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Posted by: taxthedeer May 24 2011, 11:32 PM

I've been brainstorming the blessings of coaching the Michigan City Wolves High School football team. Can anybody name a few more?

• Home stadium is beautiful Ames Field, underwent a total and complete $6 million dollar reconstruction project when Elston and Rogers High Schools consolidated in 1995. Ames Field even has an elevator going up to the press box
• Michigan City Area Schools installed synthetic field turf at Ames Field in 2009 at a price tag of $720,000
• High School Football is deep rooted in tradition at Michigan City
• Michigan City High School football programs were established in the leather helmet era circa 1906 at the former Michigan City Elston Red Devils High School, one of the programs original architects was Andy Gill, member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Football Field at now Elston Middle School is named after coach Gill, coach Gill had his ashes spread on football field in 1947.
• Elston's Gill field was the preseason training camp home of the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1936
• Most notable Michigan City football alumni with connections to NFL include:
• Former Chicago Bears head coach Abe Gibron, Gibron was hired to coach the Bears by NFL founder George Halas. Gibron was a 4 time Pro Bowl selection during his 11 year playing career with the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, Abe Gibron is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame
• Super Bowl V Champion Baltimore Colts Running Back Tom Nowatzke who scored game tying touchdown for Colts in Super Bowl over coach Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Mike Ditka, Dan Reeves and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys in 1971. Nowatzke's Colts teammates included iconic quarterback Johnny Unitas, Pro Football Hall of Fame Tight End John Mackey and football great/TV movie actor Bubba Smith (AKA Moses Hightower from "Police Academy" movies) and was coached by Don McCafferdy, Tom Nowatzke is a member of the Indiana Football and Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
• Michgan City Elston Red Devil Graduate and Indiana Football Hall of Fame defensive end Tony Cline played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers in the 1970s was NFL all-pro as a rookie, coached by John Madden while playing for Raiders
• Elston grad Donnie Thomas played in the NFL for the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, St. Louis Cardinals, Denver Broncos and New York Giants in the 1970's
• College coaching great and former San Francisco 49ers assistant Dick Tomey is an Elston grad. Coach Tomey previously served as the head football coach at the University of Hawaii, the University of Arizona and San Jose State University and is currently serving as special teams coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Michigan City Elston Offensive Tackle Oscar Lubke was drafted to play for the New York Jets in 1968 out of Ball State
• In more recent times, Michigan City Wolves football graduate Steve Farmer played Tight End in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings organization as a 2003 undrafted free agent out Middle Tennessee State. Still remains good friends with former teammate Randy Moss
• Michigan City Wolves High School graduate Ashley Edinger was the 2001 NFL Gatorade Pass Punt and kick national champion and received national TV attention for Michigan City during halftime of the 2001 Baltimore Ravens - Oakland Raiders AFC championship game, became a volleyball standout at Purdue University. Now serves as the Michigan City Wolves head Volleyball coach.
• National championship winning Pop Warner teams were filmed by ESPN and NFL Films at the Pop Warner Super Bowl past three seasons
• The late Dave Parry, former Michigan City Rogers Raiders Athletic Director, longtime NFL official, former Big Ten Conference supervisor of officials and NCAA national coordinator of officials, officiated as the side judge in Super Bowl XVII which the Washington Redskins won 27-17 over the Miami Dolphins and son John Parry is current NFL head referee and officiated as the side judge in Super Bowl XLI Indianapolis Colts 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears and served as the crew chief in Super Bowl XLVI New York Giants 21-17 win over the New England Patriots both called Michigan City home. Dave Parry was instrumental in implementing the NCAA’s current instant replay system.
• University of Notre Dame football coaching legend Joe Yonto was once High School football coach in Michigan City at St. Mary's Catholic High School now known as Marquette Catholic High School. Went on to coach on three national championship teams as Notre Dame as defensive coordinator under Ara Parseghian, former Green Bay Packers head coach Dan Devine, Gerry Faust and Lou Holtz. Coach Yonto married into family from Michigan City
• Michigan City Wolves defensive coordinator Jeff Karras' family has an extensive NFL background, uncle Lou Karras played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins in the early 50s, father Ted Karras Sr. played nine years at Tackle for the Chicago Bears and was a member of Bears 1963 NFL championship "Monsters of the Midway" team, other uncle Alex Karras was an All-pro lineman for the Detroit Lions in the '60s and later became a famous TV and movie actor, Brother Ted Karras Jr. played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and is currently the head football coach at Marian College in Indianapolis. Lou, Ted Sr. and Alex Karras are each members of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame
• College national championship and Super Bowl championship winning players Jamel Williams, Eugene Wilson and Michael Neal all played against Michigan City while in high school as members of the Merrillville Pirates
• Indiana Football Hall of Fame coach Vic Overman served as the head coach of the Michigan City Elston Red Devils for 13 seasons between 1952 and 1967. Later became athletic director at nearby Mishawaka High School prior to heading downstate to become the head football coach of the Brownsburg Bulldogs. The 10-acre Vic Overman Sports Field Park located in Brownsburg, Indiana is named in coach Overman's honor. Coach Overman is also a member of the Ball State University Athletics Hall of Fame
• Former Michigan City Rogers Raiders and ex-University of Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Matt Jones currently ranks #10 All-time in Indiana high school career passing yardage with 5,297 yards from 1986-1989
• Legendary Indiana High School football coach Craig Buzea was the head coach of the Michigan City Wolves from 2007-2009
• Ryan Isaac, Current Purdue Boilermaker defensive end is a 2010 Michigan City High School grad
• 2010 Michigan City Wolves graduate running back Adam Harmon was the one of the leading rushers for the victorious north squad in the 2010 Grange Insurance Indiana High School North-South All-Star football Classic in Indianapolis, Ryan Isaac also played in game representing Michigan City
• 2011 Michigan City High School graduate Dustin Rivich was named to the Associated Press All Academic team as a punter and is presently attending the United States Air Force Academy
• Michigan City rolls out the red carpet and plays hosts to major college football teams such as USC, Boston College, Stanford, Purdue, Navy and many others day prior to playing Notre Dame, teams lease Ames Field for workout, dine at local restaurant and stay at local hotel, having such close recruiting contacts and establishing strong football relationships with those major Universities are invaluable for a high school coach exclusive only to Michigan City
• Intense media coverage
• All games are broadcast live on radio on Michigan City 1420 AM WIMS radio and streamed live and archived online worldwide at http://www.wimsradio.com
• Some games also broadcast live on radio and online worldwide by Regional Radio Sports Network and 96-7 The Eagle in La Porte and streamed worldwide online at regionsports.com, usa-365.com and midamericabroadcasting.com
• Home games are televised on tape delay on Comcast local cable access television and full games archived for world wide viewing on Access La Porte County website
• Opportunity to appear on weekly Regional Radio Sports Network The Coach's Box radio program on Michigan City's 95.9 WEFM
• Michigan City Wolves football teams prospectus is published in annual "Indiana Football Digest" media guide publication and online at myindianafootball.com
• Michigan City Wolves football is extenslivly covered in the Michigan City News Dispatch and La Porte County Herald-Argus daily local newspapers and websites, sports editor Adam Parkhouse is very respected sports journalist in state of Indiana among fellow sportswriters
• Some games also covered in The Times of Northwest Indiana, Post-Tribune and South Bend Tribune newspapers and websites
• Michigan City Wolves football is sometimes featured on long running Prep Football Report TV show on Lakeshore Public Television
• Teams success will be recognized worldwide by thousands on internet forum, social media and blog websites such as Facebook, Twitter, www.gridirondigest.com, www.regionsports.com and www.citybythelake.org
• Michigan City is in the Chicagoland Metropolitan Area and only 35 Miles from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana
• Michigan City High School sports programs have a strong, rich, proud and storied athletic heritage
• 1909 student enrollment with grades 9 through 12 all under one roof at the High School building during the 2011 Indiana High School Athletic Association football sectional reclassification, ranks as the 39th largest football school in Hoosier State
• 120 team members listed on the Michigan City Wolves high school football team rosters in 2011
• Michigan City competes in class 5A in football, the second largest classification
• Duneland Conference has won seven state championships in football and have made 18 appearances in state football finals
• Coaching colleagues in athletic department include state championship winning coaches in boys basketball coach John Boyd, girls basketball coach Mike Megyese, Former Lady Wolves volleyball coach and current assistant athletic director Bennie Edwards, 1994 state-runner-up football player and 1994 state #1 leading wide receiver and Wolves Baseball coach David Ortiz
• The Michigan City Elston Red Devils Boys basketball team were the 1966 Indiana state champions under Indiana basketball hall of fame coach Doug Adams
• The Michigan City Elston Red Devils boys basketball team won 24 straight sectional titles between 1952-1975
