Assistant coach Gary Hayes, who will take over as the girls’ head coach next spring, is cautiously optimistic about the boys chances this year.  In 2009, they were 11-7 to end a skid of losing seasons.  They lost in the Sectional final to Valparaiso in a match that was hosted in Portage.

Senior Jeff Craig will have to step up after the Indians lost three starters to graduation.  Craig will play at No. 1 singles, with Kyle Tampier, Path Patel, and Zack Lundy also returning.  First year varsity guys include Patrick Derr, Shub Multani, and Joey Todd.

The season did not start the way Hayes had hoped when Hobart knocked off Portage 4-1 last week.  Jeff Craig was the only winner on the Indians.  They managed to turn it around in their second match as they hosted Griffith.  Craig, Tampier, and Derr all one their singles matches to help the team to a 5-0 shutout of the Panthers.

The Jr. Varsity team beat both the Brickies and Panthers to start out 2-0.  The Indians hit the road for the first time tonight @Lowell, but they return home tomorrow to host Morton at 4:30.

They went 1-2 this weekend against a challenging field of competitors at the St. Joe Invite.  The Indians lost to Hamilton Southeaster by a lopsided final of 10-0 despite 8 saves from Tori Bliss in their season opener on Friday night.  Bliss had a rough night in the goal and got no support from her offense. 

After a 3-1 victory over South Bend Adams on Saturday, Portage moved on only to fall 5-0 to Northridge.  Bliss had 11 saves in the shutout loss.  Freshman Natalia Nacovski was the star of the show in the 3-1 win scoring two goals.  Carly Bermes, who scored 13 goals as a junior last seseason, recorded her first goal of the year.

There are high expectations for Amanda Isakson’s squad this season.  They did lose star midfielder Tara Ellis, who is now playing at Valparaiso University, but most of the ’09 core in back.  The Indians were rated fourth in the region by the NWI Times, behind Lake Central, Highland, and Valparaiso.  They were listed as the “darkhorse” to win the DAC.

The Indians will spend most of the first half of the season on the road, with their first non-tourament game in Crown Point tomorrow.  They will host Lake Central on August 31st in the home opener at the War Path.

On the first drive of the season, Alvin Best broke free for a 34 yard touchdown run to get the Indians on the board.  After a missed extra point by Carson Snyder, the Knights took over possession.  However, the Portage defense, which was lights out all night long, came up with a big stop.  Jake Dixon returned the punt 54 yard, but the Indians missed on a red zone chance and ended up turning the ball over on downs. 

After another great stop by the D, Zach Huston was brought down in the end zone for a safety.  At that point, Mishawka Marian had a chance, down just 6-2.  In the second quarter, versatile newcomer Rashaan Coleman took one 16 yards to score and give the Tribe some breathing room.

At the end of the first half, both teams’ play was a little sloppy.  Huston tossed a pick with 3:27 left in the second, which started a series of turnovers by both clubs.  Garrett Austin recovered a fumble with 41 seconds left in the half, only to have Jake Dixon cough one up that was recovered by the Knights.

Coach Flowers had a 13-2 lead, but he wasn’t totally comfortable heading into the locker room in his first game as the Indians’ head coach.  Whatever he said during the half must have had an effect on his team, because it didn’t take long for them to pull away in the third quarter. 

Alvin Best, a kid that you didn’t hear a lot about during the 2009 season, had a big carry his second TD-run of the game, a 46 yarder that made it 20-2 after the PAT.  Jake Dixon got his first scamper to the endzone of the year with 11:08 left in the game.  He carried the ball 17 yard on that play for his only TD of the night.  Dixon, who should be headed for a Division I school next season, ran for 102 total yards in the first game of his senior season.

Coach Jeromy Flowers was celebrating his 32nd birthday and he sure enjoyed it with a W in his first game at the helm for the Indians.

Up Next

Portage will hit the road for the first time this season to battle St. Rita next Saturday night at 6:00.  It is the only Saturday night game of the season for the Indians.  They lost to St. Rita in the first year of the match-up at PHS in 2009.  The Tribe has hopes of moving to 2-0 before they start Duneland Conference play on September 3.

Finally, that question has been answered… and it is good news.  The Portage Indians varsity football team will play their opening game of the 2010 season tonight on their home turf.  The decision came down to the wire, as it was announced on Wednesday night that the bleachers and scoreboard would be finished in time. 

Some finishing touches are taking place today to get the field in tip-top shape for tonight’s highly anticipated season opener.  The Indians will welcome non-conference opponent Mishawaka Marian, with the opening kick-off taking place at 7:00.

