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SAC Outlook 2022


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The SAC is turning into a yearly crapshoot. What used to be the Snider/Dwenger show has suddenly turned into the Snider/Dwenger/Homestead/Carroll show with a bit of Luers mixed in. And it looks like it might be another one of those years for the Knights. Then you have the new "magnet" school in North Side. Things could get interesting in the SAC, especially 5A sectionals. 

Alphabetically

Carroll: Have the Chargers finally turned the corner? This year will be a good test after losing a D1 caliber, three year starter at the quarterback position. Some of Dinan's teams have severely struggled since joining the SAC in 2015, but they've been no slouch over the past three years. They have the facilities, community support, and student population to become one of the better programs in Northern Indiana. Time will tell how this years team measures up.

Concordia: Tim Mannigel is back after a one year absence. His teams were known for giving the upper half of the SAC fits, especially Bishop Luers. He has a victory over Carroll to his credit and a couple of close battles with Homestead. His return only makes the SAC stronger. Look for an increase in production this year after a lackluster 2-8 season a year ago. 

Dwenger: Poor Dwenger. Dwenger is down. Dwenger lost this guy and that guy. Dwenger didn't lose Jason Garrett. And Dwenger still has a program that continues to reload. Oh, and a D1 transfer from Northrop. Garrett's teams play great defense and are as tough as nails on the whole. And they proved that they are capable of post season success even on a "down" year (last season.) It would be foolish to write these Saints off. 

Homestead: Homestead's success goes back all the way to the mid-90's. Sometimes they are NHC good, sometimes SAC good, and sometimes state-wide good. But they are always good. I expect that they will reload as usual and plug in a QB that will be among the best in NE Indiana. Count on the Spartans to compete for the SAC title, but don't expect too much when they meet up with Indy........they may still be a few years away from that level of play. But consider this, Homestead is 5-1 against Snider and Dwenger over the last three years. If they run the table on the Panthers and Saints this year, then they'll be the official kingpin of the SAC. 

Luers:  It's my understanding that Luers returns many key elements to a team that should be defending their 2A title. Yes, they were upset in the post season last year........plain and simple. They could have beaten 1/4 of 6A teams last year and 1/2 of 5A. How good will they be this year? I'll leave that to some of the Luers insiders. But then again, most those guys have Lou Holtz Syndrome. 

North Side: Is this Fort Wayne's new magnet school? They already feature the best player in Indiana and one of the best wide receivers in the country. Now we are hearing of transfers from Dwenger and Luers. This doesn't happen in Fort Wayne. Dwenger and Luers kids don't transfer to North Side. Sorry, they just don't. So how is Ben Johnson getting it done? If he's as good of a coach as he is a recruiter, then the SAC better be on high alert. Last season, Coach Johnson's first at North Side, was pretty rough with only 2 wins. But he only lost to Snider and Dwenger by a combined 5 points. The Legends could be dangerous.

Northrop: I've been saying "potential" for years now. I thought the Doerffler's would turn the Bruins into an SAC contender, but that never happened. Why is that? That's a question that may be a little too deep for me to answer. There is talent in the halls at Northrop, just as there is at every other FWCS. But what's it going to take to get them over the hump? Maybe a guy who's been in the Snider system for a couple of decades...........bring in Quenton Bowen. Imagine that....from black/gold to orange/brown. That's comparable to moving from Ohio State to Michigan. Good luck to him. A better Northrop means a better SAC. 

Snider: The panthers seemingly pulled out of their slump last season and found themselves once again at the top of the SAC. The post season wasn't so kind to them. They squeaked by a 3 win Northrop team, then got waxed by Dwenger after beating them by two touchdowns a few weeks prior. I think the Panthers had their sights set on the likes of Zionsville and Cathedral..........hopefully they don't make that same mistake again this season. They should be in a pretty good position this season with the return of many key positions from last seasons SAC championship run. Look for much of the same this year with a possible deep playoff run. 

South Side: I'm not sure where to begin here. Again, another school that is rich with talent in the hallway. Bring back Matt Land? Had he stuck around, South Side would have hoisted a couple of state title trophies. They've struggled ever since. Let's hope that Guy Lee is the one to bring this program back to respectability. 

Wayne: Sherwood Haydock won when he was at Harding and he won when he was at Woodlan. He can win at Wayne too. Others have done it before him, and he will too. Look for the Generals to make a run in 4A regardless of their win/loss record in the SAC. 

