--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jesse B @ Oct 4 2011, 02:33 PM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Personally I have a lot of respect for any kid who puts in the time and effort to be a part of an extra curricular athletic team. It takes a lot of work, time etc. Whether the kids are playing on a winning team or not they are "winners" in my book. It doesn't matter to me if they played for one coach or three it still takes a lot of dedication.
No doubt about that, but I do agree it takes a little extra to go through what these kids have seen. Heck if any of them play in college (which a few will for sure) they will be learning system #4 in 4 years.

I agree that all the different systems make it a little more difficult to overcome but not an obstacle that can't be overcome!!! You need to go no further than our Pop Warner program that runs their own plays instead of what the High School runs and see why you could have a problem or in this case why these kids should be used to using a different system on a regular basis. My understanding is the kids in places like Valpo & Hobart would run the same plays or at a minimum have a lot of the same terminology from Pop Warner thru the Junior High school to High School. That can only help.

I have to say this too. . .blocking and tackling shouldn't change much from system to system. Neither should running hard through a hole or using two hands(without pink gloves) to catch a football.

The IHSAA didn’t bother saving the best for last.

Arguably the two most intriguing postseason football matchups in the region will take place in the first round of sectional play. The blind draw was revealed on Sunday night.

Merrillville just handed Lake Central its first loss of the season on Friday night, and the two teams will meet again at the Pirates’ Demaree Stadium on Oct. 21.

Meanwhile, in Class 2A, the region’s last two unbeatens — Andrean and Wheeler — will square off at 5959 Broadway that same night.

Elsewhere in 5A, Chesterton visits Michigan City for the right to play the winner of the LC-Merrillville rematch. On the top half of the bracket, Portage visits Valparaiso, and Crown Point travels to Munster. In Sectional 2, LaPorte visits Goshen in a sectional that features heavily favored Penn.

But not all the best matchups will be given away early. In Class 4A, Griffith and Morton are on opposite ends of the bracket.

Last season was the first time since 2003 that Griffith and Morton didn’t play in the sectional, with the Panthers eliminating the Governors five straight years until 2009, when Morton returned the favor. This year, Morton opens at West Side, then would have to beat either East Chicago or Highland. Griffith hosts Clark, and with a win would face either Roosevelt or Hammond.

Lowell, for the first time since 2007, won’t have to travel to the Eastern time zone for its Sectional 10 opener. But that doesn’t mean the Red Devils got an easy draw — they host Mishawaka, which won a sectional in Class 5A last year. Also in Sectional 10, Hobart heads to South Bend Clay, and Kankakee Valley visits national record-setting receiver Gehrig Dieter’s South Bend Washington team.

All four of the region’s Class 3A teams will be underdogs in their openers, with Lew Wallace hosting South Bend St. Joseph’s, Knox hosting Culver Academies, Gavit traveling to John Glenn, and Calumet hosting Mishawaka Marian.

In 2A, besides Wheeler-Andrean, Rensselaer visits Bowman, Boone Grove travels to North Newton, and Lake Station hosts longtime rival River Forest.

In Class 1A, all three region teams will be facing out-of-towners, as South Central hosts Winamac, Bishop Noll hosts South Newton and Whiting travels about an hour and 45 minutes to West Central.

Elsewhere in 1A, in another monster Week 10 clash, No. 1 Lafayette Central Catholic will visit No. 2 Pioneer in the opener in Sectional 34, the grouping that faces the Sectional 33 winner in the regional.

Still struggling

Wolves have strong start, but Slicers use miscues to their advantage
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, October 10, 2011 3:04 PM CDT
LA PORTE — Friday’s intra-county rivalry game started out great for Michigan City against La Porte.

The Wolves got a defensive stop and marched right down the field for a touchdown to give them an early lead.

It was all downhill from there. For the second straight week, an inopportune turnover and special teams mistakes proved costly for City, which dropped a 28-14 decision at Kiwanis Field.

“Take your hats off to (the Slicers),” City coach Michael Karpinski said. “They came out and were very, very aggressive.”

*
City’s first touchdown was set up by Marcellus Willis’ 37-yard punt return, giving the Wolves good field position at their own 48. A fourth-and-1 conversion from Joel Hirsch to Scott Kaletha for 20 yards also helped as Hirsch eventually found Donovan Wilson on a fade route in the end zone, giving the Wolves a 7-0 lead.

From that point on, it seemed City couldn’t get out of its own way. With 10:18 to play in the first half, La Porte’s Bronson Severs had a 39-yard punt return to City’s 36, leading to a David Eldridge 4-yard touchdown run at the 5:26 mark.

