2022 Duneland Athletic Conference Thread (DAC)

[Guest]

Duneland	Conference			Overall			Class
	W-L	Pct.		W-L	Pct.		Sectional
Merrillville	7-0	1.000		12-1	0.923		6A 1
Valparaiso	6-1	0.857		10-2	0.833		5A 9
Chesterton	4-3	0.571		7-4	0.636		6A 2
Crown Point	4-3	0.571		5-5	0.500		6A 1
Michigan City	4-3	0.571		9-4	0.692		5A 10
Lake Central	1-6	0.143		3-7	0.300		6A 1
LaPorte	1-6	0.143		2-8	0.200		5A 10
Portage	1-6	0.143		2-8	0.200		6A 2

 

Merrillville reloads for a new run in 5A.  Can the other DAC schools keep pace with these cagey Pirates?

[Piratefan101]

15 hours ago, DT said:

Duneland	Conference			Overall			Class
	W-L	Pct.		W-L	Pct.		Sectional
Merrillville	7-0	1.000		12-1	0.923		6A 1
Valparaiso	6-1	0.857		10-2	0.833		5A 9
Chesterton	4-3	0.571		7-4	0.636		6A 2
Crown Point	4-3	0.571		5-5	0.500		6A 1
Michigan City	4-3	0.571		9-4	0.692		5A 10
Lake Central	1-6	0.143		3-7	0.300		6A 1
LaPorte	1-6	0.143		2-8	0.200		5A 10
Portage	1-6	0.143		2-8	0.200		6A 2

 

Merrillville reloads for a new run in 5A.  Can the other DAC schools keep pace with these cagey Pirates?

Absolutely not!!! Valpo is next up!! City follows. City has 2 great classes coming through. But there skill players aren’t enough. And the lack of coaching from mason will end this program! Mason needs to go before it is too late 

[Guest]

Here is my overall assessment of The DAC, in probable order of overall program strength from top to bottom:

1. Merrillville - The Ville just has better athletes than the other schools in the conference, and more of them.  Only City can match up in pure athletic talent, and MC has fewer of them when compared to Merrillville.  Brad Seiss has become an elite coach, one that will catch the eye of the big schools in Indy, and maybe even up to the college level.  Seiss is not a Region guy, so I dont expect him to be a Pirate lifer.  Merrillville is now sitting in the seat it has dreamed about for years, a big, elite level 5A program that is no longer measured on whether it can stand up to the likes of a 2004-2007 Warren Central or a 2020-2021 Center Grove.  MHS has one state championship, way back in 1976.  The window is now open for the Pirate Dynasty to materialize.  

2. Valparaiso - Bill Marshall does not get enough credit for rebuilding VHS Football, and very quickly.  This program was broken due to some terrible hiring decisions, but Marshall came in, did a quick reset, and the Vikings have been the model of consistency since he stepped up to the head coaching role.  They win by being physical, playing disciplined, error free football, and have bludgeoned people over the past 5 years with massive offensive lines.  It will take everything Marshall has in his playbook to keep up with Merrillville this season and beyond.  

3. Michigan City - The arrival of City on the statewide stage under Phil Mason has been nothing short of miraculous.  The revival started briefly under Craig Buzea but fizzled out when Buz took off for Homewood Flossmoor and the big bucks.  Mason has taken what he learned at Andrean and improved it at Michigan City, and Region Football has benefitted from his efforts.  Question now?  Has mason taken this thing as far as he is capable of taking it?  While the Wolves have some great individual talent over the uears, they produce few high end linemen and truly impactful defensive players.  City is the smallest 5A school in the DAC, with close to 500 fewer students than MV/ Valpo and Chesterton.  Thats a big number when it comes to building roster depth and finding the big guys to play in the trenches. City faithful want more than what Coach Mason has delivered.  Pressure is building inside Ames and 2022 could be the year that the bubble bursts on the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. 

