Rick Bailey is the third head coach in three seasons for Hammond Central football.
Coming off an 0-10 season in 2025, the restart is in full effect on Calumet Avenue.
But the team motto of “Faith, Family, Wolves” is leading a roster with low numbers onward — and hopefully upward.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” Bailey said. “We’ll be competitive in games. We’ll win some games, just not sure how many at this point.”
Bailey played at Hyde Park in Chicago before playing at Jackson State. He was hired to coach football at Eggers Middle School in 2017, just a couple of blocks from the Central campus. He was hired to lead the varsity program in June. The late hire resulted in six Wolves players transferring.
“Depth is an issue,” Bailey said.
Hammond Central has 38 players on the roster, but only 35 are currently practicing. Still, Bailey has some players to build around.
Seniors Bradley Scott (DE/RB), Cole Korba (OL/DL) and Jimmy West (RB/LB), along with junior Jae’lynn Barnes (athlete), are leading the way.
While Bailey will continue teaching at Eggers, he has two assistants who are in the Hammond Central building every day. Boys basketball coach Jermaine Boyette and Travis Morris will help lead the staff as the Wolves look to improve upon last year’s 0-10 season.
The Wolves are also looking to fill an open date on the schedule in Week 4.
“We want to change the culture,” Bailey said. “We want great citizens that the community can be proud of when they see them in a restaurant or grocery store. We want good football players that everyone can be proud of.”
Bailey said that process will begin with the 12 freshmen on this year’s roster — and continue with future freshman classes.
“We’re going to play our freshmen,” Bailey said. “We’re going to use them.”
OILER UP: Adam Hudak coached at Hammond Central from 2021 through 2024. The 1998 Lowell graduate also coached four years at Wheeler and two years at Lake Station.
Hudak now is at Whiting, trying to resurrect what was once one of the top small-school programs in Northern Indiana.
Hudak is the fourth head coach the Oilers’ senior class has had. Whiting has won two games over the past two seasons.
Hudak was hired in January, which has been a help. He and assistant Tom Davenport have had the Oilers working hard in the weight room for months.
“We are focusing hard on creating a positive atmosphere,” Hudak said. “The kids have to be confident in their abilities. It’s a shame there’s been so much (coaching) turnover here.”
Numbers remain an issue. Whiting has 32 players on the roster, but Hudak hopes to get that number above 40 by the time school starts. There are only four freshmen playing currently.
Shakur Parker has bench-pressed a school-record 370 pounds. The two-way lineman will be key on the interior.
Romeo Rosario, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker/fullback, has received an offer from Calumet College, which is transitioning to NAIA football.
“We’ve got talent,” Hudak said. “We just can’t get anyone hurt.”
GETTING BACK ON THE WARPATH: Since 2019, Cody French is the fifth head football coach at Portage.
The Indians’ program won a state championship in 1977 and finished as the state runner-up in 1994. Portage went 0-10 last fall.
“Our numbers are good, the transition has been good,” said French, who coached two years at Calumet and three years at Michigan City. “We were able to get our winter install in. I feel good about where we’re at right now.”
Portage has 135 to 140 players on its roster, including 50 freshmen.
The players expected to lead the way include senior defensive end/tight end Shane Hill. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has multiple Division I and Division II offers.
Senior Tristan Burelison, 5-10, 200, will play running back and linebacker. Classmate Apollo Gibbs, 6-2, 210, should star at the same positions.
Senior Ozzy Fuentes, 5-10, 240, has already committed to Rose-Hulman as an offensive lineman and linebacker.
Junior Lester Whisby, 6-3, 190, will be a standout defensive back. Sophomores Bryce Hodges (QB) and Ayden Sanders (WR) should also play significant minutes for the Indians.
“We have a ton of talent,” French said. “But so does every other team in (Duneland Athletic Conference). I can’t tell you what the issues have been here. But I think our kids can lack self-belief. We’re working hard on that. We’re excited about what we can do here.”

Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network

By Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network
CROWN POINT – Longtime Region coach Pete Iussig was strolling around a new field a year ago after being hired as the offensive coordinator for Crown Point's inaugural girls flag football team.