Later in the quarter, Jared Ross had a 35-yard punt return to put the Slicers in business at City’s 21.

Just more than a minute later, Taylor James scored from a yard out, giving the Slicers a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third, it appeared City might get something coming.

On third-and-24, Hirsch hooked up with Eric Yarbrough for a gain of 29, but the play stalled out at the 2:36 mark when City failed to convert a fourth-and-2 on a toss play to Anthony Catchings, resulting in a 5-yard loss.

On the next play, La Porte’s James O’Neal sprinted 53 yards around the edge for a crushing touchdown, giving the Slicers a two-score lead at 21-7.

City caught a break on its next drive when forced to punt.

A personal foul on La Porte gave City a second chance, but the drive results in Hirsch’s only interception of the night. Steve Bowser came up with the pick for the Slicers at the La Porte 23.

The Slicers than went into clock-killing mode. James converted a fourth-and-2 with 5:56 to play, leading to a missed 22-yard field goal, leaving the door open ever-so-slightly.

Freshman Ryan Washington came in for City — just to get him some experience, according to Karpinski — and paid dividends. Washington found Yarbrough up the right sideline for a 69-yard touchdown, the extra point cutting the lead to 21-14 with 54.9 seconds left.

However, La Porte recovered the onside kick. City had two timeouts left and could conceivably have gotten the ball back, but Andrew Schuelke’s 49-yard touchdown run took care of that notion, providing for the final margin.

The win on Homecoming was La Porte coach Bob Schellinger’s 100th as the Slicers’ top dog.

“This isn’t about me,” a humble Schellinger said. “Tonight is about Homecoming at La Porte High School. Tonight’s about our kids playing a Homecoming game, and it’s about winning a Homecoming game. It’s about the kids, it’s about our players, it’s not about me.”

City lost its seventh consecutive game in 2011 and 13th straight Duneland Conference game overall.

“(The Slicers) had a little bounce in their step and wanted to win,” Karpinski said.

“But it’s a rivalry game and we should have that same bounce in our step.”

Last Saturday the JV team won again. They beat Laporte in another exciting game. It is amazing how every Saturday we have a different line up left over from Friday night but still manage to keep winning. They are now 6-2. The JV have a lot to be proud of because it isn't easy playing JV--which it is probably the same situation for every team across the state--they have a base of players with the rest being changed up weekly depending on who is played on Friday night. The Wolves have a chance at sectionals just like everyone else--GOOD LUCK--GO WOLVES !!!

Wanna feel good about the upcoming sectional, Michigan City football fans?

Think it’s hopeless? The 1-8 Wolves have no chance?

What if I told you City could easily have entered the postseason on a three-game winning streak?

“What’s Parkhouse smoking?”

*
Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but it’s not an exaggeration. Or at least as big an exaggeration as you might think.

City lost its last three games of the season to Portage, La Porte and Crown Point. In those games, the Wolves scored just 28 points, or a little less than 10 per game, while allowing opponents to score 64, or a bit more than 20 per game.

OK, stay with me now. In each of those games, the Indians, Slicers and Bulldogs were the beneficiary of great field position on at least five drives that resulted in touchdowns. That’s 35 out of 64 points.

Now, you can’t take those points away of course. But the remedy for City is simple: The Wolves have to move the ball more consistently. Look, I’m not even saying it’s imperative they score more, but what you just simply can’t get away with is giving the other team prime field position as frequently as City does.

Eventually, you’re gonna get hurt, and that’s what’s happened in the last three weeks.

I thought the first series against Crown Point on Friday typified what I’m talking about almost too perfectly. On the first play from scrimmage, a clever play design saw backup quarterback Ryan Washington lined up in the back of the “I” formation. Joel Hirsch pitched him the ball and my eyes immediately went downfield. I knew what they wanted to do. “Brilliant,” I thought.

And streaking downfield, there he was. Donovan Wilson, all by his lonesome. Washington’s pass was just a few inches or so too long (photographer Scott Allen got a terrific picture of this for our lead photo in Saturday’s paper) and a big play was missed.

City picked up a few first downs, but thwarted any forward momentum when its punt was blocked and the Bulldogs took over in City territory. As has been the case in recent weeks, the Wolves’ opponent capitalized and took the lead.

It’s a familiar refrain. Against Portage, both of the Indians’ scores came in similar fashion, on short fields for their offense. La Porte was also the beneficiary of City’s generosity.

But I have an answer for this. Well, I think I do.

We have to face facts when it comes to the sectional opponent. Chesterton is pretty good up front and City is having a hard time running the ball. I suspect the Wolves aren’t going to able to pick up big chunks on the ground in this game.