4. Chesterton - Mark Peterson might be one of the lowest profile coaches across the entire state.  Like the coach himself, Chesterton football is always slightly off the radar, forever in the shadows of the more accomplished and acclaimed programs at Merrillville and Valpo.  CHS has stepped up its game over the past 5 years, closing the gap on the conference leaders, and becoming a force in the DAC race. The Trojans are no longer an easy out, and are loaded with tough kids who play with a chip on their shoulder.  Chesterton gets it done and they will be a factor in the Duneland again this year. 

5. Crown Point - Bulldog fans would like to see their team rated higher than 5th in The DAC, but the Craig Buzea experiment has yet to pay any real dividends relative to overall team and program success.  Year 2 of the Buz Project will have huge expectations, as CP is nearing 3000 students and becoming an HCC type mega school of its own.  CP will never have the kind of pure athletic talent that MV and MC can roll out yearly, but they can win with great coaching,  physically overpowering line play, and a disciplined Center Grove type approach to the game.  The Dogs will need great QB play and a stout defense to move up he DAC ladder in 2022.

6. Laporte - The revolving coaching door has set this program back, but it was just 7 seasons ago that the Slicers appeared in the 5A state title game under Bob Schellenger.  Then Dave Sharpe took over and LHS ran rampant with their power running game and pummeled people with their big powerful offensive lines.  Laporte is a football school.  Bob James has Slicer Football running through his blood and I expect to see a rejuvenated Slicer ballclub hit then field this fall. 

7. Lake Central - LC is probably one of the most disappointing, under performing programs at any level across the entire state.  LC is undergoing a sports metamorphosis, like many other big suburban schools in Indiana, where football has been deemphasized and relegated to secondary status behind the country club sports, baseball, and girls sports.  Very similar to what is going on at Penn, for example.  When Crown Point and Lake Central were looking for head coaches, CP went big game hunting and got their man Buzea, a sure fire hall of famer and state championship level coach.  LC hired Richard Good, who was the HC at 3A Calumet High School just down the road.  That should tell you all you need to know about what level of priority Lake Central puts on football today.

8. Portage - Russ Radtke didn't do the Portage program any favors when he accepted the head coaching job, massively raising expectations and excitement levels for Indian football, and then bailing out for Knox before even coaching a down of Portage football.  The program still has not recovered.  Portage is losing enrollment at the highest rate in the state.  It is rapidly becoming a small 6A school with a steadily increasing Hispanic population, which does not bode well for the long term health of its football program.  Terry Chestovich has the toughest job in The DAC.  Nobody else wanted it, frankly.  In 10 years, PHS may be at an enrollment level to where it can drop to 5A.  Portage has few athletes, little skill, no D1 prospects and little hope to compete in the tough Duneland.  Tough times ahead for this once very proud program.  

[scarab527]

 

On 7/3/2022 at 3:39 PM, DT said:

LC hired Richard Good, who was the HC at 3A Calumet High School just down the road.  That should tell you all you need to know about what level of priority Lake Central puts on football today.

 

Don't know why you're seemingly taking a dig at Coach Good here. Especially when I've seen you repeatedly sing the praises of his replacement at Calumet for 'building a program', when Good was the one who actually had taken that program from a doormat to a sectional title. If anything, Calumet took a noticeable step back last year under their new coach. Good comes from an undeniably great program in Mount Carmel and has already shown he can turn a program around. Gotta give him more than just one year to show he can do the same at LC. 

 

On 7/3/2022 at 3:39 PM, DT said:

Brad Seiss has become an elite coach, one that will catch the eye of the big schools in Indy, and maybe even up to the college level.  Seiss is not a Region guy, so I dont expect him to be a Pirate lifer.  

 

I would say Seiss has become an absolutely elite recruiter, but I wouldn't go as far as to say he is an elite coach (not to say he might not be one day, he is for sure a solid young coach). But if you watched the semistate game from last year, you'd have seen an actually elite coach in Gilbert essentially toying with his much younger counterpart. There's nothing about Seiss's schemes/game planning/ etc. that scream elite coach to me right now, and I have watched quite a bit of their games in the past few seasons. These past two years the Pirates have mainly dominated by being able to just show up with way more talent than their opponents. And when this hasn't been the case, or even against Chatard where they arguably had better individual talent but clearly much less superior coaching, things have gotten pretty ugly for the Ville. I do agree that Seiss will likely leave for a larger Indy school at some point in the near future, maybe if they win a state title in this classification cycle. 

