Bob Wire
#11 EVANSVILLE REITZ PANTHERS
2008 was the start of a new era on Evansville's West side. After a 15-0
championship season in 2007, John Hart left Reitz to take over at Warren
Central. Former Reitz assistant Tony Lewis came back to Reitz after serving
as a head coach in Ohio. After splitting their two non-conference matchups,
the Panthers claimed another SAC title. Their season ended with a wild
38-35 decision at Alumni Stadium at the hands of Jasper to finish 9-2.
Lewis (56-23 overall, 9-2 @ Reitz) welcomes back 14 starters to make
another run for a 4A title.
On offense, six starters are back. Junior Matt McIntosh is back at
quarterback after gaining significant experience as a soph starter.
McIntosh ran and threw for over 700 yards and accounted for 18
touchdowns. Another key player on the offensive side of the ball is senior
Alordo Bell, who ran for nearly 900 yards in '08.
On defense, eight starters return for the Panthers.Senior Tony Ewers
earned All-State recognition for his efforts last season, collecting 17 sacks
for the Panthers. Junior Brandon Kemp is the leading returning tackler from
his linebacker spot.
Reitz's '09 schedule features a pair of Kentucky teams to open the season
at the Reitz Bowl; Henderson County on 8/21 and Daviess County on 8/29. In
SIAC play, games of note include a home date with 3A Runner-Up Memorial
on 9/11, at Castle the following week, and the annual West Side battle with
Mater Dei to close out the regular season on 10/16.
With 14 starters retuning, the Panthers figure to be one of the favorites in
4A. They necessarily don't get the pub some of the other favorites do, and
perhaps being tucked away in SW Indiana may be a factor in that. Still
though, the Panthers will not sneak up on anyone, and will be a team to look
after in 2009.
#12 FORT WAYNE DWENGER SAINTS
The Saints had a lot of expectations for the 2008 season. They met most of
them, winning the SAC Victory Bell and advanced to their first State Finals in six
years in a grudge match over Lowell 38-22. Once in Lucas Oil Stadium, the
Saints were grounded by Cathedral in the 4A championship game 10-7 to
finish as runners-up with a 14-1 record.
Chris Svarczkopf (77-17) enters his eighth year as head coach with some key
graduation losses. Last year's quarterback, John Goodman, is now at Notre
Dame.
On offense, four starters return for the Saints. Senior Scott Campbell is the
lone returnee on the offensive line that will have to mature quickly is the Saints
hope to compete for another SAC title. Remound Wright will look to be the
featured running back after getting over 350 yards in spot duty last year.
Defense looks to be a strong suit again for the Saints. Six starters return from
a unit that posted five shutouts and put up nine efforts of yielding 10 points or
less. Junior Tony Springman is one of the top prospects in his class from his
end spot, earning All-SAC and All-Area accolades. Landon Feichter returns to
anchor the secondary for Dwenger.
Looking at the schedule, the Saints' entire regular season slate is entirely in
the SAC. Key games include a visit to Harding on 9/18, a road match up at
Snider on 10/9 and the annual rivalry game with Luers to close out the regular
season on 10/16.
The Saints have won an average of 10 games a year this decade. They have
narrowly missed adding a fourth state championship trophy to the collection
with narrow losses in 2002 (24-21 to Roncalli) and last year. The Saints may
not be as dominant as they were in 2008, but still they will be in the mix in the
Northern half of 4A.
#13 BELLMONT BRAVES
2008 was a storybook year for te Bellmont Braves. Building off an 8-4 2007
campaign, the Braves recorded their most successful season ever. Their
lone blemish was a 34-14 regular season loss to Homestead. The Braves
powered up their attack in the post-season and didn't stop until lashing
Evansville Memorial 28-14 to win the 3A championship.
During the off-season, Toney Bergman resigned as head coach, compiling a
46-46 mark at the Adams County school. Offensive coordinator Rick
Burkhalter was promoted to head coach for 2009.