 

Edited by BTF
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You mention North Side has best player in state and one of the best WR's. Are they two in the same or do they have two studs? Yes, I also wonder what is going on off of State Street with other players heading there? Seems a bit odd, but if they have two of the states' best, good usually attracts good. 

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1 hour ago, psaboy said:

You mention North Side has best player in state and one of the best WR's. Are they two in the same or do they have two studs? Yes, I also wonder what is going on off of State Street with other players heading there? Seems a bit odd, but if they have two of the states' best, good usually attracts good. 

One player, same guy. 

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19 hours ago, BTF said:

The SAC is turning into a yearly crapshoot. What used to be the Snider/Dwenger show has suddenly turned into the Snider/Dwenger/Homestead/Carroll show with a bit of Luers mixed in. And it looks like it might be another one of those years for the Knights. Then you have the new "magnet" school in North Side. Things could get interesting in the SAC, especially 5A sectionals. 

Alphabetically

Carroll: Have the Chargers finally turned the corner? This year will be a good test after losing a D1 caliber, three year starter at the quarterback position. Some of Dinan's teams have severely struggled since joining the SAC in 2015, but they've been no slouch over the past three years. They have the facilities, community support, and student population to become one of the better programs in Northern Indiana. Time will tell how this years team measures up.

Concordia: Tim Mannigel is back after a one year absence. His teams were known for giving the upper half of the SAC fits, especially Bishop Luers. He has a victory over Carroll to his credit and a couple of close battles with Homestead. His return only makes the SAC stronger. Look for an increase in production this year after a lackluster 2-8 season a year ago. 

Dwenger: Poor Dwenger. Dwenger is down. Dwenger lost this guy and that guy. Dwenger didn't lose Jason Garrett. And Dwenger still has a program that continues to reload. Oh, and a D1 transfer from Northrop. Garrett's teams play great defense and are as tough as nails on the whole. And they proved that they are capable of post season success even on a "down" year (last season.) It would be foolish to write these Saints off. 

Homestead: Homestead's success goes back all the way to the mid-90's. Sometimes they are NHC good, sometimes SAC good, and sometimes state-wide good. But they are always good. I expect that they will reload as usual and plug in a QB that will be among the best in NE Indiana. Count on the Spartans to compete for the SAC title, but don't expect too much when they meet up with Indy........they may still be a few years away from that level of play. But consider this, Homestead is 5-1 against Snider and Dwenger over the last three years. If they run the table on the Panthers and Saints this year, then they'll be the official kingpin of the SAC. 

Luers:  It's my understanding that Luers returns many key elements to a team that should be defending their 2A title. Yes, they were upset in the post season last year........plain and simple. They could have beaten 1/4 of 6A teams last year and 1/2 of 5A. How good will they be this year? I'll leave that to some of the Luers insiders. But then again, most those guys have Lou Holtz Syndrome. 

North Side: Is this Fort Wayne's new magnet school? They already feature the best player in Indiana and one of the best wide receivers in the country. Now we are hearing of transfers from Dwenger and Luers. This doesn't happen in Fort Wayne. Dwenger and Luers kids don't transfer to North Side. Sorry, they just don't. So how is Ben Johnson getting it done? If he's as good of a coach as he is a recruiter, then the SAC better be on high alert. Last season, Coach Johnson's first at North Side, was pretty rough with only 2 wins. But he only lost to Snider and Dwenger by a combined 5 points. The Legends could be dangerous.

Northrop: I've been saying "potential" for years now. I thought the Doerffler's would turn the Bruins into an SAC contender, but that never happened. Why is that? That's a question that may be a little too deep for me to answer. There is talent in the halls at Northrop, just as there is at every other FWCS. But what's it going to take to get them over the hump? Maybe a guy who's been in the Snider system for a couple of decades...........bring in Quenton Bowen. Imagine that....from black/gold to orange/brown. That's comparable to moving from Ohio State to Michigan. Good luck to him. A better Northrop means a better SAC. 

Snider: The panthers seemingly pulled out of their slump last season and found themselves once again at the top of the SAC. The post season wasn't so kind to them. They squeaked by a 3 win Northrop team, then got waxed by Dwenger after beating them by two touchdowns a few weeks prior. I think the Panthers had their sights set on the likes of Zionsville and Cathedral..........hopefully they don't make that same mistake again this season. They should be in a pretty good position this season with the return of many key positions from last seasons SAC championship run. Look for much of the same this year with a possible deep playoff run. 

