BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
Welcome to October football in the Region. As we head into the final third of the regular season, the tournament will be here before you know it, and in fact, the pairings for the tournament will be unveiled on October 12.
REGION TOP 10
- Crown Point (6-0)
- Merrillville (4-2)
- Andrean (5-1)
- Michigan City (4-2)
- Lowell (5-1)
- Hobart (4-2)
- Chesterton (4-2)
- Morton (4-2)
- Griffith (5-1)
- Wheeler (5-0)
WEEK SIX RESULTS
DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Chesterton 36, Portage 16: Andrew Goveia ran for 202 yards and three scores as the Trojans have their first three game winning streak since 2021.
Crown Point 35, Valparaiso 14: Dominic Fantin recorded three of the seven interceptions the Bulldogs had as they won their 33rd straight regular season contest.
Merrillville 38, LaPorte 0: The Pirates jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead on their way to their first shutout of the season.
Michigan City 37, Lake Central 17: Trinaston Hart threw for 193 yards with three scores and ran for another 130 yards and a touchdown as the Wolves broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter to pull away.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean 52, Highland 13: Brady Elish ran for 122 yards and a pair of scores as the Niners racked up 527 total yards to pick up their fifth straight win.
Culver Academy 14, Kankakee Valley 3: The Eagles made it back-to-back wins over region teams and kept the Kougars winless in the process.
Hanover Central 30, Munster 10: Isaiah Buikema ran for a season-high 209 yards and two scores to get the Wildcats back to the .500 mark.
Lowell 20, Hobart 17: Dylan Bisacchi’s 23-yard field goal as time expired gave the Red Devils their fifth consecutive victory.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Boone Grove 42, River Forest 24: Sal Montes ran 32 times for 268 yards and six touchdowns as the Wolves earned their second win of the season.
Calumet 59, Whiting 7: Freshman Jaden Campbell completed 11-of-14 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns as the Warriors improved to 5-1.
Griffith 44, East Chicago Central 8: Desmond Neylon raced 99 yards for a touchdown to help the Panthers build a 41-0 halftime cushion.
Lake Station 36, Hammond Bishop Noll 31: Seniors Oscar Alderson and David Parker ran for 225 and 140 yards respectively as the Eagles picked up their fifth win.
Wheeler 42, Gary West Side 26: Levi Murray ran for 248 yards and four touchdowns as the Bearcats are one of two unbeaten clubs left in the Region.
OTHER CONTESTS
Andrew (Illinois) 52, Hammond Central 0: The Wolves dropped their eighth straight game dating back to last year.
Bowman Academy 30, North White 0: The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak and recorded their first shutout in over three years.
Hammond Morton 57, Calumet Christian 0: The Governors racked up over 400 yards of total offense to secure their third victory in their last four games.
North Judson 10, Triton 7: Evan McGowen ran for 114 yards and a touchdown as the Bluejays made it five wins in a row.
Pioneer 49, South Central 7: The Panthers (5-1) racked up over 430 total yards to keep the Satellites winless.
WEEK SEVEN MATCHUPS
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Lake Central (2-4, 1-3 DAC) at Chesterton (4-2, 3-1 DAC): The Trojans look to make it four straight wins over Lake Central after earning a 17-16 victory a year ago.
LaPorte (2-4, 1-3 DAC) at Crown Point (6-0, 4-0 DAC): The Bulldog go for their 27th straight DAC triumph.
Merrillville (4-2, 3-1 DAC) at Valparaiso (1-5, 1-3 DAC) : The Pirates have won the last three matchups against Valparaiso, including a pair of victories last year.
Portage (0-6, 0-4 DAC) at Michigan City (4-2, 3-1 DAC): The Wolves will try and avenge last year’s 9-7 loss to Portage and earn their 10th win in the last 11 meetings in the series.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean (5-1) at Angola (3-3): The Niners travel to the opposite side of the state to face Angola for the first time.
Highland (2-4, 0-3 NCC) at Munster (1-5, NCC): The Mustangs won the “Battle of the Bridge” last year (41-21) and own a 31-14 edge over Highland in this rivalry series.
Hobart (4-2, 2-2 NCC) at Hanover Central (3-3, 3-1 NCC) – The Brickies look to snap a two-game losing streak in Cedar Lake against Hanover Central, which has won the previous two meetings.
Lowell (5-1, 3-0 NCC) at Kankakee Valley (0-6, 0-3 NCC): The red-hot Red Devils travel to Wheatfield in pursuit of their sixth straight victory.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Boone Grove (2-3, 1-1 GSSC) at Whiting (2-4)L The Wolves posted a 47-28 win at home against Whiting a season ago.
Calumet (5-1, 1-0 GSSC) at Wheeler (5-0, 2-0 GSSC): In this battle for a share the top spot in the South Division, the Warriors hope to avenge last year’s 43-8 loss to Wheeler.
East Chicago Central (1-5) at Lake Station (5-1): The Fighting Eagles can reach their highest win total since 1998 when they also won a sectional crown.
Gary West Side (2-3, 0-2 GSSC) at Griffith (5-1, 1-0 GSSC): These clubs have split their last two meetings with the Panthers prevailing 42-0 in Gary last year.
Hammond Bishop Noll (2-4) at River Forest (2-4): The Ingots have won the last nine matchups against Bishop Noll and own a 10-7 edge in the series.
OTHER CONTESTS
Hammond Central (0-6) at Hammond Morton (4-2): The battle for supremacy in Hammond takes place in Hessville as the Governors look to win their fourth straight in the series.
North Judson (5-1) at Winamac (1-5): The Bluejays seek their sixth win in a row, while the Warriors hope to record their first win in the series since the 2020 Class 1A sectional finals.
North Newton (3-3) at Bowman Academy (3-3): The Spartans have won all four previous meetings against Bowman, including a pair of victories a year ago.