On offense, the Braves return a play maker in senior running back Nick Hall.
Hall was second on the club in rushing, but he brings back nearly 1,100
yards and 17 scores. Daniel Meyer also returns in the Braves' wing T attack
after rushing for over 650 yards with seven scores. In all, seven starters
return on offense for the Braves.
Looking at the Bellmont defense, Conner Emenhiser is the top tacker
returning for the Braves. From his linebacker spot, Emenhiser collected
nearly 70 tackles, 17 of those for loss. He also intercepted a pair of passes
for good measure. Overall, eight starters return on the defensive side of the
ball from the Braves' 3A championship squad.
Looking at the schedule, the Bellmont schedule will see them face Woodlan
and South Adams in the non-conference portion. In the Northeast Hoosier
Conference, the key game will come in week 5 when they will entertain
Homestead on 9/18.
The Braves ended the 2008 season on the summit of 3A football, and will
begin the 2009 season as well. Can they stay there and make it back to
back? I believe they can, with a good mix of experience and newcomers,
the Braves will be a tough out in October. If they can run the ball like they did
last year...look out!
#14 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL TIGERS
Timing is everything. For Evansville Memorial coach John Hurley, his first
year as the Tigers' head coach saw the school's first-ever trip to the State
Finals cemented with a 27-14 Semi-State win over Chatard. The Tigers
made it to Indianapolis, but fell to Bellmont 28-14 to finish with a 12-3 mark.
The offense will be led by senior quarterback Grant Gribbins. Gribbins threw
for over 2,700 yards and 27 touchdowns in the Tigers' march to
Indianapolis.His main target will be senior Jan Wandling, who caught 11 of
those touchdown passes while accumulating over 800 yards receiving. All
in all, six offensive starters are back for Memorial.
Looking at the defense, Frank Mattingly is the top returning tackler,
collecting over 80 tackles from his D-end position. Seven starters return for
the Tigers on that side of the ball.
Looking at the '09 schedule, the Tigers will travel to Jasper for their
tradition opener on 8/21. then going over the Ohio River to face Owensboro
on 8/29. In SIAC play, key matchups iinclude Reitz on 9/11 and at Castle to
close the regular season on 10/16.
In recent years, the southern half of the 3A bracket has been dominated by
Chatard and Heritage Hills. Memorial returns 13 starters from a team that
defeated both those juggernauts en route to the State Finals. The Tigers will
look to mesh a new offensive line with returning skill veterans. If they can
do that, don't be shocked to see the Tigers back in Indianapolis on
Thanksgiving weekend.
# 15 MERRILLVILLE PIRATES (5A)
The Merrillville Pirates entered the 2008 season with high hopes. Those
hopes quickly came back down to earth after a 42-0 season opening loss to
Warren Central, which later turned into a forfeit win. After losing three of
their first four games, the Pirates turned things around and won their
second straight sectional title. The season came to an end with a 19-0 loss
to Penn in the regional to finish 9-4.
Zac Wells (28-11) begins his fourth year as head coach of the Bucs and will
have some key holes to fill. Still, he has some key players coming back to
keep the Pirates in the DAC hunt.
On defense, the Pirates welcome back five starters. The secondary looks to
be a strong suit with three of those starters back led by senior Landau Lang.
On offense, quarterback Dolapo McCarthy has graduated, but senior Zach
Raspopovich has experience in running the offense. Denzel Pierce ran for
over 1,000 yards last season and will look to be major factor on offense for
Merrillville.
Looking at the schedule, the Pirates will host Warren Central to kick off the
season on 8/22. The following week, Merrillville resumes it's "Battle of
Broadway" series with Andrean for the first time since 1992. In DAC play,
key games include hosting Portage on 9/11, at Michigan City on 9/18, at
Valparaiso on 10/2 and hosting Chesterton on 10/16.
The Pirates have been a consistent winner in Northwest Indiana. The
offense might suffer some growing pains early on but come October, it
could be a completely different story for the Pirates.
