BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
As we turn the calendar to September, we head into conference play across Northwest Indiana this week. As always, let’s unveil our top 10, as well as look back and forward at all the contests.
- Crown Point 2-0
- Merrillville 2-0
- Hobart 2-0
- Andrean 1-1
- Hanover Central 2-0
- Lowell 1-1
- Griffith 2-0
- Valparaiso 1-1
- Chesterton 1-1
- LaPorte 1-1
WEEK TWO RECAP
Andrean 25, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 14: Dylan Gore threw for 183 yards and a score lifting the defending Class 2A state champion Niners over Bishop Luers for the second straight year.
Boone Grove 53, South Central 0: Sal Montes ran for 163 yards and threw for another 160 yards with five total touchdowns as the Wolves got back to the .500 mark.
Calumet 57, River Forest 19: Both clubs are now 1-1 on the season.
Chesterton 21, Hammond Morton 14: Junior Sam Posavac ran 32 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns as the Trojans downed Morton for the third straight year.
Crown Point 17, Indianapolis Pike 6: Sophomore A.J. Summers rushed for 139 yards and a pair of scores as the Bulldogs won their 38th straight regular season game.
Detroit Cass Tech (Michigan) 62, Michigan City 0: The Wolves remained winless as they were unable to overcome a 49-0 halftime deficit.
Gary West Side 26, East Chicago Central 20: Junior Chris Rudolph paced the Cougars with 198 yards and two touchdowns in their opener.
Griffith 48, Munster 37: Desmond Neylon rambled 35 times for 309 yards with four touchdowns as the Panthers scored 26 unanswered points in the second half.
Hammond Bishop Noll 55, Bowman Academy 32: The Warriors used a blocked punt and an interception return for a score in the third quarter to break open a close game and get in the win column.
Hanover Central 24, Lake Central 21: Dominic Giglio ran for 116 yards with two touchdowns and Wyatt Tewell completed 20-of 27 passes for 135 yards with a score to lead the Wildcats to their second win over a Duneland conference opponent.
Highland 50, Whiting 7: Jonathan Lee ran back the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score to kickstart the Trojans.
Hobart 52, Portage 14: Aleks Tatum completed 10-of-12 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores for the Brickies.
Illinois Home School 50, Lake Station 12L The Flying Eagles allowed 512 yards of offense in their opener.
Lowell 45, LaPorte 30: Tymothy James ran for 249 yards and two scores as the Red Devils piled up 613 total yards.
Merrillville 56, Lafayette Jeff 54 (2OT): Jakarius Johnson’s interception on a two-point conversion in the second overtime preserved the Pirates’ wild victory.
North Judson 55, LaVille 12: The Bluejays exploded for 462 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground to remain perfect.
TF South (Illinois) 42, Hammond Central 13: A 20-point second quarter was the difference as the Wolves fell to 1-1.
Valparaiso 35, South Bend Riley 7: Cooper Gear threw for 243 yards and a pair of scores and ran for 82 yards with two more scores as the Vikings built a 28-0 halftime cushion.
Wheeler 49, Kankakee Valley 0: Levi Murray rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bearcats to a 2-0 start.
WEEK THREE CONTESTS
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point (2-0) at Merrillville (2-0): There’s a lot at stake at Demaree Stadium as the Bulldogs put a 28-game conference winning streak in a game that should go a long way to determining the DAC champion.
Lake Central (0-2) at Portage (0-2): The Blue Indians have won five straight games over the Red Indians of Portage, who is looking to snap a 13-game overall losing streak.
LaPorte (1-1) at Valparaiso (1-1): The Slicers have not beaten Valparaiso since Bill Marshall took over in 2017.
Michigan City (0-2) at Chesterton (1-1): The Trojans have lost the last five regular season matchups against Michigan City, but have won two of the last four post-season contests.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean (2-0) at Kankakee Valley (0-2) – The Niners have won 23 of the 24 previous meetings against Kankakee Valley, including a 38-8 decision last year.
Griffith (2-0) at Lowell (1-1): This is a great non-conference matchup which should be a lot closer than last year when the Red Devils claimed a 42-14 victory over Griffith.
Highland (1-1) at Hanover Central (2-0): The Wildcats seek their fourth consecutive win over Highland.
Hobart (2-0) at Munster (1-1): Two of the top offenses in the Region go head-to-head as the Brickies look for their ninth straight triumph over Munster.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Bremen (2-0) at Boone Grove (1-1): The Lions look to make it two in a row over Boone Grove after earning a 39-0 victory a year ago.
Calumet (1-1) at East Chicago Central (0-2): The Cardinals seek their first victory over Calumet, which posted a 28-16 win a season ago.
Hammond Central (1-1) at Gary West Side (1-0): The Cougars attempt to claim their second straight victory against Hammond Central.
Lake Station (0-1) at Bowman Academy (0-1): Although the series is tied 4-4, the Fighting Eagles have have won the past three meetings with Bowman.
Wheeler (2-0) at River Forest (1-1): The Bearcats go for their second straight 3-0 start.
Whiting (1-1) at Hammond Bishop Noll (1-1): The Oilers have dominated this neighborhood rivalry, winning 20 of the last 24 meetings.
OTHER CONTESTS
Hammond Morton (1-1) at Unity Christian (Michigan) (0-1) (Thursday): This marks the first get-together between the two clubs.
North Judson (2-0) at South Central (0-2): The Bluejays have taken the previous seven matchups against South Central.
