Bob Glover                            John Allendorf

Chris Hott                              Mike Arana

Matt Lams                             John Berlin

Josh Neace                            Ryan Geib

Shaun Wehle                         Aaron Kratochvil

Kenny Williams                      Eric Kratochvil

                                             Brian Potts

                                             Jeff Renn

                                             Justin Sawicki

 

Hobart, IN:  The HSFL resumed its 2003 schedule on Sunday, after a one week layoff.  Team 1 took the season opener by a score of 12-6, and Team 2 was out to prove that the first week was a fluke.  

 

Rain bombarded most of Northern Indiana for the entire day Sunday, making playing conditions less than ideal for Team 1's usual passing oriented offense.  Neither offense was overly impressive in the early going, and the game actually stalled with Team 2 leading 4-3 for several possessions.  Team 1 did not play especially well on either side of the ball in the first half, and while Team 2's play was not outstanding by any means, they were able to take a commanding 6-4 lead into the half.

 

The second half began much the same way the first half ended, with Team 2's offense receiving little resistance in the early going, and Team 1's offense failing to score in several key situations.  Due to the length of the game, the stop point was changed from 12 to 10, and when Team 2 jumped out to a 9-6 lead, the game was all but over.  Team 1 managed to fight back and make it interesting however, behind some much improved defensive play, and they actually forced overtime before they were finally defeated by a score of 12-10.

 

The Team 1 offensive attack was hampered from the start of the game by the weather conditions, and it only got worse as the game moved on and the rain continued.  Team 1 failed to make the necessary adjustments in their game plan on both sides of the ball until it was too late.  Matt Lams proved just what a dominating force he can be when he's given his touches.  When Team 1 switched to primarily a running game, Lams was the go-to guy, carrying Team 1 on his back as they recovered from their huge deficit.  Lams scored 5 touchdowns and threw for one also.  Bob Glover played fairly well, considering the field conditions, throwing for 6 touchdowns.  He also managed to escape pressure several times and run for some yardage, but also had his passes disrupted on several occasions and did not throw the deep ball well.  He added an interception on defense, and played fairly well down the stretch, considering his reputation on that side of the ball.  Shaun Wehle continued to prove that he will be a difference maker all season long.  He did the lead blocking for Lams, in addition to scoring 3 touchdowns of his own.  His defensive presence is invaluable, as he solidifies that side of the ball for Team 1.  In addition to his several tackles, he had an interception.  Josh Neace was used more in coverage this week than in Week 1, and despite his well-documented ankle injury, he still held his own, recording an interception and not allowing anyone to get big gains on him.  His offensive role was somewhat limited, but he did have a touchdown.   Chris Hott continued to provide a solid presence on the defensive side of the ball for Team 1.  Although he has yet to record an interception this year, after leading the league in 2002, Hott did break up a few passes and make some solid tackles.  He also saw his offensive role increased, and caught a touchdown pass, but dropped another.  Kenny Williams was not much of a factor in the game for Team 1.  He looked passive on defense, and had a crucial fumble, in addition to a dropped pass on offense.  He was forced to leave the game early due to personal issues.  He did have an interception.

 

Team 2 provided the HSFL with a text book example of why there are too many people on the league's roster this year.  They had nine players in uniform, allowing many players to specialize on side of the ball or the other, and the ones who didn't were still provided with adequate rest, keeping them fresh, and eventually using that to their advantage over Team 1.  Jeff Renn may have been the primary benefactor of the roster size, playing almost exclusively on offense, Renn was energized to the very last play, which just so happened to be one of his 6 touchdowns.  He ran the ball very hard and was effective down the stretch after Team 1 was tired.  He also had an interception despite his limited defensive role.  After a sub-par showing in Week 1, Aaron Kratochvil looked to be returning to form this week.  He played about half the game at quarterback for Team 2, throwing for 2 touchdowns, and running for some good yardage.  Despite his good play at the helm, Krat did throw some interceptions, and also had 2 touchdowns when he wasn't playing quarterback, leaving the quarterbacking job far from locked up in his hands.  The other half of the game belonged to John Berlin.  Sort of the Jeff George of the HSFL, Berlin is being given another shot at quarterback by Team 2.  He played fairly well, and threw for 2 touchdowns before he mysteriously sat out the entire second half in favor of Kratochvil.  Reports say that Renn, who is also the Offensive Coordinator for Team 2, did not authorize the change, leaving something of a question as to who is actually calling the shots for Team 2.  Like Glover, Justin Sawicki had his play disrupted by the weather conditions.  Usually the top receiving threat on the field, Sawicki had only one touchdown on the day.  He did make up for it by pretty much shutting down the deep pass to Lams the entire day.  After being relegated to exclusively defensive duty, unless otherwise instructed by Renn, Mike Arana saw limited offensive action, but was very solid on defense.  He made several good hits for Team 2, and also had an interception.  He did score a touchdown despite limited offensive playing time.  Eric Kratochvil provided solid contributions on both sides of the ball for Team 2.  He had a few carries, as well as catches, and scored a touchdown.  On defense, he made a few huge plays, recording a sack and an interception.  Ryan Geib played primarily defense as a pass rushing specialist, and did a fine job.  He recorded 2 sacks, and despite being beat on plenty of occasions, he also forced several passes to be hurried and recovered a botched pitch for a touchdown.  John Allendorf made what figures to be one of only two or three appearances this season, and hardly played any offense.  He played defense and was good against the pass, but his presence was less than a deciding factor in the game, and he also had to leave early.  Brian Potts played a limited role for Team 2, but he did his job well, like always.  He was used primarily as a blocker, and got a carry as well.  He continues to be a solid role player for Team 2.

 

The season series is now tied at 1.  You can vote for the MVP of this game by clicking the blue "take my poll" icon on the front page of this site.

 

Game Notes   

Scheduled start time:  12:00 p.m. central time.

Game time temperature:  62 degrees.

Officials:  Greg Glover.