Early region top 10 predictions

[Jimbo23]

1. Crown point- 6A State Runner Ups returning QB Noah Elrich and RB Larry Ellison. They will have a lot of success in the regular season, tough road for them to make it back to Indy.

2. Merrillville- Program will never lack talent as they have some good DLinemen and athlete John Peters, question mark at QB though. Weak sectional so will walk to Regional.

3. Valpo- I hate ranking us this high but I feel we could beat any team below us. We lost a lot of good skill guys and some linebackers and I am already nervous for a rematch in the regional with Merrillville.

4. Hanover central- Have to give Hanover the nod at 4 as they won the NCC last year but schedule is still weak. Big time loss at QB and OL-DL losing Colin Foy. 4A Sectional with NP will be a tough matchup if they get to see them.

5. Hobart- Losing the transfer QB and WR from last year could be felt if guys aren't able to step into those roles.

6. Andrean- Bring back a ton of guys from last year including 3 Division 1 players. Last time they got upset in a 2A playoff, they won the state championship the following year but they need a QB and RB to emerge.

7. Lowell- New Field and Hopefully new mentality down in the Inferno this year.

8. Hammond Morton- 3 D1 Players on this team, will compete well in the regular season.

9. Michigan City- Really like the defense they have coming back and they have athletes. They could be dangerous come sectional time.

10. Lake Central- I have always liked Pete as a coach and I think as an alumni he will bring a different energy to the Burial Ground.

1-3 are solid and hard to disagree with. HC at #4 seems too high. Lost very good qb and lineman. Great RB returning but

#4 Andrean. The youngsters grow up this year. New qb an unknown and they need to find a rb1 but they have talent elsewhere. Offensive line could be the strength….finally!! Tough schedule again.
#5 MC
#6 Lake Central
#7 Hanover Central
#8 KV
#9 Hobart
#10 Morton

Aww man NWI... we were having SO MUCH fun agreeing!

I think MC and Andrean are ranked too high on your poll. Hanover too low (like em at 4 myself even after their graduation losses), Hobart a smidge too low for my liking, and idk if KV belongs JUST yet but... Coach Kennedy is good at what he does so I don't fault you there too much. Lol just having some fun with you and getting back on topic thanks to VikingNation and yourself.

[nwifbfan]

[quote=nwifbfan post_id=3606 time=<a href="tel:1715259697">1715259697</a> user_id=222]
[quote=VikingNation post_id=3602 time=<a href="tel:1715111906">1715111906</a> user_id=91]
1. Crown point- 6A State Runner Ups returning QB Noah Elrich and RB Larry Ellison. They will have a lot of success in the regular season, tough road for them to make it back to Indy.

2. Merrillville- Program will never lack talent as they have some good DLinemen and athlete John Peters, question mark at QB though. Weak sectional so will walk to Regional.

3. Valpo- I hate ranking us this high but I feel we could beat any team below us. We lost a lot of good skill guys and some linebackers and I am already nervous for a rematch in the regional with Merrillville.

4. Hanover central- Have to give Hanover the nod at 4 as they won the NCC last year but schedule is still weak. Big time loss at QB and OL-DL losing Colin Foy. 4A Sectional with NP will be a tough matchup if they get to see them.

5. Hobart- Losing the transfer QB and WR from last year could be felt if guys aren't able to step into those roles.

6. Andrean- Bring back a ton of guys from last year including 3 Division 1 players. Last time they got upset in a 2A playoff, they won the state championship the following year but they need a QB and RB to emerge.

7. Lowell- New Field and Hopefully new mentality down in the Inferno this year.

8. Hammond Morton- 3 D1 Players on this team, will compete well in the regular season.

9. Michigan City- Really like the defense they have coming back and they have athletes. They could be dangerous come sectional time.

10. Lake Central- I have always liked Pete as a coach and I think as an alumni he will bring a different energy to the Burial Ground.

1-3 are solid and hard to disagree with. HC at #4 seems too high. Lost very good qb and lineman. Great RB returning but

#4 Andrean. The youngsters grow up this year. New qb an unknown and they need to find a rb1 but they have talent elsewhere. Offensive line could be the strength….finally!! Tough schedule again.
#5 MC
#6 Lake Central
#7 Hanover Central
#8 KV
#9 Hobart
#10 Morton
[/quote]

Aww man NWI... we were having SO MUCH fun agreeing!

