BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
Conference play began last Friday night as some rivals, both current and former, got together. We are quickly approaching the midway point of the regular season, so let’s get things started with a look at this week’s top 10, followed by a breakdown of week three action, and a quick look ahead at this week’s matchups.
- Crown Point (3-0)
- Merrillville (1-2)
- Hobart (3-0)
- Andrean (2-1)
- Valparaiso (1-2)
- Morton (2-1)
- Michigan City (2-1)
- Lake Central (2-1)
- Lowell (2-1)
- Wheeler (3-0)
WEEK THREE RESULTS
DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Crown Point 35, Merrillville 21: The Bulldogs (3-0) continued their mastery of the DAC with their 22nd straight league win, thanks to nearly 400 yards on the ground. Leading the charge was Max Gurnic with 153 yards and an additional 145 yards from Brayden Schutt.
Lake Central 26, Portage 0: The Blue Indians (2-1) won their sixth straight over the Portage Red Indians (0-3) and recorded their first regular season DAC shutout since 2016.
Michigan City 30, Chesterton 13: Jeremy Thurman ran for 100 yards and two scores and Trinaston Hart added 91 yards more on the ground as the Wolves broke it open with a 16-point third quarter outburst.
Valparaiso 28, LaPorte 0: The Vikings (1-2) turned two early special teams’ miscues into a pair of Gage Findley touchdown runs to lead them to their 13th straight win over LaPorte (1-2).
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean 38, Kankakee Valley 8: Ethan Reyna ran for 107 yards and a score, while Brady Stovall added three touchdowns as the Niners (2-1) pulled away in the second half.
Hanover Central 28, Highland 0: Junior running back Isiah Buikema (92 yards and two scores) and junior quarterback Wyatt Terell (116 passing yards) made a solid one-two punch for the Wildcats (1-2).
Hobart 41, Munster 7: Max Pickett was the difference for the Brickies (3-0), running for 153 yards and all six touchdowns against Munster (0-3).
Lowell 42, Griffith 14: Tymothy James and Brody Kalwinski each ran for three touchdowns as the Red Devils (2-1) won convincingly once again in the first matchup against Griffith since 2004.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Bremen 39, Boone Grove 0: The Lions rushed for over 400 yards on the way to an easy victory over Boone Grove (1-2).
Calumet 28, East Chicago Central 16: Bryce Brandon eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the third straight week, tallying 140 yards and four scores, for the Warriors (3-0).
Gary West Side 48, Hammond Central 0: Kamari Loggins and Courtney Anderson each scored twice as the Cougars (2-0) had no trouble with Hammond Central (0-3).
Lake Station 46, Bowman Academy 24: The Fighting Eagles continued to impress as they improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1990 as Oscar Alderson and David Parker each ran for over 160 yards and scored three times.
Wheeler 49, River Forest 0: Logan Fox completed 11-of-17 passes for 151 yards and a score, and freshman Andrew Bizzeri ran for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Bearcats (3-0).
Whiting 28, Hammond Bishop Noll 7: Demetrio Lopez ran 36 times for 332 yards and four touchdowns as the Oilers (1-2) against their nearby rivals.
OTHER CONTESTS
Hammond Morton 42, Shepard (Illinois) 20: Davion Terry ran for 185 yards and a pair of scores as the Governors (2-1) racked up 442 yards of total offense.
North Judson 60, South Central 6: The Bluejays (2-1) made it five in a row over South Central (0-3).
WEEK FOUR MATCHUPS
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point (3-0) at Lake Central (2-1): The Bulldogs put their state-best 30-game regular season winning streak on the line against an improved Lake Central club looking to knock off Crown Point for the first time since 2015.
LaPorte (1-2) at Chesterton (1-2): The Trojans claimed a 28-7 win over LaPorte a year ago.
Michigan City (2-1) at Valparaiso (1-2): Both teams look to remain perfect in DAC play at Viking Field during Patriots’ Night honoring 9-11 first responders and military personnel past and present.
Portage (0-3) at Merrillville (1-2): The Pirates seek to snap a modest two-game losing streak, while Portage looks to crack the win column for the first time.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean (2-1) at Munster (0-3): The 59ers hope to make it three wins in a row and improve to 25-6 all-time against Munster.
Calumet (3-0) at Highland (1-2): The Warriors defeated Highland, 26-14, last year to earn just their second win over 19 meetings.
Hobart (3-0) at Kankakee Valley (0-3): The Brickies have claimed three straight double-digit victories, while Kankakee Valley hopes to halt a four-game losing skid.
Lowell (2-1) at Hanover Central (1-2): The Red Devils go for their third straight triumph and look to snap a two-game losing streak to Hanover Central, which was a 48-21 winner a season ago.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Calumet Christian (1-1) at Whiting (1-2): This is the first meeting between these two programs.
Gary West Side (2-0) at River Forest (1-2): These clubs have split their two previous meetings with the Ingots prevailing 35-0 last year. Gary West is trying for its second straight 3-0 start.
Griffith (2-1) at Boone Grove (1-2): The Panthers look to bounce back against Boone Grove, which has dropped five of the six previous meetings with Griffith.
West Central (3-0) at Lake Station (3-0): In perhaps the most intriguing game of the week in the Region, the Trojans have allowed just 14 points, while Lake Station has averaged 47.7 points per game. The Fighting Eagles’ only other 4-0 start came in 1990.
Wheeler (3-0) at Hammond Bishop Noll (1-2): The Bearcats have outscored their opponents, 134-7, while Bishop Noll has won just three of the previous 25 meetings in this series.
OTHER CONTESTS
Bowman Academy (2-1) at East Chicago Central (0-3): The Eagles have struggled historically against EC Central, which has won 15 of the previous 16 meetings, including their lone win (48-8) a year ago.
Hammond Morton (2-1) at Byron Central (Michigan) (0-2): The Govs are a point away from being unbeaten. Byron Central earned a 54-28 victory in Hessville in last year’s inaugural matchup.
Indianapolis Shortridge (0-3) at Hammond Central (0-3): The Wolves defeated Shortridge, 35-0, in Indianapolis last year.
North Judson (2-1) at North Miami (3-0) – In this key Hoosier North Conference matchup, the Warriors are hosting North Judson for the first time. The Bluejays blanked North Miami, 46-0, a year ago.