• Michigan City produced three Indiana Mr. Basketball's (Dan Palombizo, Rogers '81, Delray Brooks, Rogers '84, Charles Macon, Elston '92)
• In 1998 the New York Times ranked the Michigan City Wolves Den gymnasium with a seating capacity of 7,304 as the 8th largest high school gym in the nation
• Every year Michigan City High School is the host school for IHSAA 4A boys basketball sectional and regional competition
• Celebrity sports figures throughout the years to have either lived, played, coached or visited in Michigan City include Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Phil Caveretta, Stan Hack, Juan Marichal, Mattie Alou, Felipe Alou, Manny Mota, Don Larsen, Ron Kittle, Harmon Killebrew, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Bootcheck, Charles O. Finley, Reggie Bush, Keyshawn Johnson, Matt Leinart, Pete Carrol, Jim Harbaugh, Joe Tiller, Mike Ditka, Stan Makita, Denis Savard, Wayne Messmer, Scottie Pippen, Will Perdue, Cliff Levingston, Skyler Diggens, Ken Schrieber, Jim East, Mike Brey, Bobby Knight, Muffet McGraw, Don Howell and Chris Geesman
• Michigan City's close proximity to the city of Chicago and it's access to the southern Lake Michigan shoreline has always made the town a popular summertime tourist recreational destination. Michigan City has an outstanding 27 hole city owned public municipal golf course and two outstanding Pottawatomie and Long Beach 18 hole private country clubs. Michigan City's Patriot Park has hosted national slow pitch softball tournaments, Ames Field has been the host for International Drum and Bugle Corps show events. Michigan City has hosted portions for the Pan Am games. For nearly a half century Michigan City has been heralded as the Coho fishing tournament capitol of the Midwest. Michigan City's Washington Park has also become an annually scheduled event for the Superboat International Great Lakes Grand Prix an event that draws tens of thousands boat racing fans to Michigan City's Lake Michigan beaches each year.
• Michigan City Wolves Pop Warner Football Teams are a current dynasty winning the 2010 Division II Jr. Pee Wee Pop Warner Super Bowl National championship going 17-0 in season and outscoring opponents 488-44, never trailed any opponent all season
• In 2010 & 2011 Michigan City's Ames Field hosted Division I, Division II and Division III Northern Indiana Pop Warner Little Scholars League, Indiana State, Mid-America Sub-Regional and Mid America Regional championship competition bringing in teams and families from across northern Indiana and 14 surrounding midwest states and making Michigan City a destination on the youth football map
• Michigan City Wolves Division II Jr. Pee Wee Pop Warner Team finished 3rd in the nation at the 2009 Pop Warner Super Bowl and were named sportsmanship award winners
• In 2011 the Michigan City Pee Wee Pop Warner football team advanced to the Pop Warner Super Bowl for the third year in a row
• Michigan City Wolves football team is backed and supported by a loyal high school student body, nationally award winning cheer teams, Wolfette Pon Pom squad and the Michigan City Wolfpack Marching Band
• The Michigan City Wolves football team has an outstanding and hard working parent support group organization and supportive, generous and giving local business community. The parent support group organization raises money each year for the team though game sponsors, silent auctions, 50/50 raffles, prize raffles, cash raffles, local business discount card sales, local business give back nights, concession sales, port a pit chicken sales, a pre-season hall of fame golf outing, Homecoming pre-game chilli cookout supper, Wolves wear apparel sales, game program sales, bake sales, car washes, game program advertising sponsors, player sponsorships and contributes by giving back to the community by supporting the local Michigan City Salvation Army food pantry by having a Blue-Grey inner squad scrimmage game food drive, team parents also provides team with drinks, meals and snacks for bus rides following away games and holds cookouts, barbeques and pizza parties for the team during summer workouts and has lots of fun
• Michigan City Wolves has the nicest uniforms you'll ever see with helmets, pads and other equipment provided by athletic department
• Michigan City Area Schools transportation department provides for team logistics with a full school bus system to transport team to and from away games
• Michigan City Area schools has it's own team doctor from St. Anthony Medical Center just a few blocks away from Ames Field in Michigan City and certified team athletic trainers on staff and EMS, fire, police and U.S. Marine Corps JROTC students presenting our nations colors during our national anthem and assisting in providing security at home games
• Michigan City High School has full weight room, swimming pool, football coaches office and football team room with flat screen HDTV for viewing game film with team at the High School building
• Chance to be the center of attention in a town starving for something to be excited about. In 2009, 10,000 people packed into Ames Field for Homecoming. If you win in this town, you will own it
• Opportunity to some day be enshrined into the Michigan City football Hall of Fame and be honored at an annual Michigan City Football Hall of Fame enshrinement banquet ceremony held at a local private country club

