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> 2011-2012 Official Wolves football thread
Southsider2k12
post Jun 27 2011, 07:58 AM
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http://posttrib.suntimes.com/sports/613986...ick-around.html

QUOTE
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

New football coach at Michigan City. Really excited about the gig. Sees unlimited potential in the “sleeping giant.” Plans to stick around and really build something at Ames Field.

Sound familiar?

Craig Buzea said all that in 2007 when he stunned Portage by leaving for the downtrodden Wolves. After three years and some significant progress, he left for Homewood-Flossmoor, and the program once again was in tatters.

Eric Schreiber said all that last summer when he took over for Buzea. One season and one win later, he left to take the top job at Hammond High.

Enter Michael Karpinski, Michigan City’s new head coach, who was approved last week by the school board. He’s really excited about the gig. He sees unlimited potential in the “sleeping giant.” He plans to stick around and really build something at Ames Field.

And he means it. Honest.

“I’m excited to add some stability,” he said. “I’m not planning on going anywhere. By no means am I looking at this as a stepping stone. I’m looking to build something here. I understand people have heard that before, but you don’t understand — my wife will kill me if we move again.”

Indeed, Karpinski’s no nomad. He’s no football mercenary. Heck, he only went after this job because he lost his teaching job at Franklin Central during a reduction-in-force that gutted the school district. The 43-year-old spent the last eight years coaching at Franklin Central — a former powerhouse that won four state championships between 1980 and 1990, but has fallen on hard times lately. After six years as an assistant, he was the head coach the past two years, going 7-13 with a pair of close losses in sectional openers.

Before that, Karpinski coached for six years at the University of Indianapolis, where he wound up after playing cornerback at Hillsdale College. Hillsdale is about 90 miles from his hometown of Hastings, Mich., where he was a high school quarterback.

Moving to Michigan City brings him much closer to home — and gives him a teaching job and an exciting opportunity.

“I just feel real blessed to be right here,” he said.

The Wolves can only hope he sticks around and helps the moribund program (no conference or sectional titles since Rogers and Elston were consolidated in 1995) realize the potential it briefly showed under Buzea.

After just four practices, Karpinski has been particularly impressed with the enthusiasm the players have for the game, for him and for his new system.

It’s easy to assume that the Wolves would be jaded and cynical while dealing with yet another new coach making the same old promises.

But Karpinski was thrilled to find that they’re not like that at all.

“I sure haven’t noticed it,” he said. “They sure haven’t shown it if that’s the case. They’ve been working their tails off and have done everything I’ve asked of them. I’ve come in with a lot of enthusiasm, and they seem to have responded.”

Karpinski made a good impression with his first practice. Rather than the usual morning workout, he brought his team to Ames Field — probably the coolest football stadium in the region — under the lights on Monday night. And while it took more than a half hour just to teach the kids how to warm up and break the huddle — “baby steps,” Karpinski said — things quickly came together.

He introduced the players to his offense — a traditional power-I. Not as complicated as Buzea’s multiple-set spread offense, not as one-dimensional as Schreiber’s option.

“It’s basic football,” Karpinski said. “In today’s game, it seems like a lot of coaches try to get too cute. We’re going to come out and run the football, be physical, and we’re really going to stress blocking and tackling — shoot, that’s usually what it comes down to. We’re going to play power football, fire off the ball and really be physical out there.”

Karpinski insisted he’s not daunted by the enormity of the task, trying to wake up the sleeping giant. But he’s got his work cut out for him. The football program always has taken a backseat to basketball. And the relentless losing has made it even tougher to convince kids to come out for the team. Karpinski said he’s ready for all of that.

He also said he’s not intimidated by the meatgrinder that is the Duneland Conference, a brutal schedule that makes rebuilding difficult — and painful. He knows the drill; at Franklin Central, he played state powers Lawrence Central, Pike and Columbus North every year.

“I just know it’s an unbelievable conference, and I’m excited,” Karpinski said. “I’m ready for the challenge.”

Heard that before, too, right? Every coach has said that. But the hard truth is nobody in the 16-year history of Michigan City High School has proven to be up to that challenge. Not for any extended period of time, at least.