 

On 7/3/2022 at 3:39 PM, DT said:

5. Crown Point - Bulldog fans would like to see their team rated higher than 5th in The DAC, but the Craig Buzea experiment has yet to pay any real dividends relative to overall team and program success.  

 

I'm just going to guess you haven't been paying any attention to CP football if you actually believe this. The excitement and energy around that program is night and day different as compared to under the previous coaching staff, and the team obviously improved throughout last season. Started DAC play with blow out losses to Ville and Valpo and ended it beating Chesterton, playing MC hard, and giving Merrillville their toughest game of the season up to that point in the sectional. Buzea came back to do one thing: win a 6A title in Indiana. Not saying that's going to happen, but he has a great track record and no one in CP thought that would happen over night. 

 

On 7/3/2022 at 3:39 PM, DT said:

Question now?  Has mason taken this thing as far as he is capable of taking it?  While the Wolves have some great individual talent over the uears, they produce few high end linemen and truly impactful defensive players.  City is the smallest 5A school in the DAC, with close to 500 fewer students than MV/ Valpo and Chesterton.  Thats a big number when it comes to building roster depth and finding the big guys to play in the trenches. City faithful want more than what Coach Mason has delivered.  Pressure is building inside Ames and 2022 could be the year that the bubble bursts on the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. 

 

 

I actually looked it up and since 2016, City has produced 10 different all-state defenders for a total of 13 all-state selections on defense, at all 3 levels of defense (DL, LB, DB). This is many more all-state players on defense than the program had been producing in the decade prior to Mason's arrival (4 total on both sides of the ball). Don't think you can say they haven't produced high-impact defensive players. The real problem with the defense is that Richards runs maybe the most boom-or-bust defensive scheme I've ever seen, where every play could be a TFL or a 60-yard TD for the offense. But I will say that I've had the same thoughts about if regionals is the ceiling for City, though, and that becomes even murkier with Merrillville now a resident of 5A. I feel bad for Mason, he's taken the program to heights its never seen before and a bunch of people who know nothing are trying to take him down. City will go back to being the DAC doormat it had been if they run him and Richards out, and they'll deserve it and have no one to blame but themselves. 

 

But here's my prediction for how the DAC shakes out, for what its worth:

1. Ville

2. Valpo

3. CP

4. City

5. Chesterton

6. LC

7. LaPorte

8. Portage

[MC Dad]

My son was a 2 year starter and captain. He loves coach. Wish my other 2 boys could have played for him. The culture in the program is awesome.

The program is year round from weights to study tables and character building.

Coach Mason has the total support of the administration and the board. I know he was thinking about retirement and several parents ask him to stay.

Not sure Bush and Hart would be there without him. This years team will be young. Guess there will always be haters and doubters.

There is no pressure on him other than what he puts on himself.

[temptation]

1 hour ago, scarab527 said:

 

Don't know why you're seemingly taking a dig at Coach Good here. Especially when I've seen you repeatedly sing the praises of his replacement at Calumet for 'building a program', when Good was the one who actually had taken that program from a doormat to a sectional title. If anything, Calumet took a noticeable step back last year under their new coach. Good comes from an undeniably great program in Mount Carmel and has already shown he can turn a program around. Gotta give him more than just one year to show he can do the same at LC. 