I think MC and Andrean are ranked too high on your poll. Hanover too low (like em at 4 myself even after their graduation losses), Hobart a smidge too low for my liking, and idk if KV belongs JUST yet but... Coach Kennedy is good at what he does so I don't fault you there too much. Lol just having some fun with you and getting back on topic thanks to VikingNation and yourself.
[/quote]

After the top 3, it’s all really a guess and a little bit of hope and some bias. I think 4-10 and possible a couple of others all have a lot question marks. A couple of others are:

Griffith - year 2 with PM, bad conference though.
Chesterton - seems like they are in all games vs good teams but then will play terrible vs teams they should beat.
Lowell - I have not been impressed with the talent the last two seasons. Offensive and Defensive lines looked small. Boring offense. Tradition rich program do one would expect bounce back. I think KV is passing them by.

[WAWG09]

1. Crown point- 6A State Runner Ups returning QB Noah Elrich and RB Larry Ellison. They will have a lot of success in the regular season, tough road for them to make it back to Indy.

2. Merrillville- Program will never lack talent as they have some good DLinemen and athlete John Peters, question mark at QB though. Weak sectional so will walk to Regional.

3. Valpo- I hate ranking us this high but I feel we could beat any team below us. We lost a lot of good skill guys and some linebackers and I am already nervous for a rematch in the regional with Merrillville.

4. Hanover central- Have to give Hanover the nod at 4 as they won the NCC last year but schedule is still weak. Big time loss at QB and OL-DL losing Colin Foy. 4A Sectional with NP will be a tough matchup if they get to see them.

5. Hobart- Losing the transfer QB and WR from last year could be felt if guys aren't able to step into those roles.

6. Andrean- Bring back a ton of guys from last year including 3 Division 1 players. Last time they got upset in a 2A playoff, they won the state championship the following year but they need a QB and RB to emerge.

7. Lowell- New Field and Hopefully new mentality down in the Inferno this year.

8. Hammond Morton- 3 D1 Players on this team, will compete well in the regular season.

9. Michigan City- Really like the defense they have coming back and they have athletes. They could be dangerous come sectional time.

10. Lake Central- I have always liked Pete as a coach and I think as an alumni he will bring a different energy to the Burial Ground.

Overall a solid top 10 in my opinion... Here's WAWG09s take on it.

1. Merrillville- Returning a ton of starters on both sides of the ball. A lot of talent that could make the Pirates a tough out this season for any team. Biggest question mark is the trenches. Can that elite level talent take the top off of defenses? Could add an element to this offense we haven't seen in a few seasons.

2.. Crown Point- Newfound identity with the bulldawgs that'll make them tough to beat this season. They lose a lot defensively with a few key pieces graduating. Talented young guys will have to step up in those roles and play at a high level. A handful of solid new transfers could help maintain the top dawg spot in the DAC. We will see.

3. Valparaiso- One of the consistent contenders in the region. Have to respect what coach marshall has been able to do in his tenure. They're never out. Lost a lot last season. We will see how they fair in the '24 campaign.

4. Hammond Morton- Keep sleepin on these dawgs. All of the talent and everything they've built over the past 4 years is for this run right here in 2024. #WAWG

5. Hanover Central- Best team in 4A north. As coach Parker stated, they just reload, they'll dog walk the NCC again. Hobart loses a lot, Andrean doesn't have a QB or OL to get the ball and keep the ball in the elite athletes hands. Lowell is done for football. The rest of the conference is trash. KV may be solid and a dark horse but that's it. NCC goes to Hanover and they make some noise in the 4A North playoff.

6. Michigan City- Year 2 for French new additions to the staff seem to have revitalized the kids on the team. High expectations for french taking the next step in his tenure at MC.

7. Kankakee Valley- wrapped up the '23 campaign in a 21-28 OT dawg fight to the New Prairie Cougars. They return a lot of key pieces, coach Kennedy is a legend and he's showing why with this development of the Kougar team. See them being the 2nd best team in the NCC at this point.

8. Portage- Roy heads into year 2 with the Indians. An 0-10 season was lackluster but a ton of young talent got a lot of quality experience. Don't be surprised by the strides this program makes in a loaded DAC.

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

10. Hobart- 10 may be generous. Lost a lot of key players from last seasons squad. Finished the season getting destroyed by New Prairie and put on the clock for the third year in a row since the state run in 2020. Seems like the high from the state run as worn off quite a bit. New coach, maybe what the doctor ordered? A lot of question marks and holes to fill. Brickies need to regroup.