Will Karpinski be any different? He sure seems to think so. But, of course, it’s too early for anyone to tell.

He won’t really get a feel for how well his new players can handle his system until they put on the pads in August. And the Wolves won’t really get a feel for Karpinski until they sweat their way through those two-a-days.

But Karpinski feels good about what he has. And while he knows these kids and this community have been burned before, he hopes the feeling is mutual.

“Kids are the same all over,” he said. “I think these kids are really looking for someone to step up and lead and fight for them. And I’m that guy.”
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MSFOOTBALL
post Jun 28 2011, 10:05 PM
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QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jun 27 2011, 08:58 AM) *


I have had the opportunity to meet the coach and I am very impressed. I had a chance to see warm up Monday night at Ames for what the coach calls "Monday night football." Just watching for 15 minutes of the warm up I could see the difference in the kids. They were focused, serious and executing the way they are suppose to under the coaches instructions. They were dressed as a team and looked like a team (no mismatched practice jerseys). I believe he is sincere with everything he has mentioned about his intentions for the program and the kids. I think the kids feel it too, and that is starting to show. I'm predicting that we are going to see this team grow and blossom into something special. So far everyone that has met him, that I know, like him. I think the City football program is in good hands. I hope to see the fans come out for the "Blue and Gray Scrimmage" which is tentatively going to be Friday, August 5th in the evening. It will also be a meet and greet like they did last year. It should be a nice evening for our football families to join together to celebrate the new season. (For those golfers out there don't forget about the golf outing on July 25th at Pott. Country Club). Hope to see everyone come to support our City Wolves and thanks to all those who have---Go Wolves !!!
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Southsider2k12
post Jun 29 2011, 06:45 AM
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Keep us posted on the scrimmage date!
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MSFOOTBALL
post Jul 11 2011, 09:52 PM
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[size=3]
I'm not sure who might handle this idea for our local paper but maybe the right person will read this idea. I think it would be nice to start doing a "meet the team" on the sports page. They could introduce all the coaches and the players, plus have their pictures--the community likes pictures they get their attention to read the article. They could use this to build up to the scrimmage in August. We could use some good PR. Plus they will sell more papers because their families will want to see the write ups about them with the pictures. It sounds like a win-win situation to me. GO WOLVES !!!
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Southsider2k12
post Jul 13 2011, 02:01 PM
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RSN's Duneland preview, with Michigan City highlights here...

http://www.regionsports.com/index.php?opti...&Itemid=216

QUOTE
Michigan City

1st Down: It was only a short two years ago that hope and optimism reigned supreme in Michigan City when Craig Buzea was in charge and the team was on their way to their best season in years. But at the end of the season, a nasty flu virus circulated around the team – key contributors missed games at the end of the season and another first round exit marred what could have been for the Wolves. Plus, to make things worse, Buzea left for Illinois and the glimmer of hope was dimmed.

2nd Down: Following one forgettable year with Eric Schreiber as head coach of the program that saw the Wolves win their opener against Roosevelt and nothing else over the course of the season, Michigan City looks to rebound with new coach Michael Karpinski. A City native, Karpinski is looking to instill some home town pride in his team. He’s got a lot of work to do and history is not on his side. Since consolidation, the Wolves haven’t won a sectional title and have only made on title game appearance and that came in their first year – 1995.

3rd Down: Sectional realignment was not kind for the Wolves as they left the relative mediocrity of Sectional #2 for the meat-grinder that is Sectional #1. While familiarity may help Michigan City as many of the teams they could potentially see in the post-season are also conference foes, there is no doubt that the Wolves are going to need a good draw if they want to even think about advancing.
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taxthedeer
post Jul 16 2011, 04:16 PM
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Here's the write-up the Wolves received in the 2011 Indiana Football Digest:

http://www.indianafootballdigest.com

QUOTE
Often times a young and inexperienced team has to go through some growing pains before they succed on the field. That is likely the case of the Michigan City Wolves, who were young and inexperienced in 2010 after a winning season the year before. The Wolves won their season opener against Gary Roosevelt, but failed to win another game the rest of the way, struggling to a 1-9 record. But the majority of the starters who were "thrown to the wolves" one may say, are back once again this year, and maybe they learned from their experience and will turn things around in 2011.