 

I would say Seiss has become an absolutely elite recruiter, but I wouldn't go as far as to say he is an elite coach (not to say he might not be one day, he is for sure a solid young coach). But if you watched the semistate game from last year, you'd have seen an actually elite coach in Gilbert essentially toying with his much younger counterpart. There's nothing about Seiss's schemes/game planning/ etc. that scream elite coach to me right now, and I have watched quite a bit of their games in the past few seasons. These past two years the Pirates have mainly dominated by being able to just show up with way more talent than their opponents. And when this hasn't been the case, or even against Chatard where they arguably had better individual talent but clearly much less superior coaching, things have gotten pretty ugly for the Ville. I do agree that Seiss will likely leave for a larger Indy school at some point in the near future, maybe if they win a state title in this classification cycle. 

 

I'm just going to guess you haven't been paying any attention to CP football if you actually believe this. The excitement and energy around that program is night and day different as compared to under the previous coaching staff, and the team obviously improved throughout last season. Started DAC play with blow out losses to Ville and Valpo and ended it beating Chesterton, playing MC hard, and giving Merrillville their toughest game of the season up to that point in the sectional. Buzea came back to do one thing: win a 6A title in Indiana. Not saying that's going to happen, but he has a great track record and no one in CP thought that would happen over night. 

 

I actually looked it up and since 2016, City has produced 10 different all-state defenders for a total of 13 all-state selections on defense, at all 3 levels of defense (DL, LB, DB). This is many more all-state players on defense than the program had been producing in the decade prior to Mason's arrival (4 total on both sides of the ball). Don't think you can say they haven't produced high-impact defensive players. The real problem with the defense is that Richards runs maybe the most boom-or-bust defensive scheme I've ever seen, where every play could be a TFL or a 60-yard TD for the offense. But I will say that I've had the same thoughts about if regionals is the ceiling for City, though, and that becomes even murkier with Merrillville now a resident of 5A. I feel bad for Mason, he's taken the program to heights its never seen before and a bunch of people who know nothing are trying to take him down. City will go back to being the DAC doormat it had been if they run him and Richards out, and they'll deserve it and have no one to blame but themselves. 

 

But here's my prediction for how the DAC shakes out, for what its worth:

1. Ville

2. Valpo

3. CP

4. City

5. Chesterton

6. LC

7. LaPorte

8. Portage

CP third?   Damn!!!!

[scarab527]

37 minutes ago, temptation said:

CP third?   Damn!!!!

They bring back quite a bit from their team last year with another full offseason with one of the best coaching staffs in the entire state. I think they're definitely still a tier below the top two but I think they beat Chesterton again and while City does have a D1 backfield battery they lost a lot. Don't think this is too much of a hot take, but maybe I'm wrong. I really do think the Bulldogs have a shot to be the 6A North team that's fed to an Indy power in the semistate next year. 

[Piratefan101]

2 hours ago, scarab527 said:

 

Don't know why you're seemingly taking a dig at Coach Good here. Especially when I've seen you repeatedly sing the praises of his replacement at Calumet for 'building a program', when Good was the one who actually had taken that program from a doormat to a sectional title. If anything, Calumet took a noticeable step back last year under their new coach. Good comes from an undeniably great program in Mount Carmel and has already shown he can turn a program around. Gotta give him more than just one year to show he can do the same at LC. 

 

I would say Seiss has become an absolutely elite recruiter, but I wouldn't go as far as to say he is an elite coach (not to say he might not be one day, he is for sure a solid young coach). But if you watched the semistate game from last year, you'd have seen an actually elite coach in Gilbert essentially toying with his much younger counterpart. There's nothing about Seiss's schemes/game planning/ etc. that scream elite coach to me right now, and I have watched quite a bit of their games in the past few seasons. These past two years the Pirates have mainly dominated by being able to just show up with way more talent than their opponents. And when this hasn't been the case, or even against Chatard where they arguably had better individual talent but clearly much less superior coaching, things have gotten pretty ugly for the Ville. I do agree that Seiss will likely leave for a larger Indy school at some point in the near future, maybe if they win a state title in this classification cycle. 

 

I'm just going to guess you haven't been paying any attention to CP football if you actually believe this. The excitement and energy around that program is night and day different as compared to under the previous coaching staff, and the team obviously improved throughout last season. Started DAC play with blow out losses to Ville and Valpo and ended it beating Chesterton, playing MC hard, and giving Merrillville their toughest game of the season up to that point in the sectional. Buzea came back to do one thing: win a 6A title in Indiana. Not saying that's going to happen, but he has a great track record and no one in CP thought that would happen over night. 

