Tommy Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Per Michiana Football After one season La Porte Head coach David Ortiz has resigned to join Craig Buzea's staff at Crown Point Slicers will be looking for the 4th head coach in 5 seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 D.O. is a great guy and coach. Grew up playing against him. He played and coached for Buzz for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 24 minutes ago, DE said: D.O. is a great guy and coach. Grew up playing against him. He played and coached for Buzz for many years. Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Just now, Bobref said: Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played? Yes, unfortunately I do. 😂 He was a year ahead of me in school. He graduated from PHS in 1995. He was on Coach Buzz's 1st team in the fall of 94 (his senior year) that went on to play Castle in the 5A state title game. TREMENDOUS 3 way player. He played WR (lined up some at TE...different story/nightmare for a different day), DB and was one heck of a return man. Dude could do it all. Went on to play at St. Joe's College in Rennsy. Fantastic guy. I have been lucky to stay in contact with him and Nick Wellman (who was such an underrated QB). 4 minutes ago, Bobref said: Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played? You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS. Overtime win by PHS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted April 14, 2022 Author Share Posted April 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Bobref said: Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played? David Ortiz was a senior wide receiver on Portage's 1994 5A state runner up team. Nick Wellman was his quarterback. Ortiz led the state in receiving the that year. Was also a great baseball player. Had a great college career at the former St. Joesph college. Was a member of Buzea's and Mike Karpinski's staff at Michigan City before moving on to La Porte. Very well liked guy among all the players he coaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 2 hours ago, DE said: You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS. Overtime win by PHS. If that is the game where Portage scored the TD in overtime with a pass and great catch right at the end line, I was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Just now, Bobref said: If that is the game where Portage scored the TD in overtime with a pass and great catch right at the end line, I was there. Like I said, unfortunately.....😂 When DO, Nick and I all coached together in Buzz's last year at PHS (06-07) the S** talking that went on between the 3 of us was 2nd to none. LOL. All good friends, but man did we bust each other......everything was competition between us 3. Buzz was like the dad with 3 sons that were always at it. GREAT memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DACNUT Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Wow, is all I have to say for LaPorte. Always tough players, great fan and community support, just have not been able to sustain success over the years as Michigan City and New Prairie have ascended the last several years. Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards? LaPorte is in a bad place with Valparaiso now in their sectional and Michigan City already there. Crown Point is looking to be a major player in 6A sooner rather than later. A strong coaching staff, parents and community who will support the program, and administration as well, all the ingredients needed. With Merrillville out of the way, outside of Hamilton County, they have a chance with the rest of the north. Crown Point will challenge Merrillville, Valpo, and MC this year for the top spots in the DAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 41 minutes ago, DACNUT said: Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards? Good for you. Coach Richards is a great person and a heckuva coach. He completely turned the Morton program around, and I mean off the field as well, to the point where it became a destination when open enrollment was implemented. He would be an asset to any program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolvesOnTheProwl Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 4th coach in 5 seasons.... and I'm assuming when they hired a few of these young coaches (Sharp, Lowery, Ortiz) they thought they had their HC in place for the next 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted April 14, 2022 Author Share Posted April 14, 2022 2 hours ago, DACNUT said: Wow, is all I have to say for LaPorte. Always tough players, great fan and community support, just have not been able to sustain success over the years as Michigan City and New Prairie have ascended the last several years. Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards? LaPorte is in a bad place with Valparaiso now in their sectional and Michigan City already there. Crown Point is looking to be a major player in 6A sooner rather than later. A strong coaching staff, parents and community who will support the program, and administration as well, all the ingredients needed. With Merrillville out of the way, outside of Hamilton County, they have a chance with the rest of the north. Crown Point will challenge Merrillville, Valpo, and MC this year for the top spots in the DAC. Valpo is not in La Porte's sectional anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarab527 Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, Tommy said: Valpo is not in La Porte's sectional anymore. ? I think almost everyone believes that Valpo, Chesterton, City, and LaPorte will be in a sectional together come fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarab527 Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Bobref said: Good for you. Coach Richards is a great person and a heckuva coach. He completely turned the Morton program around, and I mean off the field as well, to the point where it became a destination when open enrollment was implemented. He would be an asset to any program. Morton hasn’t been the same since he left. Great coach and a good guy. Him and Mason have been quite the combo at City, would be funny if he left for a rival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boilernation Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Hate to be pessimistic, but I have to think it's going to be very difficult for LaPorte to attract a high level hire. Tough situation with presumably Chesterton, Michigan City, and Valpo in their Sectional. My guess is their only attracting assistants looking for their 1st gig or an experienced HC in it for the love of coaching. I can't fathom anyone as successful as Roy Richards being interested in that job. Maybe I'm completely off base. The Slicers have fallen well behind City and can no longer hide from Valpo in 5A. Chesterton has passed them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boilernation Posted April 14, 2022 Share Posted April 14, 2022 11 hours ago, DE said: Yes, unfortunately I do. 