BY FRANK KIELPIKOWSKI
A new feature starting this week is my weekly top 10 rankings of teams in the Region. Here’s how they stand after the first three weeks.
FRANK’S TOP 10
- Crown Point (3-0)
- Valparaiso (2-1)
- Merrillville (2-1)
- Michigan City (2-1)
- Lake Central (2-1)
- Hobart (2-1)
- Hanover Central (3-0)
- Hammond Central (3-0)
- Andrean (1-2)
- Hammond Morton (1-2)
WEEK THREE RECAP
September football kicked off last Friday night as conference play began in the Region in both the Duneland and Northwest Crossroads Conferences. Here’s a recap of what took place.
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point 39, Merrillville 6: The Bulldogs dominated as Larry Ellison rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns, while their defense was equally dominate in ending Merrillville’s streak of 55 consecutive games of scoring at least 10 points.
Lake Central 21, Portage 20: The Blue Indians rallied from a 13-point deficit with the help of two second half scores to send Portage to an 0-3 mark.
Michigan City 28, Chesterton 6: Tyler Bush threw for 173 yards and three touchdowns for the Wolves, while Chesterton’s offensive woes continued as they fell to 0:3.
Valparaiso 49, LaPorte 0: The Vikings cruised by scoring touchdowns on their first seven possessions, including three from Travis Davis, who added 106 yards rushing.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean 24, Kankakee Valley 8: The Niners got into the win column for the first time by racing out to a a 17:0 halftime lead.
Hanover Central 60, Highland 13: The Wildcats scored 47 unanswered points to snap a 13-13 contest in the first half to earn its first win in the NWCC. Hanover Central has won a Region-best 18 consecutive regular season games.
Hobart 49, Munster 21: The Brickies improved to 2-1 by picking up their sixth consecutive win over Munster.
NONCONFERENCE
Boone Grove 52, Gary West 12: The Wolves picked up their second straight victory and are now over .500 for the first time since 2019.
Bremen 35, South Central 0: The Satellites fall to 1:2 as they enter action in the Greater South Shore Conference next week.
Calumet 52. East Chicago Central 8: Charles Salary earned his first victory in charge of the Warriors, who had no problem against East Chicago Central.
Elkhart 48, Hammond Morton 38: In perhaps the most entertaining game last Friday, the Govs fell just short in the final minute despite three touchdowns from Dontrell Harris.
Hammond Central 41, Griffith 0: The Wolves remained perfect behind Dashawn Woods’ 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Lake Station 20, North Newton 6: The Fighting Eagles earned their first win of the season and their first triumph against North Newton since 2014.
New Prairie 47, Lowell 6: Nathan Vujaklija’s kickoff return was one of the few bright spots for the Red Devils as New Prairie owned this one from the start.
River Forest 17, Wheeler 14: The Ingots are off to a 3-0 start for the second year in a row with their second straight triumph against Wheeler.
Whiting 15, Hammond Bishop Noll 14: A successful two-point conversion proved to be the difference as the Oilers downed Bishop Noll for the ninth straight time dating back to 2010.
WEEK FOUR ACTION
Here’s a glance at what’s taking place this coming weekend.
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point at Lake Central: The Bulldogs have dominated Lake Central lately, having won the last nine straight in the series since 2015.
LaPorte at Chesterton: The Trojans own a 23:13 lead in the series since 1988, but LaPorte surprised Chesterton a year ago with a 24:21 win at Kiwanis Field.
Michigan City at Valparaiso: The Wolves visit Viking Field as part of the annual “Patriots’ Night” festivities which honors veterans and first responders in recognition of 9-11.
Portage at Merrillville: The Indians are still seeking their first win of the season, but they face a Merrillville unit looking to bounce back after its performance against Crown Point.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean at Munster: The 59ers have won 22 of the 27 meetings against Munster, including a 44:0 whitewash a year ago at Andrean.
Hobart at Kankakee Valley: Kougars’ boss Kirk Kennedy had some success against Hobart when he was in charge at Lowell, but the Brickies have had the upper hand in this series since the clubs became conference foes.
Lowell at Hanover Central: In this first meeting between programs whose towns border one another, the Wildcats are trying to send Lowell to its first 1:3 start since 2016.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Boone Grove at South Central: In the GSSC opener for both clubs, the Wolves cruised to a 40-0 win over South Central a year ago.
Griffith at Whiting: The Panthers have won 10 of the 11 meetings with Whiting, including a 28:17 road victory last season. The Oilers’ lone victory over Griffith came in 2018.
NONCONFERENCE
Bowman Academy at East Chicago Central: Something has to give as both teams look to get in the win column for the first time.
Gary West at River Forest: The Ingots, who have been playing solid football under Mark Hidalgo, are looking for their first 4-0 start since 2003.
Hammond Central at Highland: Adam Hudak has the Wolves playing well as they look to improve to 4:0 against a Highland squad they blanked 26:0 a season ago.
Hammond Morton at Penn: Off to a 1-2 start, things don’t get any easier for the Governors, who make their first visit to Osceola to take on Penn.
Hammond Bishop Noll at Wheeler: In search of their first win, the Bearcats have dominated Bishop Noll over the years, winning 20 of 23 games in the series.
Indianapolis Washington at Lake Station: In this first meeting between these schools, the Fighting Eagles look for back-to-back wins against a Washington squad that is coming off an 8:2 win over Christel House Manual.
South Bend Washington at Calumet: The Warriors also looking to even their season record in this first meeting between the two programs.
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