BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
As we hit the halfway point of the season, here’s a look back and ahead. As always, we begin with the newest top 10 rankings across Northwest Indiana.
- Crown Point (4-0)
- Merrillville (2-2)
- Hobart (4-0)
- Andrean (3-1)
- Michigan City (3-1)
- Lowell (3-1)
- Morton (2-2)
- Lake Central (2-2)
- Wheeler (4-0)
- Griffith (3-1)
WEEK FOUR RESULTS
DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Chesterton 34, LaPorte 14: Sophomore Hunter Boyd threw for 113 yards and two scores to help the Trojans pull away in the second half.
Crown Point 42, Lake Central 0: Griffin Van Tichelt’s school-record 90-yard punt return for a touchdown got the Bulldogs off and running to their 31st consecutive regular season win.
Merrillville 44, Portage 23: The Pirates opened up a 30-3 halftime cushion to snap a two-game losing skid.
Michigan City 27, Valparaiso 21: Zaire McKinney caught seven passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns as the Wolves won at Viking Field for the first time since 2006.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean 21, Munster 7: Ethan Reyna ran for 224 yards on 25 carries as the Niners claimed their third straight victory.
Highland 31, Calumet 30: Jake Slaven ran for 91 yards and three scores, while his twin brother, Justin Slaven, caught seven balls for 112 yards and a touchdown to help the Trojans even their record at 2-2.
Hobart 40, Kankakee Valley 7: Aleks Tatum threw for 160 yards and four touchdowns to keep the Brickies perfect heading into their NWCC showdown at Andrean.
Lowell 35, Hanover Central 20: Tymothy James ran for 132 yards with a touchdown and caught a pass for another score as the Red Devils made it three wins in a row.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Griffith 49, Boone Grove 0: The Panthers had no issues as they cruised to a 42-0 halftime lead.
River Forest 37, Gary West Side 20: Marcell Dixon’s 334 passing yards passing were not enough as the Ingots handed Gary West its first loss.
West Central 54, Lake Station 14: In a battle of unbeaten clubs, the Fighting Eagles were limited to just 140 total yards.
Wheeler 52, Hammond Bishop Noll 0: Logan Fox was a perfect 11-for-11 for 253 yards with a score as the Bearcats remained undefeated.
Whiting 39, Calumet Christian 0: Demetrio Lopez had 161 yards and three touchdowns to help the Oilers get back to the .500 mark.
OTHER CONTESTS
East Chicago Central 62, Bowman Academy 34: Derion Morris ran for 280 yards and five touchdowns to help the Cardinals snap a nine-game losing streak.
Byron Central (Michigan) 34, Hammond Morton 17: Davion Terry ran for 106 yards and freshman quarterback Amari Price threw for 157 yards, but it wasn’t enough as the Govs fell back to the .500 mark.
Indianapolis Shortridge 26, Hammond Central 24: Despite Ziere Taylor’s four catches for 232 yards with two scores, the Wolves still remain winless.
North Judson 24, North Miami 16: Logan Padke ran for 106 yards and a score as the Bluejays won their third straight contest in a key Hoosier North Conference battle.
Triton 63, South Central 0: The Satellites are still in search of their first win as Triton cruised to a 49-0 lead at the break.
WEEK FIVE MATCHUPS
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point (4-0, 2-0 DAC) at Portage (0-4, 0-2 DAC): The Bulldogs seek their 25th straight DAC victory.
Lake Central (2-2, 1-1 DAC) at LaPorte (1-3, 0-2 DAC): The Indians are looking for their fourth win in a row against LaPorte.
Merrillville (2-2, 1-1 DAC) at Michigan City (3-1, 2-0 DAC): The Wolves are hoping to avenge last year’s 14-12 loss at Merrillville.
Valparaiso (1-3, 1-1 DAC) at Chesterton (2-2, 1-1 DAC): The Vikings have won 13 straight games against Chesterton dating back to October 2015.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Highland (2-2, 0-1 NWCC) at Lowell (3-1, 1-0 NWCC): The Red Devils seek their 28th consecutive victory over Highland.
Hobart (4-0, 2-0 NWCC) at Andrean (3-1, 2-0 NWCC): There’s a lot on the line in this one toward conference supremacy as the Brickies go for three in a row against Andrean, including a thrilling 27-24 overtime decision last year at the Brickyard.
Kankakee Valley (0-4, 0-2 NWCC) at Hanover Central (1-3, 1-1 NWCC): The Wildcats have won all three previous matchups with KV, including 42-14 in last year’s Class 4A sectional semifinal.
Munster (0-4) at East Chicago Central (1-3): The Mustangs have prevailed in each of the last four meetings with EC Central.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Boone Grove (1-3) at Wheeler (4-0): The Bearcats are in pursuit of their seventh straight triumph against Boone Grove.
Bowman Academy (2-2) at Calumet (3-1): The Warriors have taken all three previous matchups with Bowman Academy.
Calumet Christian (1-2) at Hammond Bishop Noll (1-3): The Warriors blanked Calumet Christian, 47-0, last year.
Lake Station (3-1) at Whiting (2-2, 1-0 GSSC) (Saturday): The Fighting Eagles are hoping to halt a 22-game losing streak against Whiting.
River Forest (2-2, 1-2 GSSC) at Griffith (3-1): The Panthers rallied for a 34-31 win over River Forest in last year in New Chicago.
Stratford (Tennessee) (1-2) at Gary West Side (2-1): The Cougars will try to get back on track heading into next week’s big showdown with Wheeler.
OTHER CONTESTS
Caston (1-3) at South Central (0-4): Although the Comets prevailed 48-14 a year ago, South Central has won 11 of the previous 18 meetings in the series.
Culver (1-3) at North Judson (3-1): The Bluejays are in search of their 13th straight victory over Culver.
Hammond Central (0-4) at Culver Academy (0-4): The Eagles captured a 41-34 victory in Hammond la year ago.
Phalen Academy (0-3) at Hammond Morton (2-2) (Saturday): These two clubs are getting together for the first time on the gridiron.
