MAB MONTHLY August 2013 FREE 2013 Region High School Football Preview Also inside…. CP Junior Bulldogs on Region Rosters Athletes Favorite High School Memories Region Football Tidbits And much more! www.midamericabroadcasting.com MAB MONTHLY Page 3 MAB ONLINE MAGAZINE MAB Staff The football preview issue is finally Hank Kilander Webmaster here! Sorry for the delay, but some last min- Broadcaster/ Host ute changes delayed the release. That said, Staff Writer we hope you enjoy what you are reading. Rich Sapper This month, we look around the region Staff Writer with team previews, give you some knowl- Broadcaster/ Host Sales edge to impress your friends with on Friday Layout & Design nights and, of course, we give you our in- sights. Bob Potosky Broadcaster/ Host As we look forward, we also look back Staff Writer with Trisha Madura who spoke with several recent graduates about some of their favor- Andy Wielgus ite high school sports memories. For those Broadcaster/Host Staff Writer of us who were former high school athletes, I am sure that it will conjure up good JT Hoyo memories for us as well. Broadcaster/Host Staff Writer Once again, as always, thanks for your Sales continued support of MAB. We are always very excited when we get feedback from Brandon Vickery Broadcaster our listeners, some of the greatest high Staff Writer school sports fans in the world! Trisha Madura Staff Writer Sales Broadcaster Contact Information Brett Hill Phone: 219-973-7990 Staff Writer Sales Website: www.midamericabroadcasting.com Broadcaster Also find us on Facebook and Twitter MAB MONTHLY Page 4 Inside this issue: Athletes of the Month 6 CP JR Bulldogs Green Hornets Embolden Region Rosters 8 Duneland Conference Preview 12 Gary/Hammond/East Chicago Preview 20 Greater Southshore Conference Plus Boone Grove Preview 28 Northwest Crossroads Conference Preview 34 Region Head Coaches 40 40 Things to Look for This HS, College and Pro Football Season 42 Favorite Moments in High School Sports 46 How to Overcome A Fear Of The Baseball 52 MAB 2013 Broadcast Schedule 54 Pro Football Trivia 55 More 2013 Region Football Notes 56 Did You Know? 56 August Broadcast Schedule 57 P. 46 P. 8 P. 12-40 MAB MONTHLY Page 5 To order the 2012-2013 Boys or Girls Magazine Visit Indiana Basketball Magazine online at www.indianabasketballmagazine.com MAB MONTHLY Page 6 ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Written and Compiled by Andy Wielgus MAB Staff Writer Josh Biggs Alex Rodriguez RailCats Lawrence Central Former Washington Township Lawrence Central's RB Alex Rod- Senator and Porter County Confer- riguez rushed 10 times for 79 yards ence Pitcher Josh Biggs, signs with as the South defeated the North in the Gary SouthShore RailCats. First Porter County Conference the All Star Game at North Central player to play for the RailCats. HS. Josh Phegley Tyler Wideman White Sox Lake Central Terre Haute North's Josh Phegley Lake Central Basketball had 2 rbi's in his major league debut. He Center Tyler Wideman commits to started at Catcher for the White Sox vs Tampa Bay. Phegley was Mr. Baseball in play basketball at Butler. Indiana in 2006 and he played atIndiana University. He was hitting .316 at Triple AAA Charlotte, before being called up to Chicago. 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By Andy Wielgus MAB Monthly Staff Writer MAB MONTHLY Page 9 Several years ago I had the chance to watch a dominate Green Hornets program play in the CP JR Bulldogs program big, middle and little league for several years in a row. And the league which does take players from all areas of the region, has been a feeder for great future players. But this Green Hornets Big team under Scott Shabaz and Ron Goodman went undefeated and un- scored upon for two seasons and won three straight Big crowns over Former Green Hornets Adam Neal (left) and Ryan Neal (right) teams like the Blue Devils, Red with there father Mike after a Merrillville win last season (photo provided by the Neal Family) Raiders, Purple Vikings, Maroon Wolves, Orange Tigers, and the Silverhawks. Soph DB Brandon Botts, Soph DB Matthew I watched these players at the little, middle Wielgus, Soph OL Jake Yelich,Soph LB and big level in that my son Matthew Wiel- Yusef Elayaan, FR WR/DB Ben Hynek, SR gus was competing