The Indians opened the 2009 season in Mishawaka, crushing the Knights 26-0.  The Indians did lose some key players to graduation, especially on defense, but much of the core remains intact.  Starting running back Jake Dixon is set to embark on his senior season.  He is already being recruited by schools like Indiana, Purdue, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Wisconsin, Toledo, and Grand Valley state.

Experienced signal-caller Zach Houston returns as the starting QB in an offense that will receive a boost from McCutcheon transfer Rashaun Coleman.  Rashaun, a sophomore who plays wide receiver, DB, and running back, is the son of assistant coach Earl Coleman. 

Coleman is just one member of the revamped coaching staff.  Jeromy Flowers enters his first year as the man in charge at PHS.  Flowers is in his fifth year as a head coach, with a 14-30 record in his first four seasons.

NWI Times Picks

Al Hamnik: Portage 17, Mishawaka Marian 8

Jim Peters: Portage 33, Mishawaka Marian 9

Steve Hanlon: Portage 28, Mishawaka Marian 14

Hillary Smith: Portage 19, Mishawaka Marian 14

My Pick- Portage 31, Mishawaka Marian 6

More Coverage

Tune in to 89.1 FM’s “Lakeshore Game Night”, which starts at 6:00 for updates on all the games around the region.  Check out PFR Scoreboard tonight at 10:30 on the Lakeshore Public TV (Ch. 17)  for a recap of the Indians opener as well as all the other games in Northewest Indiana.  Follow us on twitter for updates throughout the night at www.twitter.com/phsnewsonline.  Come to the site tomorrow for a full game recap!

Around the DAC

Chesterton @ SB Adams 6:00

Valparaiso @ Penn 6:30 (www.rrsn.com)

LaPorte @ New Prairie 7:00

Lowell @ Crown Point 7:00 (rrsn.com)

Merrillville @ Warren Central 7:00 (sportsjuice.com)

Munster @ Lake Central 7:00 (rrsn.com)

Roosevelt @ Michigan City 7:00

Let’s go get a win!

The lost some key seniors, such as goal keeper Kyle Atkins and Eric Lee, but they like the talent they have.  New goalie Nate Johnston had six saves in his team’s victory against Munter. 

Donovan Cole scored the first goal of the Indians season early on to give them the 1-0 lead.  The Mustangs came out more aggressive in the second half and tied the game at one, but Portage retook the lead moments later when Brendon Swindle found the back of the net. 

Logan Cole took advantage of a great pass from Swindle for the third Portage goal.  Greg Prohl, playing in his first varsity game, put the contest away with the fourth and final Indians score.

Portage will play in South Bend against St. Joe at 6:00 on Thursday and then host South Bend Adams on Saturday afternoon in the home opener.

More good news!!  The football bleachers were inspected by the school board yesterday and have passed, which means the project will be done in time for Friday’s season opener.  The Indians, who would have played at Hobart if the War Path wasn’t ready, will take the field at home against Mishawaka Marian tomorrow night at 7:00. 

I will be working tonight and tomorrow to post recaps of recent PHS Events as the fall season is now in full swing!  Also expect a football game preview tomorrow afternoon.

There has been a lot of progress on the Portage High School football bleacher reconstruction in the past week.  The press box on the home side is now up, and about half of the red home bleachers have been put in.  A second press box on the away side is expected.  Whether or not the project will be finish by the August 20 opening football game is still up in the air.  If the weather cooperates, the bleacher are expected to be done just in time for the Indians to host Mishawaka Marian a week from Friday.  If not, that game will be played in Hobart.

Ellis Makes VU Debut

Tara Ellis, a 2010 PHS grad, recently started her college soccer career after a great four-year run with the lady-Indians.  She played 45 minutes in a 1-0 exhibition win at Illinois State yesterday.  Ellis will play at Eastgate Field, the home of the Crusaders, for the first time on Saturday afternoon in the final exhibition tune-up before the regular season starts on August 21. 

Dixon Not Worried About College Yet

Indians star running back Jake Dixon is not worried about college just yet.  Right now, he wants to focus on a winning senior season at PHS.  He has heard from schools in Division I and Division II and received several offers.  Even though Dixon plans to play football in college, he doesn’t want to worry about the decision right now.

Girls Golf Update

The varsity girls golf team has competed in two events in the past week.  They placed 15th of 18 teams at the K.V. Invitational and 13th of 15 teams at the Rensselaer Invitational.  Kelly Grassell took individual first and led her Chesterton Trojans to the team win in K.V.  They were three strokes better than the second place Valparaiso Vikings, who won the Rensselaer Invite behind freshman Harley Dubsky. 