2008 was the start of a new era on Evansville's West side. After a 15-0
championship season in 2007, John Hart left Reitz to take over at Warren
Central. Former Reitz assistant Tony Lewis came back to Reitz after serving
as a head coach in Ohio. After splitting their two non-conference matchups,
the Panthers claimed another SAC title. Their season ended with a wild
38-35 decision at Alumni Stadium at the hands of Jasper to finish 9-2.
Lewis (56-23 overall, 9-2 @ Reitz) welcomes back 14 starters to make
another run for a 4A title.
On offense, six starters are back. Junior Matt McIntosh is back at
quarterback after gaining significant experience as a soph starter.
McIntosh ran and threw for over 700 yards and accounted for 18
touchdowns. Another key player on the offensive side of the ball is senior
Alordo Bell, who ran for nearly 900 yards in '08.
On defense, eight starters return for the Panthers.Senior Tony Ewers
earned All-State recognition for his efforts last season, collecting 17 sacks
for the Panthers. Junior Brandon Kemp is the leading returning tackler from
his linebacker spot.
Reitz's '09 schedule features a pair of Kentucky teams to open the season
at the Reitz Bowl; Henderson County on 8/21 and Daviess County on 8/29. In
SIAC play, games of note include a home date with 3A Runner-Up Memorial
on 9/11, at Castle the following week, and the annual West Side battle with
Mater Dei to close out the regular season on 10/16.
With 14 starters retuning, the Panthers figure to be one of the favorites in
4A. They necessarily don't get the pub some of the other favorites do, and
perhaps being tucked away in SW Indiana may be a factor in that. Still
though, the Panthers will not sneak up on anyone, and will be a team to look
after in 2009.
#12 FORT WAYNE DWENGER SAINTS
The Saints had a lot of expectations for the 2008 season. They met most of
them, winning the SAC Victory Bell and advanced to their first State Finals in six
years in a grudge match over Lowell 38-22. Once in Lucas Oil Stadium, the
Saints were grounded by Cathedral in the 4A championship game 10-7 to
finish as runners-up with a 14-1 record.
Chris Svarczkopf (77-17) enters his eighth year as head coach with some key
graduation losses. Last year's quarterback, John Goodman, is now at Notre
Dame.
On offense, four starters return for the Saints. Senior Scott Campbell is the
lone returnee on the offensive line that will have to mature quickly is the Saints
hope to compete for another SAC title. Remound Wright will look to be the
featured running back after getting over 350 yards in spot duty last year.
Defense looks to be a strong suit again for the Saints. Six starters return from
a unit that posted five shutouts and put up nine efforts of yielding 10 points or
less. Junior Tony Springman is one of the top prospects in his class from his
end spot, earning All-SAC and All-Area accolades. Landon Feichter returns to
anchor the secondary for Dwenger.
Looking at the schedule, the Saints' entire regular season slate is entirely in
the SAC. Key games include a visit to Harding on 9/18, a road match up at
Snider on 10/9 and the annual rivalry game with Luers to close out the regular
season on 10/16.
The Saints have won an average of 10 games a year this decade. They have
narrowly missed adding a fourth state championship trophy to the collection
with narrow losses in 2002 (24-21 to Roncalli) and last year. The Saints may
not be as dominant as they were in 2008, but still they will be in the mix in the
Northern half of 4A.
#13 BELLMONT BRAVES
2008 was a storybook year for te Bellmont Braves. Building off an 8-4 2007
campaign, the Braves recorded their most successful season ever. Their
lone blemish was a 34-14 regular season loss to Homestead. The Braves
powered up their attack in the post-season and didn't stop until lashing
Evansville Memorial 28-14 to win the 3A championship.
During the off-season, Toney Bergman resigned as head coach, compiling a
46-46 mark at the Adams County school. Offensive coordinator Rick
Burkhalter was promoted to head coach for 2009.
On offense, the Braves return a play maker in senior running back Nick Hall.