and as a media member I WR/DB Nick Faso, Soph Tennis Varsity thought to myself that these players from Player Anthony Kendall, FR OL Ronnie Lowell, Wheeler, CP, Merrillville, Hano- Goodman, FR Hunter Vales,and JR LB ver,and Andrean will eventually populate re- Naueff Elayaan and recently graduated SR gion starting positions and could even lead Skevo Zembillas, Other players included RB up to college players. Jonathan Wigmore, OL/DLAustin Norvil, Looking back now 3 or 4 years, these are RB Dustin Norvil,and LB/RB Jake Van some of the players that played for those Gilder. Dominating Green Hornets Teams. Wheeler JR RB/LB All State Candidate Merrillville SR DB Ryan Neal D1 Recruit Player Sam Bolla and OL/DL Christian Luna and Soph DL/TE Adam Neal. Lowell JV QB John Noah Crown Point D1 LB Recruits Connor Andras Hanover New Program Dylan Smotek and Brendyn Mckinnion, JR S/LB Major re- Andrean OL/DL JR John Daugherty cruit Troy Grady, DB Eli Udchitz, SR DB The CP JR Bulldogs league has 2 new Nick Hanlon, Soph LB/TE Nate Hanlon , turf fields and the other teams have produced MAB MONTHLY Page 10 Former Green Hornet Matt Wielgus in Current High School Stars During Their Green Hornet Days Action for Crown Point High School HS Players as well like Shawn Streck at Sometimes you have to look back and Merrillville and several others. Check them see what helped produce some of the players out on the web at www.cpjrbulldogs.com you see on Friday nights and the JR Bull- they have no weight limit, they take players dogs, Tri Town Raiders, Michigan City Pop from ages 7-14 and all games are played in Warner, and others have done a lot to make house against the other teams in the Fall. It HS Football the way it is in the Calumet Re- then culminates in the playoffs and the Ted gion! If you have a free Saturday stop in and Byrd/John Mecklenberg Super Bowl. They see the JR Bulldogs games in August and use the same Football Officials you see on September and you may just be seeing the Friday Nights as well. All Area team of the Future! Email: [email protected] http://www.sportsworxnwin.com/ MAB MONTHLY Page 11 “You’ve got that Hungry Feelin!” Now Serving Chefs Choice Chef’s Choice Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 11-2 211 South East St., Crown Point, IN 663-6551 DINE-IN * CARRY OUT * DELIVERY Every day, the Lunch Buffet www.carriagecourtpizza.com includes: Pizza, Salads, Anti-pasta Salads, Soups and all the Fixens! Daily Specials are as follows: Monday……………….Baked Chicken Tuesday…………………………Tacos Wednesday………….Variety of Pastas Thursday…………………….Sausage Friday……………………………Fish MAB MONTHLY Page 12 Duneland Conference Preview By Andy Wielgus and Rich Sapper MAB Monthly Staff Writers 2012 Conference Standings Merrillville 11-3, 6-1 conf Chesterton 9-2, 6-1 conf Lake Central 8-3, 5-2 conf Crown Point 8-4, 4-3 conf Valparaiso 3-7, 3-4 conf Portage 3-7, 2-5 conf LaPorte 1-9, 1-6 conf Michigan City 2-8, 1-6 conf MAB MONTHLY Page 13 Crown Point High School Football Field and Lake Central’s Gelen Robinson Chesterton Trojans have plenty of talent to work with as Cole Chesterton lost several players to Teal takes the reigns at QB to go along with graduation including Indiana All Star Joe a backfield that includes Avery Beeks and Troop, QB Chris Katsafaros , Jon Horvath. The team also returns Max WR Matt Holba and their coach Beniot, Davielle Stewart and Steffen Dines John Snyder to an Assistant job as well as a line anchored by seniors Matt at Valparaiso University. The Keator and Connor Smith. added pressure of being in the DB Andrew Ralp will anchor a solid new class 6A rather than stay- secondary. There will be several underclass- ing at 5A took the Trojans faithful by sur- men that will contribute as well who were prise and many observers are counting the very competitive as freshmen and JV players. Trojans out this season. Of course, you can’t tell that to this year’s team. Crown Point Bulldogs New head coach Mark Peterson, who The Dogs have Sen- has almost two decades of college coaching ior Linebackers who are experience and was previously a head coach mid major D1 recruits in at Bishop Noll and Portage, has been plucked Connor Andras and from the ranks of Chesterton’s assistants to Brendyn Mckinnion, Re- lead the team into the future.