Posted by: southsiderMMX May 25 2011, 07:59 AM

That is a great list.

#1 on my list would be the chance to be the center of attention in a town starving for something to be excited about. Don't forget it was only a year and a half ago 10,000 people packed into Ames Field for Homecoming. If you win in this town, you will own it.

Posted by: MSFOOTBALL May 28 2011, 12:37 AM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ May 25 2011, 12:32 AM)

Posted by: MSFOOTBALL May 28 2011, 12:46 AM

[font=Times New Roman][size=5]
It is a beautiful stadium. I have been in stadiums throughout the state and the only one that was equal in class has been Carmel. Merrillville is nice but very plain. Size is not everything !!!

Posted by: taxthedeer May 28 2011, 10:09 AM

QUOTE(MSFOOTBALL @ May 28 2011, 01:46 AM)

Posted by: taxthedeer May 28 2011, 10:50 AM

Here's one I added to the list, never forget time I was at a Portage sectional game at East Chicago, Portage kid got laid out, kid laid motionless out on the field about 45 minutes before the ambulance showed up, kid was OK but rest of Portage - East Chicago series became a constant home game for Portage after that, many other schools it's the same way as East Chicago.

-Michigan City Area schools have it's own team doctor from St. Anthony Medical Center nearby Ames Field in Michigan City and certified team athletic trainers on staff and EMS, fire and police at games.

Posted by: southsiderMMX May 31 2011, 07:15 AM

QUOTE(MSFOOTBALL @ May 28 2011, 01:46 AM)

Posted by: Ang May 31 2011, 09:10 AM

There have been colleges come to visit Ames Field because they are building new stadiums and want to fashion it after ours.

Posted by: southsiderMMX May 31 2011, 12:47 PM

QUOTE(Ang @ May 31 2011, 10:10 AM)

Posted by: Ang May 31 2011, 01:09 PM

Yep. A team from Iowa (Iowa Central U) used the facility once while I was the athl. secretary to run/stretch while they were here to play against Valpo. The AD from that school told me our high school stadium was much nicer than their college stadium.

Posted by: MSFOOTBALL Jun 1 2011, 10:04 AM

QUOTE(Ang @ May 31 2011, 02:09 PM)

Posted by: MC Born & Raised Jun 3 2011, 08:00 PM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ May 28 2011, 10:09 AM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 4 2011, 05:34 AM

QUOTE(MC Born & Raised @ Jun 3 2011, 09:00 PM)

Posted by: southsiderMMX Jun 6 2011, 08:28 AM

QUOTE(MC Born & Raised @ Jun 3 2011, 09:00 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 12 2011, 11:20 AM

Found this highlight video on Hulu from Super Bowl V in 1971. Elston's Tom Nowatzke's game tying touchdown run is shown at 14:20 of the piece. Talk about old school, the goal post was still along the goal line of the end zone in those days.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/123660/super-bowl-highlights-1971-super-bowl-v-baltimore-colts-vs-dallas-cowboys

Posted by: MSFOOTBALL Jun 12 2011, 08:02 PM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jun 12 2011, 12:20 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 13 2011, 10:45 AM

QUOTE(MSFOOTBALL @ Jun 12 2011, 09:02 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 14 2011, 09:12 PM

I just learned that Elston's Gill field was the training camp home of the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1936.

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 21 2011, 12:36 PM

Page 87: The Michigan City Football team poses with coach Hillard in 1907:

http://books.google.com/books?id=kDe756bT1cYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Posted by: MSFOOTBALL Jun 21 2011, 06:51 PM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jun 21 2011, 01:36 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 21 2011, 08:02 PM

http://mwlguide.com/cities/michigancity/

I found this unbelievable that in 1956 the Michigan City White Caps minor league baseball team drew Ames Field crowd of 48,765, Michigan City also had a 30,000 seat boxing stadium called the "Sky Blue Arena" on 2nd Street. Where the heck did everybody park for these events?

Posted by: MC Born & Raised Jun 21 2011, 08:25 PM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jun 21 2011, 08:02 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 21 2011, 08:55 PM

QUOTE(MC Born & Raised @ Jun 21 2011, 09:25 PM)

Posted by: southsiderMMX Jun 21 2011, 08:56 PM

I read that 48k as the total attendance for all of 1956.

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 21 2011, 09:38 PM

QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jun 21 2011, 09:56 PM)

Posted by: southsiderMMX Jun 22 2011, 09:40 AM

QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jun 21 2011, 10:38 PM)

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 22 2011, 01:24 PM

QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jun 22 2011, 10:40 AM)

Posted by: Ang Jun 22 2011, 02:50 PM

Thanks for posting that google link Tax. That was amazing. I so enjoy looking at old photos of MC. If you can find any info or pics on Smith Bros. that would be so totally cool....My Great Grandfather was the plant manager there. It was the first place he worked when he got home from WWI, and it was also the first job my Grandfather (who is 91 and still ornery as he!!) got when he returned from WWII--only he worked in the boiler room until he finished his bookkeepers training and went to work for the railroad--Guess who got him the job?

Posted by: taxthedeer Jun 23 2011, 07:20 AM

QUOTE(Ang @ Jun 22 2011, 03:50 PM)

Thanks for posting that google link Tax. That was amazing. I so enjoy looking at old photos of MC. If you can find any info or pics on Smith Bros. that would be so totally cool....My Great Grandfather was the plant manager there. It was the first place he worked when he got home from WWI, and it was also the first job my Grandfather (who is 91 and still ornery as he!!) got when he returned from WWII--only he worked in the boiler room until he finished his bookkeepers training and went to work for the railroad--Guess who got him the job?