South Side: I'm not sure where to begin here. Again, another school that is rich with talent in the hallway. Bring back Matt Land? Had he stuck around, South Side would have hoisted a couple of state title trophies. They've struggled ever since. Let's hope that Guy Lee is the one to bring this program back to respectability. 

Wayne: Sherwood Haydock won when he was at Harding and he won when he was at Woodlan. He can win at Wayne too. Others have done it before him, and he will too. Look for the Generals to make a run in 4A regardless of their win/loss record in the SAC. 

 

Carroll lost the new starting QB. Such a sad loss for the SAC. Dwenger lost their QB to North Side. We will find out fast if it was Garrett or was it the kids from the great St Charles teams that carried them. Will see. My pick is Homestead to win SAC. It's the 7 on 7 team that is recruiting for North Side. Traction AP trainers.

Edited by Mebuck
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3 hours ago, Mebuck said:

Carroll lost the new starting QB. Such a sad loss for the SAC. Dwenger lost their QB to North Side. We will find out fast if it was Garrett or was it the kids from the great St Charles teams that carried them. Will see. My pick is Homestead to win SAC. It's the 7 on 7 team that is recruiting for North Side. Traction AP trainers.

How did Carroll lose their new starting QB? 

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On 7/1/2022 at 10:02 PM, BTF said:

The SAC is turning into a yearly crapshoot. What used to be the Snider/Dwenger show has suddenly turned into the Snider/Dwenger/Homestead/Carroll show with a bit of Luers mixed in. And it looks like it might be another one of those years for the Knights. Then you have the new "magnet" school in North Side. Things could get interesting in the SAC, especially 5A sectionals. 

Alphabetically

Carroll: Have the Chargers finally turned the corner? This year will be a good test after losing a D1 caliber, three year starter at the quarterback position. Some of Dinan's teams have severely struggled since joining the SAC in 2015, but they've been no slouch over the past three years. They have the facilities, community support, and student population to become one of the better programs in Northern Indiana. Time will tell how this years team measures up.

Concordia: Tim Mannigel is back after a one year absence. His teams were known for giving the upper half of the SAC fits, especially Bishop Luers. He has a victory over Carroll to his credit and a couple of close battles with Homestead. His return only makes the SAC stronger. Look for an increase in production this year after a lackluster 2-8 season a year ago. 

Dwenger: Poor Dwenger. Dwenger is down. Dwenger lost this guy and that guy. Dwenger didn't lose Jason Garrett. And Dwenger still has a program that continues to reload. Oh, and a D1 transfer from Northrop. Garrett's teams play great defense and are as tough as nails on the whole. And they proved that they are capable of post season success even on a "down" year (last season.) It would be foolish to write these Saints off. 

Homestead: Homestead's success goes back all the way to the mid-90's. Sometimes they are NHC good, sometimes SAC good, and sometimes state-wide good. But they are always good. I expect that they will reload as usual and plug in a QB that will be among the best in NE Indiana. Count on the Spartans to compete for the SAC title, but don't expect too much when they meet up with Indy........they may still be a few years away from that level of play. But consider this, Homestead is 5-1 against Snider and Dwenger over the last three years. If they run the table on the Panthers and Saints this year, then they'll be the official kingpin of the SAC. 

Luers:  It's my understanding that Luers returns many key elements to a team that should be defending their 2A title. Yes, they were upset in the post season last year........plain and simple. They could have beaten 1/4 of 6A teams last year and 1/2 of 5A. How good will they be this year? I'll leave that to some of the Luers insiders. But then again, most those guys have Lou Holtz Syndrome. 

North Side: Is this Fort Wayne's new magnet school? They already feature the best player in Indiana and one of the best wide receivers in the country. Now we are hearing of transfers from Dwenger and Luers. This doesn't happen in Fort Wayne. Dwenger and Luers kids don't transfer to North Side. Sorry, they just don't. So how is Ben Johnson getting it done? If he's as good of a coach as he is a recruiter, then the SAC better be on high alert. Last season, Coach Johnson's first at North Side, was pretty rough with only 2 wins. But he only lost to Snider and Dwenger by a combined 5 points. The Legends could be dangerous.

