Scouting Crown Point: Bulldogs don’t have as explosive an offense as in recent seasons but allow just eight points per game and had seven picks vs. Valpo

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

Quarterback Noah Ehrlich and running back Larry Ellison are in college now after plastering their names all over the Crown Point record books, so the Bulldogs’ offense isn’t as dominant as in recent seasons, but their defense is every bit as accomplished.
No. 39 Senior Trevor Gibbs, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound linebacker is back doing it all for the Crown Point defense. An Indiana University commitment, Gibbs harasses quarterbacks, intercepts them and makes life tough on running backs as well. Gibbs also appears at tight end and fullback for the Bulldogs.
Junior nose guard Josh Daniels, No. 58, spends a lot of time in the backfield as well for a defense that has allowed eight points per game.
The most remarkable statistic from the defense came in a 35-14 win over Valparaiso, when the Bulldogs intercepted senior quarterback Kellen Hosek seven times, four times in the second quarter alone.
“They’re finely tuned as a defensive group at Crown Point,” Peterson said. “I think very highly of Dominic Fantin, probably their best defensive back, a safety, a field general type. He has a number of Ivy League offers.”
Fantin, a third-year starter, had three picks against Valpo but received a tongue-lashing from Crown Point head coach Craig Buzea for running one of them out of the end zone and fumbling, which enabled Valpo’s Troy Danzy returned for a touchdown.
“When you can mix up coverages, even against a really solid, experienced quarterback like Hosek, you can get him into some miscues, force him into some throws he thinks are going to be there,” Peterson said.
How then, do Peterson, who doubles as offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach Wally McCormack, prepare sophomore quarterback Hunter Boyd for such a complex defense?
“We’re going to get ready for a minimal window, a minimal picture. We’re going to paint a couple of nice, clean pictures, instead of having 25 pictures for him to look at,” Peterson said. “We’ve done some great things in the run game and obviously that helps fill the box. Going into this game, I don’t perceive that being a whole lot different. It isn’t a secret to anybody: We’re going to run the ball. Now, if we can continue to throw with efficiency, we’re going to be a little better off.”
Offensively, Crown Point alternates two quarterbacks. No. 3 Tyce Custy is a dual-threat QB and No. 18 Cooper Malaski is a tall pocket passer. No. 6 Max Gurnic, a 6-1, 195-pound sophomore running back, is tough to bring down and knows how to make tacklers miss.
The Bulldogs carry a 19-game winning streak vs. DAC teams and a 25-game regular season winning streak into tonight’s game.