For the Indians it was senior Sarah Dienes leading the way in both events, with scores of 97 (KV)  and 86 (Ren.).  In Kankakee Valley, fellow Indians Kenzi Barcelli (116), Jessica Morris (124), and Emily Dominguez (143) took part in the event.  In Rensselaer, the Portage leaders after Dienes looked like this: Barcelli (108), Morris (109), and Dominguez (144). 

The girls will golf in the DAC Invitational next Monday and then face Boone Grove and Wheeler on Tuesday.

Upcoming Events

Here’s what is coming up in the next week for the Indians  teams:

• Boys Varsity Tennis scrimmage VS KV- 9am Thursday (August 12)
• Girls Varsity/JV Volleyball @Wheeler scrimmage 5:30 Thursday (August 12)
• Boys Varsity Football @Munster scrimmage 7:00 Friday (August 13)
• Boys Varsity/JV Soccer @Munster- 5:00/7:00 Monday (August 16)
• Girls Varsity/JV Volleyball @Andrean- 5:30 Monday (August 16)
• Girls Golf DAC Invite @Chesterton 8:00 Monday (August 16)

Also next Monday, tune into RRSN.com for the 2010 RRSN Kickoff Classic, which will preview the 2010 prep football season in Northwest Indiana! 

Site Notes

As you may have noticed, the base site of PHS News Online ( www.phsnewsonline.com and www.portage.highschoolmedia.org) is down.  We are hoping that the problems with the site will be sorted out by earlier next week.  I will have a post up on PHS Sports Corner most likely on Tuesday to recap the latest Indians news and notes!

That’s it for now!

Since my last post, both Portage Little League All-Star teams were knocked out of the state tournament.  The juniors team, filled with incoming freshmen, went 1-2 in state poll play and failed to advance to the next round.  The seniors team, which includes many players that have already seen varsity or jr. varsity playing time, went 3-0 in state poll play but lost in the semi-final game. 

Football Bleachers

The Portage Indians varsity football team is scheduled to take on Mishawaka Marian on August 20 at home.  However, the football field at PHS is currently without bleachers or a press box.  The athletic department is doing everything they can to get the field done in time for the opening game.  However, if the project is not finished in time, the August 20  contest will be played in Hobart.

Fall Practice Underway

Monday was the first official day of practice for fall sports at Portage High School and all over the state of Indiana.  Full-contact practice for Coach Flowers’ football team started on Wednesday.  They will play a scrimmage game in Munster at 7:00 on August 13, which is only a week away. 

Coach Peterson Joins Chesterton Staff

Former Portage Indians football coach Mark Peterson is now a member of the Chesterton Trojans’ coaching staff.  He will join head coach John Snyder, who he coached with in 1991 at Valparaiso University.  Peterson will keep his position as a gym teacher at PHS for the upcoming school year.  The Indians will play against their ex-head coach, who resigned for family reasons last spring, on September 24 in Chesterton.

Prep Golf Season Gets Started

The Lake Central Girls’ Golf Invitational was the first event on the 2010-2011 athletic slate for Portage, and it turned out to be a good start.  Senior Sarah Dienes shot a 39 to win to individual portion of the invite.  As a team, the Indians finished in eighth place at 229.  Only nine holes were completed because of the rainy conditions.  Kenzie Barcelli posted a 57, Jessica Morris shot a 65, and Emily Dominguez a 68 for the Indians.  Munster took first place overall with a score of 193.  The Indians are ranked sixth in the NWI Times pre-season Top 10.  The top five are Chesterton, Valparaiso, Munster, Crown Point, and Lake Central in that order.  The Times listed Dienes, Barcelli, and Lauren Murray as players to watch on coach Marian Pack’s squad.

Other Important Dates/Upcoming Events

Thursday August 12 Boys Tennis Scrimmage VS KV

Thursday August 12 Girls Volleyball Scrimmage @Wheeler

Friday August 13 Boys Football Scrimmage @Munster

Monday August 16 Boys Soccer Opening Game @Munster

Monday August 16 Girls Volleyball Opening Match @Andrean

Tuesday August 17 Boys Tennis Opening Match VS Hobart

Wednesday August 18 Girls Soccer VS South Bend St. Joe (Location TBD)

That’s it for now, I’ll have more updates next week!

It’s good news on the Portage baseball front as the future of the Indians looks bright.  This month, our Portage Little League All-Star teams have had tons of success in their district  tournaments. 