Northrop: I've been saying "potential" for years now. I thought the Doerffler's would turn the Bruins into an SAC contender, but that never happened. Why is that? That's a question that may be a little too deep for me to answer. There is talent in the halls at Northrop, just as there is at every other FWCS. But what's it going to take to get them over the hump? Maybe a guy who's been in the Snider system for a couple of decades...........bring in Quenton Bowen. Imagine that....from black/gold to orange/brown. That's comparable to moving from Ohio State to Michigan. Good luck to him. A better Northrop means a better SAC. 

Snider: The panthers seemingly pulled out of their slump last season and found themselves once again at the top of the SAC. The post season wasn't so kind to them. They squeaked by a 3 win Northrop team, then got waxed by Dwenger after beating them by two touchdowns a few weeks prior. I think the Panthers had their sights set on the likes of Zionsville and Cathedral..........hopefully they don't make that same mistake again this season. They should be in a pretty good position this season with the return of many key positions from last seasons SAC championship run. Look for much of the same this year with a possible deep playoff run. 

South Side: I'm not sure where to begin here. Again, another school that is rich with talent in the hallway. Bring back Matt Land? Had he stuck around, South Side would have hoisted a couple of state title trophies. They've struggled ever since. Let's hope that Guy Lee is the one to bring this program back to respectability. 

Wayne: Sherwood Haydock won when he was at Harding and he won when he was at Woodlan. He can win at Wayne too. Others have done it before him, and he will too. Look for the Generals to make a run in 4A regardless of their win/loss record in the SAC. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/GridironDigest  Great write up!  We've added your SAC recap to the GID Facebook Page.  

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On 7/1/2022 at 10:02 PM, BTF said:

Luers:  It's my understanding that Luers returns many key elements to a team that should be defending their 2A title. Yes, they were upset in the post season last year........plain and simple. They could have beaten 1/4 of 6A teams last year and 1/2 of 5A. How good will they be this year? I'll leave that to some of the Luers insiders. But then again, most those guys have Lou Holtz Syndrome. 

 

 

This is a bit of a ridiculous statement. Luers had some amazing players, but Eastside was the better team. This was clear to anyone who watched that game with unbiased eyes. SAC fans need to swallow their pride and accept the fact that there are non-SAC teams in NE Indiana that could compete with the top teams in their conference. The non-SAC schools that could compete with Luers, etc. change from year to year, but they're out there each year.

SAC is definitely the best conference in the NE corner, but Eastside was the better overall team last year - not just the night they played - last year, period. They also beat them in 2019 and took Luers to the wire in 2020.

To say Luers should have won state is also crazy because they would've had to go through Eastbrook and Andrean just to get to LOS.

All of that being said, great preview of the conference! I appreciate people sharing as much info as you did about each program.

Edited by FlyingHigh
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10 hours ago, FlyingHigh said:

This is a bit of a ridiculous statement. Luers had some amazing players, but Eastside was the better team. This was clear to anyone who watched that game with unbiased eyes. SAC fans need to swallow their pride and accept the fact that there are non-SAC teams in NE Indiana that could compete with the top teams in their conference. The non-SAC schools that could compete with Luers, etc. change from year to year, but they're out there each year.

SAC is definitely the best conference in the NE corner, but Eastside was the better overall team last year - not just the night they played - last year, period. They also beat them in 2019 and took Luers to the wire in 2020.

To say Luers should have won state is also crazy because they would've had to go through Eastbrook and Andrean just to get to LOS.

All of that being said, great preview of the conference! I appreciate people sharing as much info as you did about each program.

I concur.....Eastside didn't just beat Luers, they beat them up physically.....by ALOT.  Weather could have played a roll but bad weather or not, Luers was NOT stopping the running game of Eastside last year.  Carson Clark was great, but THE best player on that field last year resided in Butler.......

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2 minutes ago, psaboy said:

Snider looks to have a decent LB and secondary core on D. D line looks a bit light, hopefully quick will compensate. 

They've always been tough at the front and middle. It really comes down to the secondary in this pass heavy conference. 

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On 7/8/2022 at 9:22 PM, BTF said:

They've always been tough at the front and middle. It really comes down to the secondary in this pass heavy conference. 

1..2..bail..wash rinse repeat..D Line has always helped with the scheme of pass coverage..no rush..no luck. If another jb3 shows up then they may stand a chance..

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