THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED – told by someone without a clue!

By Mike Dywan – Sports Director

Article 1/4: The Introduction

The sport of football has always played a significant portion of my life. Growing up and still residing in what we call “The Region” – in my eyes, football has and will remain king in this part of the Hoosier state. The sport was so integral to my upbringing that I decided (and was thankfully allowed) to play at the youth, middle, and high school levels. When not on the field, I often found myself either watching or talking about it – which is something I am thankful enough to be doing today.

Besides the point, the most consequential period in shaping my admiration for the game was during my four years of high school – a span that would be the final chapter of my playing career. It is a fun but bittersweet time (one that we are in now) where a majority of athletes can last say they have played the sport that they grew up loving. I was part of that bunch that hung up the cleats after high school. Luckily, as mentioned previously, I have been fortunate enough to stay in the loop with athletics in Northwest Indiana since I began here at RSN nearly a year and a half ago.

Coming into the business, I was somewhat familiar with the local football teams to look out for in today’s age – as I had only been out of the preps scene since I graduated in 2020. So regarding the recent history of the Region scene on and off the gridiron, I was in a relatively decent spot. However, anything before 2015 at the high school level – you could count me out.

Thankfully, going through another football season now on this side of the coin, my history knowledge of Region football has grown. Preparing for games, creating football-based content, and writing articles like these called for constant historical research. Heck, we are currently finishing up the Beating the Brickies written series. This project alone has been a time capsule. While I have been able to learn about the great teams, players, stadiums, and coaches of yesteryear – a question remains.

What was the greatest high school football game ever played in Northwest Indiana?

It did not take too long for someone in the RSN office to come up with an answer. Luckily for me, the Executive Producer and owner of the Region Sports Network happened to be at the game, more specifically, on the call for the game in question: the 2004 Class 3A Sectional Championship game between the Andrean 59ers and the Griffith Panthers.

“Will there ever be a better 48 minutes of football? Possibly,” said Chris Ramirez, who stepped foot into the sports media industry not too long before this very night. “But can there be a better high school football game, when you take into account what high school football is all about? I don’t think there will ever be a game or short series of games that has the same elements and components that this one did. It was known locally as the ‘Catholics versus the Convicts.’ This series had it all and I’m happy to have been there for all of it!”