[paintballer]

Overall a solid top 10 in my opinion... Here's WAWG09s take on it.

1. Merrillville- Returning a ton of starters on both sides of the ball. A lot of talent that could make the Pirates a tough out this season for any team. Biggest question mark is the trenches. Can that elite level talent take the top off of defenses? Could add an element to this offense we haven't seen in a few seasons.

2.. Crown Point- Newfound identity with the bulldawgs that'll make them tough to beat this season. They lose a lot defensively with a few key pieces graduating. Talented young guys will have to step up in those roles and play at a high level. A handful of solid new transfers could help maintain the top dawg spot in the DAC. We will see.

3. Valparaiso- One of the consistent contenders in the region. Have to respect what coach marshall has been able to do in his tenure. They're never out. Lost a lot last season. We will see how they fair in the '24 campaign.

4. Hammond Morton- Keep sleepin on these dawgs. All of the talent and everything they've built over the past 4 years is for this run right here in 2024. #WAWG

5. Hanover Central- Best team in 4A north. As coach Parker stated, they just reload, they'll dog walk the NCC again. Hobart loses a lot, Andrean doesn't have a QB or OL to get the ball and keep the ball in the elite athletes hands. Lowell is done for football. The rest of the conference is trash. KV may be solid and a dark horse but that's it. NCC goes to Hanover and they make some noise in the 4A North playoff.

6. Michigan City- Year 2 for French new additions to the staff seem to have revitalized the kids on the team. High expectations for french taking the next step in his tenure at MC.

7. Kankakee Valley- wrapped up the '23 campaign in a 21-28 OT dawg fight to the New Prairie Cougars. They return a lot of key pieces, coach Kennedy is a legend and he's showing why with this development of the Kougar team. See them being the 2nd best team in the NCC at this point.

8. Portage- Roy heads into year 2 with the Indians. An 0-10 season was lackluster but a ton of young talent got a lot of quality experience. Don't be surprised by the strides this program makes in a loaded DAC.

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

10. Hobart- 10 may be generous. Lost a lot of key players from last seasons squad. Finished the season getting destroyed by New Prairie and put on the clock for the third year in a row since the state run in 2020. Seems like the high from the state run as worn off quite a bit. New coach, maybe what the doctor ordered? A lot of question marks and holes to fill. Brickies need to regroup.

I love the homer pick with the Govs at 4 but I need to see it put together to believe first. I threw them in my top ten for the talent but I need to see a complete season.

Who's going to be MC's QB? Who's going to replace their #1 OL Deon. Who's going to replace what Jayden did for the offense putting extra guys in the box? Also losing a player as impactful as Jahari is going to be a task. The DC left after just one season so another ? for me. I have more ?'s than answers currently that need to be revealed under the lights before I start declaring this team is back.

Portage is going to be real interesting to see. Year 2 should yield much better results.

[DACfanatic]

1. Crown point- 6A State Runner Ups returning QB Noah Elrich and RB Larry Ellison. They will have a lot of success in the regular season, tough road for them to make it back to Indy.

2. Merrillville- Program will never lack talent as they have some good DLinemen and athlete John Peters, question mark at QB though. Weak sectional so will walk to Regional.

3. Valpo- I hate ranking us this high but I feel we could beat any team below us. We lost a lot of good skill guys and some linebackers and I am already nervous for a rematch in the regional with Merrillville.

4. Hanover central- Have to give Hanover the nod at 4 as they won the NCC last year but schedule is still weak. Big time loss at QB and OL-DL losing Colin Foy. 4A Sectional with NP will be a tough matchup if they get to see them.

5. Hobart- Losing the transfer QB and WR from last year could be felt if guys aren't able to step into those roles.

6. Andrean- Bring back a ton of guys from last year including 3 Division 1 players. Last time they got upset in a 2A playoff, they won the state championship the following year but they need a QB and RB to emerge.

7. Lowell- New Field and Hopefully new mentality down in the Inferno this year.

8. Hammond Morton- 3 D1 Players on this team, will compete well in the regular season.

9. Michigan City- Really like the defense they have coming back and they have athletes. They could be dangerous come sectional time.

10. Lake Central- I have always liked Pete as a coach and I think as an alumni he will bring a different energy to the Burial Ground.

Agree on merrillville but not sure I think there is a ? Mark at QB.