After one year with the Wolves, Coach Eric Schrieber departed in May to take over at Hammond. At press time, Michigan City was searching for a new leader.

Eight starters return on offense for the Wolves, including QB Joel Hirsch (6-2, 190). In the backfield, seniors Rasheem Bell and Brian Taylor should both see their share of the carries as the both saw quite a bit of action last season. Hirsch has an experienced corps of receivers to throw to this season for Michigan City as returning senior starters Jordan Callahan and Kyle Neulieb area back at the receiver positions, while Kevin Kreibaum (6-0, 210) returns at tight end for the Wolves as well. The Wolves do lack some experience along the offensive line, however, with only senior Lance Davis returning as a starter at the guard spot. But senior Eric Kintigh (5-10, 235) should be someone to fill in nicely at the other guard position, while seniors Sam Haro (6-0, 300) and Marcus Falls-Foster (6-2, 245) will be counted on to open some holes and protect Hirsch from their tackle spots for Michigan City this season.

Six starters return on defense for the Wolves including Kreighbaum at one of the defensive end positions. Alante Nichols (5-8, 230), who started at tackle as a sophomore last year, returns for his junior season, and will line up next to Kintigh on the defensive line for the Wolves. Senior Giorgio Karallas (6-2, 235) should be the leader of the Wolves' defense this season at the linebacker spot, and will have junior Zach Chappell (5-9, 160) at one of the other linebacker spots once again this season. The secondary will feature all senior starters, including Hirsch and Neulieb who return in the defensive backfield as starters from last years defense, which will need to improve after allowing just over 40 points per game a year ago.

The Wolves can be successful if the can learn from their shortcomings of last year, and set their expectations high, and believe they can achieve them. With a hardworking, close-knit senior class leading the way, it's hard to imagine Michigan City not being much, much better than 1-9 this season.

-----
No Coach at Press Time

Coaching staff
TBA

2011 Schedule

08/19 GARY ROOSEVELT
08/26 SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
09/02 CHESTERTON
09/09 at Valparaiso
09/16 MERRILLVILLE
09/23 at Lake Central
09/30 PORTAGE
10/07 at La Porte
10/14 at Crown Point

2010 Results

Gary Roosevelt W, 49-0
At South Bend Washington L, 31-7
At Chesterton L, 55-0
Valparaiso L, 49-0
At Merrillville L, 68-14
Lake Central L, 31-0
At Portage L, 40-7
La Porte L, 28-16
Crown Point L, 52-15
SECTIONAL
Goshen L, 49-31

Impact Players

Name HT. WT. CL. POS.

Joel Hirsch 6-2 190 Sr. QB/DB
Rasheem Bell 5-7 160 Sr. RB
Anthony Catchings 5-10 175 Sr. RB
Brian Taylor 5-9 185 Sr. RB
Giorgio Karallas 6-2 225 Sr. RB/LB
Kyle Neulieb 6-0 175 Sr. WR/DB/KR
Jordan Callahan 5-8 170 Sr. WR
Kevin Kreighbaum 6-0 210 Sr. TE/DL
Josh Gondeck 6-3 220 Sr. TE/DL
Lu Wang 5-10 215 Jr. OL
Lance Davis 5-9 190 Sr. OL
Eric Kintgh 5-10 235 Sr. OL/DL
Sam Haro 6-0 300 Sr. OL
Marcus Falls-Foster 6-2 Sr. 245 OL
Alante Nichols 5-8 230 Jr. DL
Ty Martorano 6-0 165 Sr. LB
Zach Chappell 5-9 160 Jr. LB
Troy Rivera 5-7 145 Sr.
Robert Coursel 6-0 165 Sr. DB
Eric Stevenson So. P/K

Newcomers

Ryan Jones 5-10 175 So. RB/DB
Donovan Wilson 6-0 180 So. WR/DL

Key Losses
Dustin Rivich P/K

Tournament History

Sectional: None
Regional: None
Semistate: None
State: None

The IFD Family remembers Dave Parry for his professionalism & commitment to America's great game of Football.