However, I do believe there are yards to be had in the passing game, but it’s a specific type of passing that I think Hirsch excels at. On the Wolves’ lone scoring drive, Hirsch hit some quick hitters and screens that moved the Wolves well downfield. I think those types of passes that feature short, quick routes by City receivers, are the key to the Wolves success.

That type of offense is also great for ball control, which will also be important against the Trojans, who will also look to rely on ball control. Beat them at their own game, I say.

It’s a monumental task that lies ahead and the Trojans will be hungry, presumably with quarterback Chris Katsafaros back under center after returning in the second half Friday against Merrillville from a leg injury.

But if City’s able to keep field position in its favor and capitalize on its big plays, well, things could get interesting at Ames.

If not, a 12th one-and-done in the sectional in 17 seasons seems likely.

If USC will be staying in town Friday night perhaps coach Karpinski should entice the Trojan offensive linemen to come and suit up for the Wolves, nobody will be able to tell. That should get us some yards.

Better yet maybe Coach Karp can entice some of the older/lighter 100lb lineman from Pop Warner to step in and push around the Golden Trojans!! That system has seemed to work well. . .not!!

By TR HARLAN

Put the past behind you.

That’s the goal of Chesterton head football coach John Snyder and the Trojans as they open Sectional play at Michigan City on Friday night.

“Probably more than any other year, I’m excited about the separation between the regular season and the post-season,” Snyder said. “We’ve struggled the last several weeks because of illness, injuries and just playing a tough schedule. Now it’s all behind us.

“It’s a three-game Tournament for a Sectional Championship.”

Hopefully, the Trojans will look a lot more like the team that beat Michigan City in week three than they did the last three weeks.

“We’re probably as healthy as we’ve been in quite a while other than some illness that’s going around,” Snyder said. “We’ve got some players back and able to play. We’re only missing one or two guys that were key starters, but that’s better than seven or eight.”

The most notable returnee is junior quarterback Chris Katsafaros who returned last week in the second half against Merrillville and led two touchdown drives.

“Having Chris (Katsafaros) back brings some excitement and play-making ability to the offense,” Snyder said. “We need to get off to a good start offensively. We’ve got to get some chances to score and change the field. We need to get some confidence and prove to ourselves that we’re going to have some success on offense.”

The Wolves defense has kept them in games the last several weeks because they play hard for four quarters, according to Snyder.

“The most impressive thing I’ve seen about Michigan City since week three when we played them is that they haven’t quit at any point in any game this year,” Snyder said. “Normally when you aren’t winning games, teams shut down a little bit and I haven’t seen that in any of their kids. That really worries me because I could see our guys getting a lead early and starting to overlook them.

“If we do that, we can make their year and justify everything they’ve done this season if they beat us.”

The Michigan City offense has been getting better throughout the year as well and their athleticism and physicality could cause the Trojans some problems.

“Michigan City has been playing some really good, physical football,” Snyder said. “That really worries me. Offensively, they’ve tried to spread the field more lately. City’s got some kids who can catch the ball deep in traffic and them coming back and using their short passing game.

“They started the game last week against Crown Point with three straight passes.”

That may bode well for the Trojans as they have strengthened the secondary heading into this week.

“Having Chris back allows Cole to rep more at cornerback on defense for us,” Snyder said. “AJ (Snyder) is back. Kyle (Schmidt) played well for us last week. Adam Lara gives us some real quickness back there too. We’ve got good depth right now in the secondary.

“I feel really good about that aspect actually.”

Chesterton has struggled against the run of late, but Snyder understands the problem. It’s just not his to fix.

“The mistakes we’re making on defense are fundamental read your keys mistakes,” Snyder said. “They aren’t physical mistakes or we’re not getting physically beat up. We just aren’t going to the right spots because they’re guessing.

“If we continue to guess, we’ll struggle all night again.”



Posted 10/20/2011

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jesse B @ Oct 20 2011, 09:20 AM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Better yet maybe Coach Karp can entice some of the older/lighter 100lb lineman from Pop Warner to step in and push around the Golden Trojans!! That system has seemed to work well. . .not!!

There have to be no enticing involved with those kids. If they would let little guys play they would go out there in a heartbeat. I could just see them marching out of the inflatable Wolves head tunnel single file, silent, helmets on, hands clasped behind their back, shoulders erect, heads held high in their normal proud, orderly and disciplined manner and in the end the will go marching off Ames Field the same way in victory.