They should be starting Jordan sanders which got significant varsity action as a freshman behind Jaylen Thomas.

He didn’t get much playing time this last year behind pope because of many injuries. Concussion/broken arm/sprained MCL

He was never planned to be a starter but he was supposed to rotate and run 2 qb system because his arm is phenomenal. Just lacks mobility. They could have a great team again if this kid pans out. He has beaten many region QBs in camps the last year ish

1 being Noah at CP. But we will see how season plays out

[nwifbfan]

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

They actually lost two players/starters.

Bolz left for Florida, very overhyped player. Was better as a freshman. Still a loss on defense for Niners.

Slot receiver transferred to CP. Forget his name that tells you something. Quick very small sure handed receiver. A loss but not a huge one. They’ll find another receiver, they always do.

Agree on QB and I will add RB as the key unknown pieces. Oline should be a lot better anchored by Novak.

[WAWG09]

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

They actually lost two players/starters.

Bolz left for Florida, very overhyped player. Was better as a freshman. Still a loss on defense for Niners.

Slot receiver transferred to CP. Forget his name that tells you something. Quick very small sure handed receiver. A loss but not a huge one. They’ll find another receiver, they always do.

Agree on QB and I will add RB as the key unknown pieces. Oline should be a lot better anchored by Novak.

I think losing two starters from the previous season and not to mention their stud QB Ballentine will be tough to overcome with no real good additions. He was really overshadowed last season because of how poor that Andrean team played. One of the most talented QBs in the area.

[VikingNation]

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

They actually lost two players/starters.

Bolz left for Florida, very overhyped player. Was better as a freshman. Still a loss on defense for Niners.

Slot receiver transferred to CP. Forget his name that tells you something. Quick very small sure handed receiver. A loss but not a huge one. They’ll find another receiver, they always do.

Agree on QB and I will add RB as the key unknown pieces. Oline should be a lot better anchored by Novak.

I was unimpressed with Bolz when we played them last year so I actually think that may be an upgrade. If you can't name the wideout then he definetly isnt a loss at all.

QB will be Brady Elish whose sisters both played D1 softball and he is a good athlete from what I hear, they played a ton of freshmen and sophmores against us so I still think Andrean at best with the schedule is 6-3 but even at 5-5, they will make a run come sectional time.

[VikingNation]

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

They actually lost two players/starters.

Bolz left for Florida, very overhyped player. Was better as a freshman. Still a loss on defense for Niners.

Slot receiver transferred to CP. Forget his name that tells you something. Quick very small sure handed receiver. A loss but not a huge one. They’ll find another receiver, they always do.

Agree on QB and I will add RB as the key unknown pieces. Oline should be a lot better anchored by Novak.

I was unimpressed with Bolz when we played them last year so I actually think that may be an upgrade. If you can't name the wideout then he definetly isnt a loss at all.

QB will be Brady Elish whose sisters both played D1 softball and he is a good athlete from what I hear. They played a ton of freshmen and sophmores against us so I still think Andrean at best with the schedule is 6-3 but even at 5-5, they will make a run come sectional time.

[nwifbfan]

9. Andrean- Loaded with talent but can they find a QB? If they can put the pieces together around the talent that is there this team could be fun to watch. A key transfer has left the niners this off-season. Will that have an effect on this team?

They actually lost two players/starters.

Bolz left for Florida, very overhyped player. Was better as a freshman. Still a loss on defense for Niners.

Slot receiver transferred to CP. Forget his name that tells you something. Quick very small sure handed receiver. A loss but not a huge one. They’ll find another receiver, they always do.

Agree on QB and I will add RB as the key unknown pieces. Oline should be a lot better anchored by Novak.

I think losing two starters from the previous season and not to mention their stud QB Ballentine will be tough to overcome with no real good additions. He was really overshadowed last season because of how poor that Andrean team played. One of the most talented QBs in the area.

Stud would be a stretch to describe him. I watched him for 4 years and he was better as a sophomore. Junior year hurt in game 1 vs Merrillville and played in playoffs but was not fully recovered. Senior year was a mix of blame. Poor oline play for sure. Talent at WR. He missed a lot of deep throws to wide open receivers mainly Finley. He also had numerous misreads especially in rpo and run option. He refused to run with the ball. Maybe he was told not to. I believe there were high expectations of him and he did not deliver. He didn’t make All Conference, All Area or Region 1 All Star. Says a lot.