Dave Parry officiated for the NFL 1975-1990 and was the side judge for the 1983 Super Bowl. He went on to officiate in the Big Ten for 19 years and was the first NCAA National Coordinator of Officials.
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Jesse B
post Jul 19 2011, 11:01 AM
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It is scarey to think where Indiana Football digest gets there information from if there was no coach at the time this article was written? I know they can't get it from The News Dispatch.
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post Jul 19 2011, 02:34 PM
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QUOTE(Jesse B @ Jul 19 2011, 11:01 AM) *

It is scarey to think where Indiana Football digest gets there information from if there was no coach at the time this article was written? I know they can't get it from The News Dispatch.


Indiana Football Digest and the basketball version each gather info for their stories months before the season starts due to publishing deadlines. Therefore, as you can see, info is typically anything but reliable.
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taxthedeer
post Jul 19 2011, 07:24 PM
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QUOTE

It is scarey to think where Indiana Football digest gets there information from if there was no coach at the time this article was written? I know they can't get it from The News Dispatch.


Paul Condry states in his "The Last Word" column on the last page of the book that he begins taking pictures and compiling information on teams for the following season's football digest in the middle of the football season in the North and visits central and southern Indiana schools in the springtime. So most likely the information in that article was ascertained in 2010 from Eric Schreiber while he was still the Wolves Head football coach and those players listed are what Michael Karpinski is going to inherit and are who we are going to see on the field on Friday nights this fall.
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Southsider2k12
post Jul 20 2011, 08:13 AM
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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...79352347652.txt

QUOTE
Strong staff crucial at City

By Adam Parkhouse
Home Cookin'
Published: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:43 PM CDT
Surely some of you wondered aloud or muttered to yourself when you saw the N-D make a “big deal” out of Jeff Karras joining the football staff at Michigan City High School.

If it seems like a lot of hoopla over an assistant coach, I suppose I could say that’s a fair statement. But this is a big deal, to me, and a great hire for first-year coach Michael Karpinski and the Wolves.

You see, head coaches get a lot of recognition in sports. They’re the respective heads of their programs and are the ones you turn to when things go wrong and praise when things go right.

But the reality is, many head coaches are only as good as the staffs behind them. Hiring a new coach you’re proud of and surrounding him with folks who aren’t also good at what they do doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Click here to find out more!
Think of it this way: Would you buy a 60-inch flatscreen television and then not order high-definition programming from your cable/satellite provider?

Well, you might. But you wouldn’t be getting the most out of your high-dollar purchase. You want that TV to be all it can be, so you order the HD programming and get the HDMI cables so that your television-watching experiences are at the pinnacle of what they can be.

Well, Karras is part of the HD package that Karpinski and MCHS administrators are installing as part of what they hope is the start of something new and great for City football. It’s necessary, really.

Go back to the Craig Buzea years when the Wolves were constantly making great strides in the right direction. Buzea had a lot to do with that, certainly. It was his plan and his vision for the program that was ultimately executed.

But he had some damn fine executioners to help him. Head coaching experience ran rampant on Buzea’s staff and it showed. The staff that Buzea employed, with guys like Tom Cicero and Bob Mattix and Dave Egofske were wholly important to those Wolves teams.

Guys like Karras and Karpinski’s father, Bill (who has also been brought on board), will similarly be able to help Karpinski do everything he wants to do with the Wolves. Karras comes from a tremendous football background. Heck, his name is synonymous with the sport in Northwest Indiana.

I got to see firsthand what Karras was capable of last year with South Central when he led the program to its first-ever sectional championship. He’s a talented motivator who also knows the X’s and O’s.

If Karpinski succeeds, he’ll certainly own a large portion of that success. But it will also be thanks to the people behind the scenes, working tirelessly and together to execute the overall vision.

So, yeah, this was a big deal for City football. It shows the program is once again headed in the right direction and I’m betting the fruits start to show immediately this fall.

Are you ready for some football? I sure am.