 

I actually looked it up and since 2016, City has produced 10 different all-state defenders for a total of 13 all-state selections on defense, at all 3 levels of defense (DL, LB, DB). This is many more all-state players on defense than the program had been producing in the decade prior to Mason's arrival (4 total on both sides of the ball). Don't think you can say they haven't produced high-impact defensive players. The real problem with the defense is that Richards runs maybe the most boom-or-bust defensive scheme I've ever seen, where every play could be a TFL or a 60-yard TD for the offense. But I will say that I've had the same thoughts about if regionals is the ceiling for City, though, and that becomes even murkier with Merrillville now a resident of 5A. I feel bad for Mason, he's taken the program to heights its never seen before and a bunch of people who know nothing are trying to take him down. City will go back to being the DAC doormat it had been if they run him and Richards out, and they'll deserve it and have no one to blame but themselves. 

 

But here's my prediction for how the DAC shakes out, for what its worth:

1. Ville

2. Valpo

3. CP

4. City

5. Chesterton

6. LC

7. LaPorte

8. Portage

Cp didn’t give us the hardest game. Lol Andrean did week 1. We were playing with y’all in sectionals. You saw it in our sideline because we knew all we had to do was throw deep to run away! 

[scarab527]

5 minutes ago, Piratefan101 said:

Cp didn’t give us the hardest game. Lol Andrean did week 1. We were playing with y’all in sectionals. You saw it in our sideline because we knew all we had to do was throw deep to run away! 

"Y'all"? Reading comprehension is hard I guess lol. And the CP game ended closer than the Andrean game. Maybe if the Pirates didn't play with their food they wouldn't be repeatedly getting blown out against teams equally good or better than them. 

[temptation]

19 minutes ago, scarab527 said:

"Y'all"? Reading comprehension is hard I guess lol. And the CP game ended closer than the Andrean game. Maybe if the Pirates didn't play with their food they wouldn't be repeatedly getting blown out against teams equally good or better than them. 

The same way Westfield and CHATARD were “playing with” Merrillville the last two years…

[DACNUT]

1.  Valpo, coaching, coaching, coaching, solid QB returning, great community support and culture. 

2. Merrillville, only based on them having the top two seniors in the conference and region on both sides of the ball. Grant will be missed. I am not sold on Seis, doing any better with Merrillville in 5A. The time is now for Merrillville to win, they won't have a monopoly on all of the kids coming from Hammond and Gary for too long. 

3. MC lost a lost some good seniors and all of their WRs, and as mentioned, the defense will always be exposed with a good passing team or balanced offense, see last two semi state loses.

4. Crown Point, with a strong chance to be at the top. Talented QB, and probably best overall staff along with resources that should propel them to a chance to win regionals. maybe not this year, but in the next two years, the lessons learned from competing in the south suburbs, most notably Lincoln Way East, will have Crown Point going deeper in 6A. As Crown Point keeps expanding with it's housing boom, more and more families will move south.  

5a. Lake Central, talented RB crew, great size, but not much else, most disappointing team in the region by far.

5b. Chesterton will take a step back this year, didn't take advantage of a great opportunity to win a sectional last year with the top QB in the conference.

7. Portage, always has solid athletes, not quite Merrillville and MC, but they look like an unorganized mess on the field last several years, running wildcat as a feature offense.

8. LaPorte, Can't out kick the coverage, always a tough program, but too many coaching changes and no difference makers on either side of the ball to make coaches worry. 

We have said it before, great for DAC and all of 5A that Zionsville is in 6A, I will skip past Mishawaka and Concord and to see which Ft. Wayne team will be there in the semi-state. 

