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FOOTBALL: RSN Top 10 – Week #5

One sign of a strong program is the ability to move on, quickly, from tough losses. That’s exactly what the Warriors did in Week #4 as they got back on the winning side of the ledger with a 39-14 victory at Whiting. A win this week against EC Central, in their first ever meeting, would give Calumet a 4-1 record for the fourth straight season – a sign of how far this program has come in recent years.

What a difference a week makes. In game three of the season the ‘Dogs were on the wrong end of a route, getting a 50 spot put on them in the first half, but in Week #4 it was CP running away with a game, beating rival LC by 35 points. The win not only evens up the ‘Dogs record, it also gives them a 2-0 record on the road, compared to 0-2 at home. Obviously wining in front of the home crowd would be nice, but there’s something to be said about a team that can win on the road. We’ll see if that continues this week as CP heads to the Warpath to take on Portage.

The Devils move up a spot after a dominating home win over Griffith – their sixth in a row against the Panthers. They’ll quickly move from one rival to another as they travel to the Friendly City to to battle the Brickies. This was a game that didn’t happen in the 2020 regular season, but the two did meet in the playoffs as Hobart downed Lowell 10-7 in a sectional championship slugfest. The 2021 edition of this rivalry should be as hard hitting as ever.

As the old saying goes: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. The Wildcats will be looking for revenge on Friday when they take on the Griffith Panthers, a team that routed them 35-8 last year – but it won’t be cold with a high of 87 degrees expected Friday. Hanover’s offense is averaging 42.3 points per game this season and Griffith has given up 40 plus in each of their last two games – the matchup looks good for HC on paper…but that was the thought last year as well.

Hobart made quick work of previously undefeated Culver Academies, defending the home turf with a 49-6 victory in Week #4. Since a tough start, against a very tough schedule, the Brickies have come alive, scoring 49 points in each of their last two outings. The level of competition picks up this week when the Brickies host Lowell – another 49 point game will likely mean a move up the RSN rankings.

The final numbers on the scoreboard may have looked like a blowout, but Michigan City was right there with Valpo through most of the game, even into the fourth quarter…and then…well, City fans don’t want to talk about those final eight or so minutes. That’s two tough losses in a row for the Wolves against teams that are above them in the rankings. It gets no easier this week when the top team in the poll, the Pirates of Merrillville, raid Ames Field. Will it be another heart-breaker for City or can they secure a “W” in one of these close games?

Just what the Niners needed – a game in which they were clear favorites. Andrean ran away with it early as Andrean evened up their record with a 45-0 win over East Chicago Central. A matchup with Hobart looms on September 24, but the Niners can’t get caught looking past their opponent this week as they travel to Highland. The Trojans are averaging 34.3 points per game – the fifth best mark in the Region – so Andrean needs to focus on what’s next.

This is the first time the Trojans are undefeated heading into Valpo week since the 2012 campaign. Chesterton took care of the rival Vikings by a 48-14 score that year, and Trojan fans are hoping for a repeat, although that’s a tall order. The Trojans have handled their business in impressive fashion so far, with wins over ranked Hobart and Michigan City, along with routes of TF South (not ranked since they’re in Illinois) and LaPorte, but this will be by far their biggest test of the season when the Vikings ship sails north on Friday.

Another week, another offensive outburst by the Vikings, as they put up a 49 spot against Michigan City, giving them an average of 52.8 points per game – the second highest in the state. But are we starting to see some cracks on the defense? The Vikings gave up 20+ points for the second straight week, and with a really good Chesterton team on tap for Friday, those defensive issues need to get fixed…in a hurry. A win would give the Grean Machine a 5-0 start for the third straight season.

The Pirates didn’t get off to their usual strong start in Week #4, holding just a 21-6 lead over Portage at the half, but Merrillville pulled away in the second half, taking home a 45-13 win to remain undefeated and on top of the RSN Top 10. The Purple Gang has won all of their contests by 26 or more points this season, so we’ve yet to see how they’ll react in a close game down the stretch. Will that be the case this week when they head to Ames to take on a hungry pack of Wolves? We’ll find out Friday.

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