What, you say?
Yes. Girls flag football.
Get used to it.
This sport isn't going anywhere, whether you've thought much about it or not.
To be honest, when I first heard about girls flag football, I scratched my head. And it hurt. A lot.
Iussig spent 25 years coaching softball at Lowell, leading the Red Devils to the state finals in 2007 and 2009. After retiring from education, he coached softball at Crown Point for three seasons and guided the Bulldogs to the 2017 Class 4A state championship.
So, it's safe to say he knows a thing or two.
"I also coached football at Lowell for six years," Iussig said with a laugh.
When he was asked to help launch Crown Point's first girls flag football team last season, he jumped at the opportunity.
During an early workout, he noticed a pint-sized athlete firing passes all over the field. He walked over to Allison Hase and asked if she'd be interested in playing quarterback.
His hopes were quickly dashed.
"No," she replied. "I want to play defense."
So much for that.
Four games into the season, Crown Point was 1-3 and struggling offensively. Iussig approached Hase again, and this time she agreed to make the switch.
The Bulldogs responded by winning four of their final five games with Hase behind center.
"I wanted to play defense because it's easier to be aggressive," Hase said during Thursday's first official practice for the 2026 season. "I wasn't sure I was ready to play such an important position in such a new sport."
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with more than 20 million players across 100 countries. The NFL replaced its traditional Pro Bowl with flag football in 2023, and the sport will debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Indianapolis Colts have also committed $1 million toward growing girls flag football in Indiana high schools.
Crown Point native Jason Wille, the IHSAA's sports information director, said 108 Indiana high schools will field girls flag football teams this fall.
He expects the sport to become officially sanctioned by the IHSAA within the next year or two.
Area schools competing this season include Andrean, Bowman Academy, Chesterton, Crown Point, East Chicago Central, Gary West Side, Hammond Central, Hanover Central, Illiana Christian, Lake Central, LaPorte, Lighthouse, Merrillville, Michigan City, Morton, Munster, Portage, South Central, Valparaiso, Washington Township and 21st Century Charter.
That's a lot of football for a lot of young women.
And that's a very good thing.
"It wasn't on my radar," Crown Point senior Kaylee Basiaga said. "But when I heard about it, I jumped at the opportunity. Last summer we had about eight girls at workouts. This year we've had more than 20 almost every day. I love this. It's so much fun."
"I never thought something like this would happen," senior Breanna Dominguez said. "But I've always loved football."
People riding horses in 1900 weren't exactly thrilled when those noisy automobiles started bouncing down dirt roads.
Likewise, not everyone has embraced girls flag football.
"Some people say it's just Powder Puff," Basiaga said with a laugh.
"Yeah, some people call it Powder Puff," Dominguez added, referring to the traditional Homecoming game that loosely resembles football.
Hase quickly pushed back on that comparison.
"This game is so fast," she said. "It's very athletic. It takes athletes to play it, and it takes a lot of skill."
Crown Point has 25 players on this year's roster, including 11 freshmen. Because most schools don't yet have junior varsity or freshman teams, Iussig intentionally kept the ninth graders together to help build the future of the program. The IHSAA has approved teams to play one half of a JV game after the varsity contest if both coaches agree.
And yes, this sport appears to have a very bright future.
Indiana plays seven-on-seven, creating a fast-paced, wide-open game that rewards speed, athleticism and creativity. If you've never watched flag football before, flip on a television. The sport is exploding in popularity.
All three Bulldogs interviewed hope to earn college scholarships through flag football. More than 200 colleges already sponsor women's flag football, and with the NCAA recognizing it as an Emerging Sport, that number is expected to continue growing.
This season includes a state tournament.
Next year, the IHSAA is expected to officially sanction the sport, bringing with it an official state championship.
"There's nothing like putting together a long scoring drive or breaking a long run," Basiaga said.
"Interceptions are what fire me up," Dominguez said. "When we get one, it's like fireworks. We all get so excited."
"Just walking onto the field gets me going," Hase said. "Every time I take that first step, I'm grateful to be out there."
It's another step in the right direction.
Girls flag football has arrived, and all signs point to an even bigger future.