If USC will be staying in town Friday night perhaps coach Karpinski should entice the Trojan offensive linemen to come and suit up for the Wolves, nobody will be able to tell. That should get us some yards.

Early surge decides it

Trojans’ big first quarter holds up as Wolves eliminated in sectional’s first round
By Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, October 23, 2011 1:03 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — As Michigan City’s play has improved gradually throughout coach Michael Karpinski’s first season, one constant has remained: Early mistakes dig the Wolves big holes.

Sadly for Karpinski and the Wolves, the season ended in the same manner.

Two big special teams plays early for Chesterton set up short fields and the scores resulting from the short fields those two plays provided would turn out to be enough for the Trojans in a 28-7 win at Ames Field. With the win, Chesterton moves on to host Merrillville in next week’s sectional semifinal.

“The kids fought back well as they always do,” Karpinski said. “I just wish we’d quit digging that hole to begin with.”

*
Chesterton’s Joe Troop took the opening kickoff to City’s 44-yard line, and a few plays later Zac Jenks was punching the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 Trojans lead.

After City’s initial drive stalled, Troop returned a punt 32 yards to the City 33. The Wolves were also assessed a personal foul on the play, setting up camp for the Trojans at the 18. A little more than two minutes later, Chris Katsafaros found paydirt from 5 yards out. With 6:35 to play in the first quarter, it was already 14-0.

“We hadn’t started very fast in our last few games,” Chesterton coach John Snyder said. “But we got off to a nice start and Chris did a nice job.”

Katsafaros had a good game running Snyder’s option offense, carrying 13 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Katsafaros missed two full games and then returned after halftime in the season finale a week ago.

With the junior signal-caller sparking the offense, the Trojans (5-5) appeared to be on their way to an easy, blowout win. Katsafaros’ 63-yard touchdown run at the 2:00 mark seemed to fuel that presumption.

That score made it 21-0, but over the game’s final 38 minutes, the Wolves were right there every step of the way with the Trojans.

With 3:38 to play in the first half, the Wolves had some special teams magic of their own when Kyle Neulieb returned a punt 61 yards to the Trojans’ 18-yard line. Just more than a minute later, City senior quarterback Joel Hirsch ran into the end zone from 15 yards out to make it 21-7.

However, things could have been worse at that point for Chesterton. Earlier in the quarter, City put together an impressive drive, totaling five first downs before Hirsch was picked off in the end zone by A.J. Snyder. As it stood, City had to settle for a 21-7 deficit at halftime.

City got the ball to start the third quarter and didn’t do much with it. Chesterton, however, went on a long drive, chewing up a lot of clock and denting the scoreboard in the process. Jenks scored from a yard out with 2:32 to play in the third, doing major damage to City’s hopes of a comeback.

The Wolves mounted a late drive in the fourth, but Hirsch was intercepted in the end zone for a second time, this one credited to Chesterton’s Kyle Schmidt.

Though his team will play on, Snyder left Ames Field impressed with the team whose season ended.

“I’ve coached against City quite a few times now,” Snyder said. “In rough years a lot of times you’d see the kids quit and there was no quit in them at all. They should be proud of that.”

Indeed, Karpinski seemed proud of that. After the postgame huddle broke, Karpinski took time to console his seniors before taking a moment alone to collect himself.

“We could stand here for an hour and talk about those seniors,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure. Obviously you wanna win a few more games, but it’s been a pleasure coaching these young men. They made my transition so much easier.”



Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

Snyder the epitome of class

By Adam Parkhouse
Home Cookin'
Published: Sunday, October 23, 2011 1:03 AM CDT
Earlier this season, while lamenting another loss, Michigan City football coach Michael Karpinski told me he was a bit tired of being told constantly how his team is improving.

Don’t get me wrong, he certainly appreciated the sentiment coming from coaches, referees and fans. But Karpinski would have liked to see more wins to serve as a better barometer of progress.

I think I’d grow a bit wary of hearing things like “keep your head up, coach” or “you guys sure have improved” after losing by a handful of touchdowns. At least for me, my competitive nature would make it difficult to feel too good about that.

What happened at Ames Field on Friday following City’s season-ending loss to Chesterton was a bit different, though.

*
As the media assembled to first interview the winning coach, one reporter asked, “Where’s Snyder?”

I glanced around and didn’t see him. Before long, we saw Chesterton coach John Snyder making his way across the field, moving away from the City huddle. Later, we found out why.

Snyder asked Karpinski if it was OK to address the City players. Karpinski allowed it.

