BY FRANK KIELKIPOWSKI
As we head into the beginning of fall, there are some big games on the horizon that will likely decide conference championships, so here is my top 10 for this week.
- Crown Point (5-0)
- Valparaiso (4-1)
- Merrillville (4-1)
- Hanover Central (5-0)
- Hobart (4-1)
- Lake Central (3-2)
- Michigan City (2-3)
- Andrean (2-3)
- Hammond Central (4-1)
- Lowell (2-3)
WEEK FIVE RECAP
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Crown Point 49, Portage 6: Noah Ehrlich threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs racked up 470 total yards enroute to an easy victory.
Lake Central 17, LaPorte 12: The Indians improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the DAC as they held off LaPorte in a tightly contested affair.
Merrillville 17, Michigan City 0: For the second straight week, the Pirates’ defense carried them to victory as they pitched a shutout for the first time since 2020.
Valparaiso 28, Chesterton 14: Travis Davis rushed for 102 yards and a score as the Vikings downed Chesterton for the ninth consecutive time in this rivalry.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Hanover Central 47, Kankakee Valley 7: Caiden Verrette rushed for 154 yards on 11 carries and scored three times as the Wildcats remained perfect.
Hobart 27, Andrean 24: The Brickies rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter by tallying 13 points in the final four minutes to earn a thrilling victory over Andrean.
Lowell 42, Highland 12: The Red Devils scored 28 unanswered points to break open a close game and earn their second win of the season.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Gary West 72, Whiting 27: The Cougars put up a basketball-type score against Whiting to improve to 3-2 on the season.
South Central 55, Hammond Bishop Noll 22: The Satellites earned their second win of the season with their best offensive output in two years.
NONCONFERENCE
Griffith 21, River Forest 20: The Panthers used a fourth-quarter rally to earn their second consecutive win.
Hammond Morton 46, Calumet 6: The Governors snapped a three-game losing streak by cruising past Calumet.
Lake Station 22, Bowman Academy 0: Heading into conference play, the Fighting Eagles won for the second time in three weeks.
Munster 55, East Chicago Central 0: The Mustangs dominated EC Central by scoring their most points in a game since 2014.
Pioneer 28. Hammond Central 12: The Panthers handed Hammond Central their first loss of the season with a solid victory in Royal Center.
Wheeler 28, Boone Grove 20: The Bearcats picked up their second straight triumph and ended Boone Grove’s three-game winning streak with 14-point outburst in the fourth quarter.
WEEK SIX PREVIEW
DUNELAND CONFERENCE
Chesterton at Portage: Still looking for their first win, the Indians face a Chesterton squad that may be starting their third different quarterback of the season.
LaPorte at Merrillville: The Pirates, who have won five straight over LaPorte, will try to stay in the race for the DAC conference championship.
Michigan City at Lake Central: The Indians, who defeated Michigan City, 35-31, last year, will look to even the all=time series between these two programs at 11-11.
Valparaiso at Crown Point: In a game that will greatly determine the DAC champion, the defending Class 5A state champion Vikings hit the road to battle defending champ Crown Point in a showdown of top=1- squads.
NORTHWEST CROSSROADS CONFERENCE
Andrean at Highland: The Niners have dominated Highland over the years by winning 27 of the 29 previous meetings. The winner will even their record at 3-3.
Hanover Central at Munster: The unbeaten Wildcats have won both previous meetings against Munster, which looks to continue the offensive success they had a week ago.
Lowell at Hobart: It always seems to be a close game between these rivals as the Brickies won 21-14 a year ago at Lowell’s Inferno.
GREATER SOUTH SHORE CONFERENCE
Hammond Bishop Noll at Lake Station: The Warriors have won 17 of the 24 matchups against Lake Station but the Eagles ended Bishop Noll’s season a year ago with a 46-7 win in the Class 2A sectional opener
River Forest at Boone Grove: Both schools look to bounce back after tough losses in what should be a close game between two programs striving for a winning record.
NONCONFERENCE
Bowman Academy at Hammond Morton: The Governors look to get back to the .500 mark.
Chula Vista Eastlake (California) at Hammond Central: The Wolves look to bounce back as they host their visitors from the West Coast.
Culver Academy at Kankakee Valley: The Eagles have won the three previous matchups against Kankakee Valley, but this is the first time the two clubs have met in the regular season since 1991.
East Chicago Central at Griffith: After a slow start, the Panthers are looking for their third straight win
South Central at North Judson: The Bluejays have won the two previous meetings with South Central, but this is the first contest between the two clubs in five years.
Wheeler at Gary West: Both teams look to continue their recent success in the first meeting between the two programs.
Whiting at Calumet: These two squads look to bounce back from big losses. The Warriors defeated Whiting, 39-6, a year ago on the Lakeshore.
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