for pound arguably the best of the NLC and SAC.

 

Not sure if there have been other matchups. But NorthWood defeated Luers 21-14 in the 2005 Regional. NW had Ryan Burkhart, who would go on to kick for Notre Dame.

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