 

[scarab527]

53 minutes ago, temptation said:

The same way Westfield and CHATARD were “playing with” Merrillville the last two years…

Losses so bad that they embarrassed the entire Region. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, DACNUT said:

1.  Valpo, coaching, coaching, coaching, solid QB returning, great community support and culture. 

2. Merrillville, only based on them having the top two seniors in the conference and region on both sides of the ball. Grant will be missed. I am not sold on Seis, doing any better with Merrillville in 5A. The time is now for Merrillville to win, they won't have a monopoly on all of the kids coming from Hammond and Gary for too long. 

3. MC lost a lost some good seniors and all of their WRs, and as mentioned, the defense will always be exposed with a good passing team or balanced offense, see last two semi state loses.

4. Crown Point, with a strong chance to be at the top. Talented QB, and probably best overall staff along with resources that should propel them to a chance to win regionals. maybe not this year, but in the next two years, the lessons learned from competing in the south suburbs, most notably Lincoln Way East, will have Crown Point going deeper in 6A. As Crown Point keeps expanding with it's housing boom, more and more families will move south.  

5a. Lake Central, talented RB crew, great size, but not much else, most disappointing team in the region by far.

5b. Chesterton will take a step back this year, didn't take advantage of a great opportunity to win a sectional last year with the top QB in the conference.

7. Portage, always has solid athletes, not quite Merrillville and MC, but they look like an unorganized mess on the field last several years, running wildcat as a feature offense.

8. LaPorte, Can't out kick the coverage, always a tough program, but too many coaching changes and no difference makers on either side of the ball to make coaches worry. 

We have said it before, great for DAC and all of 5A that Zionsville is in 6A, I will skip past Mishawaka and Concord and to see which Ft. Wayne team will be there in the semi-state. 

 

Im not sold on Crown Point yet.  I need to see a Top 3 DAC finish and a sectional title before I digest any of the Buzea Koolaid.  Developing high end skill position talent is, in my view, their biggest challenge.  With nearly 3000 kids, they will have no problem finding plenty of big boys to man the trenches, play linebacker and fullback.  Elite QB and receiver play and a Merrillville type RB is what they need to reach their objectives.  That was the formula at HF for Buzz.  Hopefully he stays strong and healthy and can see his vision thru to the end.  

Buzz appeared on my buddy Dan McNeil's Show two weeks ago.  You can check it out here.https://www.jedtv.com/on-demand.html?fbclid=IwAR1Mp7mMjZ65J1_9KYoz9KdK9CDsp9pzO0ODMp3kPLobOTnKPfwrtQFrSi0

 

[Bobref]

10 hours ago, DT said:

Buzz appeared on my buddy Dan McNeil's Show two weeks ago.  You can check it out here.https://www.jedtv.com/on-demand.html?fbclid=IwAR1Mp7mMjZ65J1_9KYoz9KdK9CDsp9pzO0ODMp3kPLobOTnKPfwrtQFrSi0

You Highland guys really stick together. 😂

[Guest]

50 minutes ago, Bobref said:

You Highland guys really stick together. 😂

Dan and I have been friends since we were 5 year old neighbors living across the street from each other in Highland.  Certainly you know his radio background.  He has an autistic son, which has come to really define his life.  They have a beautiful relationship

[scarab527]

13 hours ago, DT said:

Im not sold on Crown Point yet.  I need to see a Top 3 DAC finish and a sectional title before I digest any of the Buzea Koolaid. 

 

Well I guess all they need is a sectional cause they finished tied for third in the DAC last year

[DACNUT]

1 hour ago, DT said:

Dan and I have been friends since we were 5 year old neighbors living across the street from each other in Highland.  Certainly you know his radio background.  He has an autistic son, which has come to really define his life.  They have a beautiful relationship

Loved the Heavy Fuel Crew! Does 670 still have sports talk?

[Bobref]

5 hours ago, DT said:

Dan and I have been friends since we were 5 year old neighbors living across the street from each other in Highland.  Certainly you know his radio background.  He has an autistic son, which has come to really define his life.  They have a beautiful relationship

I understand Dan is also quite the fisherman.

