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FOOTBALL: RSN Top 10 – Week #7

How big was Lake Central’s Week #6 win over Michigan City? It not only puts the Indians back into the RSN Top 10, but it was LC’s second DAC win of the year. While that not seem like a milestone, it is more than the team had in 2017 and 2018…combined. While the offense, mainly the running game, has had its moments, this team will go as far as the defense will take it. In their three wins on the year, LC has given up a combined 24 points. In the three losses, they’ve given up 72 points. With Chesterton, Michigan City and Valpo (all three teams ranked in the top five of this poll), we’ll see if this defense is up to the task.

The Red Devils won the battle of #10 teams last week with a surprise road game at Highland. Not only did Lowell claim their stake to a spot in the rankings, their defense stepped up for its best performance of the season, holding Highland to just seven points, the fewest Lowell has given up this year. With the win, Lowell was able to keep pace with Hobart at the top of the NCC standings. A date with the Brickies is coming up in Week #9, and while that looks like to could be the conference title game, Lowell has to get through Munster and Andrean first.

For the second straight season, Calumet will play less than a full regular season slate. In 2018, they were not able to reschedule a game once Bishop Noll dropped from the varsity football ranks and this year, their game against Griffith was cancelled due to the weather and the Warriors being unable to play the game on Saturday. We know Calumet was looking forward to possibly beating Griffith for the first time since 1983, so while they’re likely disappointed in missing out on the opportunity, they have a chance to keep their winning streak going with a trip to Lake Station on Friday.

Whether or not you believe in “moral victories” you have to be impressed with the way Crown Point played against Valparaiso last week. While the final ended up being 31-14, the game was tied going into the fourth quarter, so the Bulldogs played Valpo tougher than any other opponent has up to this point on the year. The CP defense continues to stay tough and with two out of their final three games at home, the ‘Dogs have a chance to build some momentum heading into the tournament, where they’re looking to win their fourth straight sectional.

The week six victory over Hanover Central was not just another dominating win for the Wolves, it was the sixth straight win for Boone Grove, setting a program record. It was also the fourth time this season the team has scored 40 or more points in a game. The Wolves now have the fourth best defensive mark in the state, giving up just 6.67 points per game and they also have the thirteenth best average margin of victory at 35.33 points. With the three teams on their remaining regular season schedule having a combined three wins, Boone Grove is likely to cap off a perfect mark entering the post-season.

A win for the Trojans this week over Lake Central not only clinches a winning regular season record for Chesterton, but it also would give the program their most wins in a season since 2015. The road the rest of the way won’t exactly be easy though as the final three games for Chesterton feature teams currently ranked in the RSN Top 10 (Lake Central, Crown Point, and Merrillville). This team has struggled a bit against ranked opponents this season, with their losses coming to Valpo and Michigan City (ranked at the time), so we’ll see if this team can close out on a strong note.

On a night that saw Hobart honor the legendary 1979 team, the 2019 Brickies put on an impressive show of their own, routing Kankakee Valley 49-10 to win their fourth straight win. Not only was it their fourth win in a row, it was the fourth straight 30 plus point performance for the Hobart offense, so needless to say, they are in a groove. We’ve got Lowell at Hobart circled on the calendar already on October 18, but the Brickies can’t do the same quite yet as they travel to Highland, a team with a solid defense of their own, on Friday night.

How dominant have the Governors been during their five game winning streak? They’ve outscored their opponents by a combined 256-36. That’s an average margin of victory of 44 points per game, so say what you will about the schedule, but Morton is not only beating the teams they are supposed to beat, they are beating them handily. The Governors technically have two of their final three on the road, but this week’s game against Hammond High is at “The Governor’s Mansion” due to construction at Hammond High, so it’s another home game for Morton and likely another rout.

The Pirates haven’t been 7-0 since 1992 and while matching that mark would be very impressive, the fact they would have to get through undefeated Valparaiso to reach it would be even more remarkable. Merrillville has only given up double digit points twice this year, which means the defense appears to be up to the challenge of taking on the Vikings. The Pirate offense is scoring 34.8 points per game, so they appear to be set too. How the Bucs will handle what is sure to be a raucous Viking Field crowd will go a long way in determining the winner of this one.

Valpo hasn’t been tested too often this season, but they were able to put to rest any lingering questions about how they would react to being in a tight game after pulling away from Crown Point in the fourth quarter. The Vikings are riding a 13 game regular season winning streak dating back to last season and can all but wrap up the DAC with a win over fellow undefeated team Merrillville on Friday. A win, no matter by how much, would be the most impressive victory in what has been an outstanding streak for Gang Green.

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