What Snyder did next was above and beyond the call of sportsmanship. He told the City players, many of them crushed after having played their final game, that they should be proud. He said some City teams he’d coached against in the past would have quit after going down 21-0 in the game’s first 10 minutes following such a rough regular season. Instead, the Wolves battled back and played the Trojans to a 7-7 draw over the final 38 minutes.

Snyder told them they should be proud.

Most coaches have a mutual respect for one another, and hearing one skipper say nice things about the other team is hardly unusual. But addressing the other team’s huddle? I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of that.

It was a genuinely heartwarming thing to do for Snyder, who chose not to just give Karpinski a “things are looking better, coach” in passing as he went on about his business.

John Snyder is 100 percent class and one of area sports’ true good guys. You can’t help but like him and now, if only based on this single act, City fans may as well root for him and the Trojans, too.

Believe me when I say this, there are enough people that I’d be perfectly fine rooting against. I’ve always enjoyed covering Snyder’s teams, and I’ve now developed a new level of respect.

To go out of your way to uplift a kid who is down is exactly what it’s all about. Snyder gets that.

Surely City fans can join me in saying, “Go Trojans” as Chesterton hosts Merrillville in a sectional semifinal game next week.

Good guys can win, too.

Where were you Michigan City?

This picture was taken midway through the first quarter of Michigan City's sectional opener against Chesterton on Friday night at Ames Field. Photo by Drew White
By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Monday, October 24, 2011 11:13 AM CDT
Hey Michigan City, did you hear there was a football game at Ames Field last Friday night?

From the look of the home grandstand during the first quarter of the Wolves’ sectional opener against Chesterton, it seems that many of you didn’t.

Uh, Drew? Do you know how cold it was Friday night? I’m not going to sit out there freezing.

The game time temperature was about 44 degrees. It’s called a coat. Perhaps you have one.

*
But what about the wind? It always comes off the lake and makes it feel colder than it is. What were they thinking when they built the grandstand facing north?

There was no wind Friday night. The only flags flying were the yellow ones being thrown by the officials.

Well, I went to games during the regular season, but my fall sports pass isn’t good for tournament games. Why should I have to pay?

If you have Bears season tickets and they make the playoffs, do you think you’re going to get complimentary seats for the postseason?

No. You’re not.

I graduated from Elston. I’m a Red Devil, not a Wolf. My high school ceases to exist.

Do you realize that a majority of the kids attending Michigan City High School weren’t even born during the existence of Elston and Rogers? Those that were around were so young that they likely would’ve started crying at the sight of the Red Devil logo.

It’s been 16 years. Give it up.

Why would I go to a high school football game, anyway? I don’t have any kids on the team.

I can’t help but notice you’re wearing a Notre Dame sweatshirt.

Yeah.

Have you ever been to an Irish football game?

Yeah.

Did you have a son playing for the Irish?

No.

Did you, your parents, or any of your kids ever attend the University of Notre Dame?

No.

So what were you saying about not wanting to go to a Wolves game because you don’t have a son playing?

It’s not the same. College football is much more exciting than high school football.

Do you know where college football players come from? They came from high school football.

But City doesn’t win. They won one game all season. If they would win, maybe people would want to go to their games.

The Cubs don’t win. Over three million people went to see them this year.

That’s because you can drink beer at a Cubs game.

So the only reason people go to Cubs games is for the $8 cups of beer?

No, they go to see professional baseball. They go to see players like Albert Pujols, Nelson Cruz, Justin Verlander, and Roy Halladay.

Do you know where Pujols, Cruz, Verlander, and Halladay played before they were professionals? High school.

High school sports are not the same as professional sports.

You’re right. I don’t see high school football and basketball players being locked out because of labor disagreements.

Oh well, it’s too late. High school football season in Michigan City is over. Why are you chastising people over something that can’t be changed?

I’m taking the citizens of Our Fair City to task because the attendance at Friday’s game was horrible. There is no other adjective I can use to explain the amount of seats that were left unoccupied at Ames Field.

The City football team – comprised of players that have dedicated countless hours apiece representing our community on the gridiron – put forth an effort that this city should be proud of. Falling behind by three touchdowns early, they could’ve looked at the stands and wished they weren’t there either.

Instead, they played Chesterton even for the final three quarters.

It’s unfortunate that those who didn’t attend the game weren’t able to see it, because they probably could’ve learned something from it.

Instead, the community demonstrated an apathy that is indicative of every other problem we face today.

It might be too late for us to fill Ames Field for the Wolves’ biggest game of the year, but it’s not too late to learn a lesson from Friday night.

Michigan City High School needs your support.

Need proof?

Take a look at the picture.

My favorite excuse is "I can't go out and smoke."