😂 He was a year ahead of me in school. He graduated from PHS in 1995. He was on Coach Buzz's 1st team in the fall of 94 (his senior year) that went on to play Castle in the 5A state title game. TREMENDOUS 3 way player. He played WR (lined up some at TE...different story/nightmare for a different day), DB and was one heck of a return man. Dude could do it all. Went on to play at St. Joe's College in Rennsy. Fantastic guy. I have been lucky to stay in contact with him and Nick Wellman (who was such an underrated QB). You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS. Overtime win by PHS. That '94 Portage team came out of nowhere. Bubba had just left for Valpo U and some offensive star power at QB and RB graduated after the '93 Sectional Title. I believe Wellman wasn't even named QB1 until a few weeks before the Jamboree. And Portage looked awful in the Jamboree. Lake Central came into the '94 opener with a lofty ranking and expectations of getting back to the RCA Dome. I don't think anyone in Portage expected that game to end the way it did. I think beating solid Rick Wimmer coached Merrillville 28-0 in Week 3 was when the belief set in that something special was really happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 31 minutes ago, Boilernation said: That '94 Portage team came out of nowhere. Bubba had just left for Valpo U and some offensive star power at QB and RB graduated after the '93 Sectional Title. I believe Wellman wasn't even named QB1 until a few weeks before the Jamboree. And Portage looked awful in the Jamboree. Lake Central came into the '94 opener with a lofty ranking and expectations of getting back to the RCA Dome. I don't think anyone in Portage expected that game to end the way it did. I think beating solid Rick Wimmer coached Merrillville 28-0 in Week 3 was when the belief set in that something special was really happening. All accurate. We started the game w a toss pass that was incomplete which was huge for both sides. Very good game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridwatcher Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Why is LaPorte having problems retaining head football coaches? This will be the fourth in five seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 4 hours ago, Gridwatcher said: Why is LaPorte having problems retaining head football coaches? This will be the fourth in five seasons. Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, Gridwatcher said: Why is LaPorte having problems retaining head football coaches? This will be the fourth in five seasons. Part of the problem is that coaches from some of the best and strongest programs throughout the state are raiding other staffs and hoarding many of the up and coming hot young coaches. Buzea poaching Ortiz from Laporte and Osika stealing young Eric Schreiber from the West Side program are two examples where rich, high resource blue bloods hurt two smaller schools who are struggling and trying to get their programs back on track. In the name of competitive balance, is this really a good practice? Isnt there an unwritten rule and a code of ethics between staffs, especially at the local level? Laporte will suffer through another coaching change and fall further behind in the DAC while Buzea's all star coaching staff just keeps getting bigger. West Side's great progress and momentum could very likely be derailed with the loss of a high impact, natural leader like Schreiber JR. Is Schreiber the presumed "Coach in Waiting" at Hobart? Possibly the same with Ortiz at Crown Point? Edited April 19, 2022 by HHF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 44 minutes ago, Bobref said: Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there? DO would be, what, the 4th or 5th former HC on Buzz's staff now? 31 minutes ago, HHF said: Part of the problem is that coaches from some of the best and strongest programs throughout the state are raiding other staffs and hoarding many of the up and coming hot young coaches. Buzea poaching Ortiz from Laporte and Osika stealing young Eric Schreiber from the West Side program are two examples where rich, high resource blue bloods hurt two smaller schools who are struggling and trying to get their programs back on track. In the name of competitive balance, is this really a good practice? Isnt there an unwritten rule and a code of ethics between staffs, especially at the local level? Laporte will suffer through another coaching change and fall further behind in the DAC while Buzea's all star coaching staff just keeps getting bigger. West Side's great progress and momentum could very likely be derailed with the loss of a high impact, natural leader like Schreiber JR. Is Schreiber the presumed "Coach in Waiting" at Hobart? Possibly the same with Ortiz at Crown Point? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, DE said: DO would be, what, the 4th or 5th former HC on Buzz's staff now? No. If it smells rotten, its rotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted April 20, 2022 Author Share Posted April 20, 2022 23 hours ago, Bobref said: Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there? Buzea is a master recruiter and Dave Ortiz has three middle school aged sons. I think that is why he wanted him to come and rejoin him on his staff at Crown Point. When Buzea left Portage for Michigan City the program was on probation from the IHSAA for recruiting players from East Chicago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Morales Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 so you are going to hire a coach because his sons are supposed to be the second coming... wow, they must be phenomenal athletes... i was once told potential does not mean a damn thing without heart... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 On 4/14/2022 at 7:33 PM, Boilernation said: Hate to be pessimistic, but I have to think it's going to be very difficult for LaPorte to attract a high level hire. Tough situation with presumably Chesterton, Michigan City, and Valpo in their Sectional. My guess is their only attracting assistants looking for their 1st gig or an experienced HC in it for the love of coaching. I can't fathom anyone as successful as Roy Richards being interested in that job. Maybe I'm completely off base. The Slicers have fallen well behind City and can no longer hide from Valpo in 5A. Chesterton has passed them as well. Your assessment of Coach Richards is a bit over the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boilernation Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 On 4/26/2022 at 12:54 AM, HHF said: Your assessment of Coach Richards is a bit over the top. That's debatable. I'm sure there's the potential that schools will pass on him due to the proven false allegations regarding his exit from Morton; however, I would wager he has been approached for openings. I would wager these openings have been better than LaPorte based on the following: LaPorte is not a talent hotbed and they are on the verge of now having more difficult of a Sectional Is the LaPorte school board a problem for coaches? They recently gave into parent complaints and ran off a good basketball coach in Tom Wells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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