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MSFOOTBALL
post Jul 20 2011, 09:27 PM
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QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jul 20 2011, 09:13 AM) *


Yes, I completely have faith that we are in for some serious football this fall. GO WOLVES !!!
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taxthedeer
post Jul 26 2011, 05:53 PM
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How was the golf outing and football Hall of Fame ceremony last night?
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Southsider2k12
post Aug 1 2011, 07:49 AM
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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...0c139600310.txt

QUOTE
Where did the summer go?

By Drew White
Unwritten No More
Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011 11:51 PM CDT
I can’t help but look at the calendar and ask myself one question.

Where in the heck did summer go?

While Labor Day weekend has traditionally been the official transition from summer to fall, if you haven’t had the chance to stop and enjoy summer, you might want to take an opportunity to do so this week.

While it is too late for all of those high school athletes who all begin practice for fall sports today, with the Great Lakes Grand Prix festivities throughout this week, culminating in Sunday’s races and the final weekend of the Michigan City Golf Tournament at the Michigan City Municipal South Course this coming weekend, all there will be to look forward to after this weekend is football.

*
Of course, if you are prepared to see the pigskin in action, make sure you take some time to head out to Ames Field on Friday where head coach Michael Karpinski and his Wolves will participate in the Blue-Grey scrimmage.

You can pay a dollar to get in, or better yet, take that dollar and find a sale on canned goods that you can use to gain admission to the event. The football team will be donating those items to the Michigan City Food Pantry.

Of course, the boat race will be the place to be in Michigan City this weekend. Jason Miller and everybody else at the La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau has really taken the time to make the Michigan City stop of the Super Boat International schedule into a premier event for the community.

From parades, to the Taste of Michigan City, to the meet and greets, to the race itself, the Grand Prix is a great way for Michigan City to show off what Our Fair City has to offer.

While it’s easy for those of us in the community to sit on the sidelines and watch the visitors come in and enjoy the event, it’s important for us residents to get out and experience the event for ourselves. How are we supposed to be proud of our events if we don’t know what is going on?

While many people are hesitant to embrace Michigan City’s role as a travel destination, tourism is an important source of income and we need to embrace it.

For years we’ve used fishing tournaments such as Skamania Mania to entice visitors to our community, Blue Chip has sponsored professional billiards, and we host youth baseball and softball tournaments at Patriot Park. The boat race has been a great addition.

Quite frankly, we need to have even more events like them.

In order to entice more organizations into bringing their events to Michigan City, we need to collectively work together to make Michigan City all it can be. That involves getting out, showing interest, and having a little bit of civic pride.

It’s time to put on your game face, folks.

Get out and enjoy the summer before it is gone.

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.
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MSFOOTBALL
post Aug 1 2011, 07:56 PM
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QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jul 26 2011, 06:53 PM) *

How was the golf outing and football Hall of Fame ceremony last night?


We had a nice number of golfers that came out to support our team. The ceremony and the dinner was nice as well. It turned out to be a beautiful day for golf and we hope to get even more golfers out next year. All of those who assisted with the day, donated items and gave money donations, or took the day off to play golf and support the team, I would like to say thank you. Everyone's generosity has been greatly appreciated by the coach, the parent group and the football players.
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taxthedeer
post Aug 2 2011, 08:23 PM
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What time does the Blue-Grey inner-squad scrimmage start on Friday?
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Southsider2k12
post Aug 2 2011, 09:36 PM
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QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Aug 2 2011, 09:23 PM) *

What time does the Blue-Grey inner-squad scrimmage start on Friday?


I talked to Coach today via email, sounds like kickoff will be 7pm, and maybe teh meet and greet at 6pm.
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post Aug 3 2011, 02:52 PM
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QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Aug 2 2011, 09:36 PM) *

I talked to Coach today via email, sounds like kickoff will be 7pm, and maybe teh meet and greet at 6pm.