[Piratefan101]

23 hours ago, scarab527 said:

"Y'all"? Reading comprehension is hard I guess lol. And the CP game ended closer than the Andrean game. Maybe if the Pirates didn't play with their food they wouldn't be repeatedly getting blown out against teams equally good or better than them. 

It ended closer because we put backups in in 2nd qtr 😂👍🏻 Andrean is the only team that led us at half all year outside Westfield. And if your comparing CP to Westfield or any Indy school that’s like the nfl playing a freshman team. That school is so far off of being competitive 

[scarab527]

22 minutes ago, Piratefan101 said:

It ended closer because we put backups in in 2nd qtr 😂👍🏻 Andrean is the only team that led us at half all year outside Westfield. And if your comparing CP to Westfield or any Indy school that’s like the nfl playing a freshman team. That school is so far off of being competitive 

That's funny, from what I saw the past two seasons, Merrillville playing Westfield was like freshmen playing NFL players. 

[WolvesOnTheProwl]

CP will continue to improve. Played a lot of juniors and sophomores (and even some freshman) last year. They have some pretty good skill guys in WR Delich TE Malaski and the RB Taiwan (sp?) is a load. I don’t know what Lafayette Jeff has coming back but I think CP can and will win the sectional and possibly a regional. Much tougher sledding come post season time in 5A

[Piratefan101]

On 7/6/2022 at 5:28 PM, WolvesOnTheProwl said:

CP will continue to improve. Played a lot of juniors and sophomores (and even some freshman) last year. They have some pretty good skill guys in WR Delich TE Malaski and the RB Taiwan (sp?) is a load. I don’t know what Lafayette Jeff has coming back but I think CP can and will win the sectional and possibly a regional. Much tougher sledding come post season time in 5A

Honestly feel that 5A is still easier than 6A. Only 3 teams in. Roth are competitive. 
 

2 in south 

[Piratefan101]

On 7/5/2022 at 4:50 PM, temptation said:

The same way Westfield and CHATARD were “playing with” Merrillville the last two years…

Who said anything about Westfield and your comparing a team that couldn’t beat half the 6A teams to a team that was top 5 in state over all classes 

[Boilernation]

On 7/3/2022 at 2:58 PM, Piratefan101 said:

And the lack of coaching from mason will end this program! Mason needs to go before it is too late 

Wow, that's an awful take. The guy has only accomplished something no coach in the entire history of Michigan City athletics has ever accomplished in football at City, Rogers, or Elston by winning more than 1 Regional. And he's won a Regional 3 times since 2017. Then, for extra measure, Mason has 6 Sectional, 3 Regional, 2 Semi-State, and 1 State Tile on his resume as HC at Andrean. 

I fear Cody Parkhurst has finally found The Gridiron Digest.

[Boilernation]

On 7/3/2022 at 4:39 PM, DT said:

8. Portage - Russ Radtke didn't do the Portage program any favors when he accepted the head coaching job, massively raising expectations and excitement levels for Indian football, and then bailing out for Knox before even coaching a down of Portage football.  The program still has not recovered.  Portage is losing enrollment at the highest rate in the state.  It is rapidly becoming a small 6A school with a steadily increasing Hispanic population, which does not bode well for the long term health of its football program.  Terry Chestovich has the toughest job in The DAC.  Nobody else wanted it, frankly.  In 10 years, PHS may be at an enrollment level to where it can drop to 5A.  Portage has few athletes, little skill, no D1 prospects and little hope to compete in the tough Duneland.  Tough times ahead for this once very proud program.  

This is depressing. Based on enrollment and socio-economic/demographic factors I think a 6A Title is a complete and utter pipe dream for my alma mater. But, competing in the DAC, winning a Sectional Title here and there along with possibly a Regional are not unattainable aspirations. I would argue the current raw talent is far greater than what we had in the mid '90's when I was there. The gradual switch in demographics with Lake County move ins has made Portage bigger and faster. Yet, they continuously get worse in football. Portage has never recovered from the day Buzea was forced out for exposing the disfunction within the Portage Administration.