The Portage 9-and-under team beat State Park and Valparaiso to win their tournament.  Congratulations to team members Preston Tabor, Tommy Elwood, Jimmy Drescher, Zach Warchus, Miguel Verduzco, Bailey Stemple, Zack Gertzen, John Cardona, Ronnie Wilkins, Jacob Allison, Hunter Winicky, Jimmy Craven, and Jared Osborne. 

The Portage 11 and 12 year olds lost in the District 1 Championship 12-5 at the hands of LOFS-Winfield.  Pitcher Noah David struck out eight in four innings of work and supported himself with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.  Ben Brock left the yard an inning later with a home run in the fifth. 

The Portage 13-year old team also advanced to the district championship game.  They were one win away from a trip to state, but six first inning Hobart runs set the tone for the game, which ended in a 14-2 loss.  The ten-run rule was enforced after only five innings of action. 

The Junior League (13-14) team crushed Hobart 13-3 in their Indiana District 1 championship game to advance to state.  The game, which was hosted at the South Haven Little League complex, was tight early on until Portage finally pulled away to win it.  The team is full of guys who are incoming freshman expected to make an impact on the varsity baseball program very soon.  Tyler Soberg, who had three hits and four RBIs, is a grade ahead of most of his teammates.  He played freshman ball under coach John Hall this past spring and had a great year that included the only home run by the team all season.  Peter Psomadelis powered the offense against Hobart by going 4-5 with three runs scored and four driven in.  Starting pitcher Chris Klenk went 6 1/3 innings before departing and allowing Joey Roman to come on and get the final two outs.  Jerry Plenius and Psomadelis both went deep in the win.  The 13-14 state tournament is hosted in Lowell and got underway this afternoon with opening ceremonies.  Portage will have their first state game tonight at 8:00. 

Forget future varsity baseball stars, the Portage Senior League team has a current one that leads the way.  Indians starting third baseman and junior-to-be Gabe Acevedo led his club to a 7-6 victory over South Haven in the District 1 Championship game.  Gabe pitched five good innings and went 2-4 at the dish.  Jacob Bothwell was 2-3 and scored a run in the fifth inning that ended up being the difference in the game.  Portage went to Lowellb where they won their regional to advance to state in Greenwood, IN.  State play got started last night with a thrilling extra-inning victory for Portage.  They continue their poll play tonight and tomorrow with hopes of advancing to the state semi-final game for the second straight year. 

I’ll keep you up to date on Junior League and Senior League teams in my post next week.  By that time we will also turn our attention to previewing the fall prep season that is just weeks away!  There are only a few more days until August!

It was a happy fourth for Portage High School junior Tori Bliss, who was named the NWI Times 2010 Female Athlete of the Year on Sunday!  Bliss was selected out of all of the female athletes at high schools in the region from all sports as the top athlete for the 2009-2010 school year.  She competed in three sports while maintaining excellence in the classroom this year.  Tori capped of her stellar campaign by repeating as the Indiana state champion in the shot put and taking home a surprise first in state in the discus.  Bliss went on to become the National Champion in the shot last month! 

This school year also included Tori’s first as the Indians girls varsity soccer starting goal keeper.  Bliss had not played soccer in years, but her natural athletic ability helped her lead the Indians to a winning record and a sectional championship.  In the winter, Tori was a star on the basketball court, where she averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. 

Bliss, who has overcome many hurdles including an incurable skin condition called vitiligo, still has one more year of dominating prep sports before she moves on to college.  There’s no doubt that the Indians three-sport stud’s phone has been ringing off the hook since July first, which was the first date college coaches were allowed to contact her.  Tori was the first Portage student to win the Times Female Athlete of the Year award since Kristi Siminski in 2002.  Siminski holds seven PHS records in girls swimming. 

Kyle Whitaker of Chesterton was named the NWI Times Male Athlete of the Year.  In his four years as a Trojans swimmer, he won eight individual state championships.  Sean McMurrary, a three-time wrestling state champ, was named the Portage Male Athlete of the Year.  McMurray will wrestle at Michigan State University during the upcoming school year. 

Shifting gears a little bit, the PHS football bleacher reconstruction is well underway.  When I visited the field last week, all of the old bleachers had been taken down, but no new ones had made an appearance yet.  Still no word on when/if the football scoreboard will be replaced.  It fell down in a recent storm.  Here are some pictures I snapped during my visit. 

The Portage High School football scoreboard fell down during a recent storm.

All of the old football bleachers, which were deemed unsafe by the city, were taken down.

The Indians are hopeful that the new bleachers will be finished by the start of the season.