Hall was second on the club in rushing, but he brings back nearly 1,100
yards and 17 scores. Daniel Meyer also returns in the Braves' wing T attack
after rushing for over 650 yards with seven scores. In all, seven starters
return on offense for the Braves.
Looking at the Bellmont defense, Conner Emenhiser is the top tacker
returning for the Braves. From his linebacker spot, Emenhiser collected
nearly 70 tackles, 17 of those for loss. He also intercepted a pair of passes
for good measure. Overall, eight starters return on the defensive side of the
ball from the Braves' 3A championship squad.
Looking at the schedule, the Bellmont schedule will see them face Woodlan
and South Adams in the non-conference portion. In the Northeast Hoosier
Conference, the key game will come in week 5 when they will entertain
Homestead on 9/18.
The Braves ended the 2008 season on the summit of 3A football, and will
begin the 2009 season as well. Can they stay there and make it back to
back? I believe they can, with a good mix of experience and newcomers,
the Braves will be a tough out in October. If they can run the ball like they did
last year...look out!
#14 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL TIGERS
Timing is everything. For Evansville Memorial coach John Hurley, his first
year as the Tigers' head coach saw the school's first-ever trip to the State
Finals cemented with a 27-14 Semi-State win over Chatard. The Tigers
made it to Indianapolis, but fell to Bellmont 28-14 to finish with a 12-3 mark.
The offense will be led by senior quarterback Grant Gribbins. Gribbins threw
for over 2,700 yards and 27 touchdowns in the Tigers' march to
Indianapolis.His main target will be senior Jan Wandling, who caught 11 of
those touchdown passes while accumulating over 800 yards receiving. All
in all, six offensive starters are back for Memorial.
Looking at the defense, Frank Mattingly is the top returning tackler,
collecting over 80 tackles from his D-end position. Seven starters return for
the Tigers on that side of the ball.
Looking at the '09 schedule, the Tigers will travel to Jasper for their
tradition opener on 8/21. then going over the Ohio River to face Owensboro
on 8/29. In SIAC play, key matchups iinclude Reitz on 9/11 and at Castle to
close the regular season on 10/16.
In recent years, the southern half of the 3A bracket has been dominated by
Chatard and Heritage Hills. Memorial returns 13 starters from a team that
defeated both those juggernauts en route to the State Finals. The Tigers will
look to mesh a new offensive line with returning skill veterans. If they can
do that, don't be shocked to see the Tigers back in Indianapolis on
Thanksgiving weekend.
# 15 MERRILLVILLE PIRATES (5A)
The Merrillville Pirates entered the 2008 season with high hopes. Those
hopes quickly came back down to earth after a 42-0 season opening loss to
Warren Central, which later turned into a forfeit win. After losing three of
their first four games, the Pirates turned things around and won their
second straight sectional title. The season came to an end with a 19-0 loss
to Penn in the regional to finish 9-4.
Zac Wells (28-11) begins his fourth year as head coach of the Bucs and will
have some key holes to fill. Still, he has some key players coming back to
keep the Pirates in the DAC hunt.
On defense, the Pirates welcome back five starters. The secondary looks to
be a strong suit with three of those starters back led by senior Landau Lang.
On offense, quarterback Dolapo McCarthy has graduated, but senior Zach
Raspopovich has experience in running the offense. Denzel Pierce ran for
over 1,000 yards last season and will look to be major factor on offense for
Merrillville.
Looking at the schedule, the Pirates will host Warren Central to kick off the
season on 8/22. The following week, Merrillville resumes it's "Battle of
Broadway" series with Andrean for the first time since 1992. In DAC play,
key games include hosting Portage on 9/11, at Michigan City on 9/18, at
Valparaiso on 10/2 and hosting Chesterton on 10/16.
The Pirates have been a consistent winner in Northwest Indiana. The
offense might suffer some growing pains early on but come October, it
could be a completely different story for the Pirates.
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