Yes, kickoff is 7 p.m. but the meet-and-greet will take place AFTERWARD. Admission is $1 or a canned good to be donated to the MC Food Pantry.
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post Aug 4 2011, 06:33 AM
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Nice article talking about Ryan Isaac at Purdue.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/football/co...37660aadb6.html

QUOTE
AL HAMNIK: Purdue cashing in on region football pipeline
Story
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By Al Hamnik Times Columnist | Posted: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 10:00 pm | No Comments Posted
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The region plays some mean high school football and while Indiana University seems to have fallen asleep at the recruiting switch, Purdue won't let go.
Coach Danny Hope loves the toughness and commitment our kids bring to his program in West Lafayette and his 2011 roster shows that.
You'll find safety Albert Evans (Portage); 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackle Kawann Short (EC Central); 6-5, 270-pound defensive tackle Ryan Isaac (Michigan City); 6-8, 306-pound offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (Marian Catholic); 6-7, 324-pound guard Connor Snapp (Valparaiso); and 6-4, 305-pound defensive tackle Michael Rouse III (Homewood-Flossmoor).
Listening to Hope speak about each, you feel he'd adopt them all if needed.
"Albert's really important to us as a player on the field. He's a sure tackler. He has a lot of game experience so we expect him to execute his line assignments to a degree of excellence," Hope said.
"He's a real tough guy who can back it up. All the guys we got from the region are tough guys. They represent the region very well."
Hope called Isaac the "surprise signing" of last year's freshman class and he knew why.
"Albert and Ryan had the same high school coach -- Craig Buzea -- and he's a tough guy, too," Hope said. "His players exemplify that."
Isaac recently bench-pressed 460 pounds. For his next trick, he'll rip the New York City phone book in half and tie a crowbar in knots.
"Tough guy. Loves football. He'd cut his right arm off for his coaches or teammates," Hope said.
Short was a beast in high school, particularly under the basket when playing hoops, but always had a teddy bear image in public.
He came to Purdue looking like the Michelin Man but has since "rebuilt" his body, according to Hope.
"Kawann's very, very athletic and changes directions well," Hope said. "He's a very good pass rusher for an inside guy and has the potential to be one of the top defensive tackles in the country.
"He's a better football player going into his junior year than Mike Neal was at that stage."
Only a sophomore, Snapp remains a promising "project" while Kelly is one of the biggest offensive linemen Hope has ever been around as a coach.
"He's one of those guys you'd want to pull in a foxhole with you. If a bar room brawl broke out, you'd want a Dennis Kelly on your side," Hope said.
Buzea also coached Rouse in his first year at H-F.
"I'm a big fan of his and he knows it," Hope said of Buzea. "He was the best thing that happened to Michael, who became a lot more physical player when his intensity level almost doubled."
Hear that, IU and Notre Dame?
There's a pipeline here with Purdue fingerprints all over it.
This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at al.hamnik@nwi.com


Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/football/co...l#ixzz1U3x2F9Ac
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taxthedeer
post Aug 4 2011, 07:50 AM
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http://www.midamericabroadcasting.com/file..._Monthly_1_.pdf

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The revolving door of head coaches for Michigan City continues as Michael Karpinski takes a shot at turning the program around. Eric Schreiber departed for Hammond High after just one season in which his team failed to win a conference battle and knocked off only Gary Roosevelt in the season opener. Prior to that, Craig Buzea scurried to Illinois after just three years with the Wolves. Karpinski is hoping to finally bring some stability. He also brings a pair of experienced assistant coaches in his father Bill and former Andrean and South Central head coach Jeff Karras.

The Wolves have been a sub-.500 team for 13 of the last 15 seasons, with the squad going 6-4 in the only two victorious years. It seemed as if things were going in the right direction in 2009, but then Michigan City hit rock bottom again in 2010. A sudden return to the top half of the standings is unlikely, however the rebuilding could start this year with the Wolves at least making their games organized and competitive. Sectional realignment will make it even more difficult for Michigan City, as they move to Sectional 1, which includes Valparaiso, Crown Point and Merrillville.
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Southsider2k12
post Aug 5 2011, 02:32 PM
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Don't forget, Wolves football TONIGHT up at Ames Field! It will be the Blue/Grey intersquad game, followed by a chance to come down onto the field and meet the coaches and players! Kick off is scheduled for 7pm, but expect a rolling clock and the game to move quickly at least in the second half. This is the first of five straight weeks to see City at Ames. The regular season begins in two short weeks!
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