It’s the Top 10 for Week #10, with the return of two teams to the rankings!

#10	LOWELL RED DEVILS 5-4

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Last Week: NR

They’re not back to where they started the season, which was the #1 spot, but at least they’re back in the rankings for the final Top 10 of the season. The Devils have won three in a row, and four out of the last five, with the offense finally clicking to go along with one of the Region’s best defenses. Does anyone really want to play them in the post-season?

#9	LAKE CENTRAL INDIANS 4-5

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Last Week: NR

Another team once ranked among the Region elite that makes a surprise return to the rankings. Like Lowell, the Indians have won three straight and are averaging 31 points a game over the last four contests. They finish the regular season with a sub-.500 mark, but three of those losses came by a combined 10 points. This is a team that’s better than their record and they’re out to prove it in the tournament.

#8	VALPARAISO VIKINGS 5-4

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Last Week: #5

While the teams at #9 & #10 have winning streaks entering the post-season, the Vikings are on a two game skid having dropped back to back games against Portage & Lake Central.  It doesn’t get easier for Valpo as they open up their sectional with a trip to Penn on October 28. At least they have an extra week to prepare.

#7	EC CENTRAL CARDINALS 7-1

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Last Week: #9

The offense can score, the defense can score, and all the Cardinals continue to do is win, having vanquished Griffith by 20 points last week. Now the Cards are looking to break through in the post-season and win their first sectional title since 2013 – up first is a battle with Munster, a team they haven’t played since 1992.

#6	HOBART BRICKIES 7-2

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Last Week: #6

With the win over Highland last week, the Brickies not only continue their domination over the Trojans (have won all 18 meetings) but have won a share of the NCC for the first time since 2012. That drought means nothing compared to the sectional title drought, which extends back to 1997. Hobart has the perfect draw to end it though as they Andrean or New Prairie, their biggest competition, until the championship.

#5	MICHIGAN CITY WOLVES 6-3

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Last Week: #3

We gave the Wolves their share of props a couple weeks back, despite losing to LaPorte. This week all we have for them are questions after giving up 42 points to a Crown Point team that struggled offensively all year. City gave up 32.4 points per game over the last five games – a number that needs to improve drastically if they want to win their first sectional title.

#4	WHITING OILERS 8-1

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Last Week: #7

This is the fifth consecutive regular season that the Oilers have lost, at most, one game. While that’s an impressive accomplishment, this is the time of the year Whiting and their fan base have been waiting for. They got the sectional monkey off their back last year – now it’s time to make another tournament run.

#3	PORTAGE INDIANS 6-3

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Last Week: #4

One loss followed immediately by two wins – that’s how Portage’s 2016 regular season went as the Indians won six regular season games for just the third time since 2008. Now they’re looking to transition that success to the tournament, where they haven’t won a sectional title since 2003.

#2	LAPORTE SLICERS 8-1

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Last Week: #1

Whether it was the difference it atmosphere from the week before against Michigan City or the pressure of trying to be the first LaPorte team to finish the regular season undefeated, the Slicers took the “L” for the first time this year. With a week off followed by a game against 2-7 Chesterton, there’s no reason for concern about LaPorte reaching the sectional championship, where they’ll face either undefeated Penn or conference rival Valpo.

#1	HANOVER CENTRAL WILDCATS 9-0

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Last Week: #2

Sure the strength of schedule wasn’t the same as the DAC teams, but as the Region’s lone undefeated squad, there’s no doubt the Wildcats deserve this spot to close out the 2016 Top 10 season. Hanover Central’s average margin of victory was 28.1 points, so it’s not as if they just ran the table, they ran a buzz saw through it.