Any questions or comments? Contact Steve Hanlon at [email protected].

Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network

Hammond, IN - Once upon a time, in a land not that far away, a young high school boy faced a daunting dilemma.
On a Monday morning, he noticed a cute young lady in his second-hour class. She immediately caught his eye. Nervously, he planned his next move. At the end of Tuesday's class, he finally worked up the courage to ask her out.
She smiled and replied, "Well, I have to check my schedule. I'll get back to you."
Wednesday came and went.
Then Thursday.
And ...
Hammond, Northwest Indiana and much of the state know exactly how that young man feels.
They've been waiting since June 5 for the Chicago Bears to make a final decision on where the franchise will build its new stadium. On June 5, the Bears' Board of Directors voted to advance development plans in Hammond at a site expected to be near Wolf Lake.
Yet, heading into August, no announcement has come.
"It's an interesting decision," Hobart senior Aiden Kasch said. "It would be awesome for Indiana."
"To put an NFL stadium so close to us would be great for football around here," Hobart's Aleks Tatum added. "Since the mills shut down, it would be great for Hammond financially. It would help the entire area."
This wouldn't be the first time an NFL team relocated to Indiana.
In March 1984, the Colts left Baltimore and moved to Indianapolis. It was shocking, to say the least, and it dramatically changed high school sports in basketball-crazy Indiana.
The Hoosier State has since become a football hotbed.
Crown Point native Jason Wille, sports information director for the IHSAA, said having a professional football team in the state capital brought attention, interest and excitement to a sport that once took a back seat in Indiana.
On Nov. 23, 1984, the state football championships were played in the Colts' Hoosier Dome for the first time. Indiana's high school football players have competed for state titles on the Colts' home field ever since. The Colts became title sponsor of the IHSAA football state tournament in 2009.
"It took off from there," Wille said. "It had a great impact on Indiana. It will be very interesting to see what a second NFL stadium in Indiana would do."
Wille also pointed to the Colts' commitment to growing girls flag football. This fall, 108 schools across the state will field flag football teams, and the sport could become an official IHSAA tournament by next year.
"The Colts have made a big impact on football around the state," Wille added.
Leroy Marsh coached football at Munster from 1973 through 2017. He witnessed firsthand how the NFL's arrival in Indiana transformed the game.
Indiana University is the reigning College Football Playoff national champion, while Notre Dame played for the national championship just one season earlier.
Hundreds of Indiana high school players now advance to Division I football every year.
"That wasn't happening before," Marsh said. "If the Bears move to Hammond — and I hope they do — it would be another big boost for our kids up here. Just having the stadium there, where kids could drive by and look at it, would give them dreams they maybe didn't have before. I think it would be great for the economy, community spirit and many other things.
"It's an exciting time, for sure."
Marsh also believes a Bears stadium in Hammond wouldn't diminish the Colts' commitment to Indiana football. The organization sponsors the Friday Night Football Tour, Coach of the Week, offseason 7-on-7 camps, the Indiana Football Coaches Association and numerous other initiatives across the state.
Morton has had three football players over the past two years participate in the Indiana Preps celebration held at the Colts' training facility. Just walking through an NFL complex was eye-opening for the Governors, coach Mac Mishler said.
"Seeing something like that creates a vision," Mishler said.
Last year, Morton's Cameron Miller (Kentucky) and Martece Smith (UConn) attended the event and are now playing Division I football. Junior Corderro Bennett participated this summer and already holds 15 Division I scholarship offers.
Mishler believes the impact would grow even larger if the Bears' stadium were built just blocks from Morton High School.
"Coaching in Hammond, we work with the mayor's office quite a bit," Mishler said, referring to Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., who has played a major role in courting the Bears, along with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, who signed Senate Bill 27 establishing the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority.
Illinois has explored multiple ways to keep the Bears, but the financial incentives appear to favor Indiana.
"If this happens, it would create tremendous opportunities for Hammond and Northwest Indiana," Mishler said. "NFL stadiums host only eight home games each year, but they'll also attract concerts, conventions and countless other events. That means more jobs, more visitors and more opportunities.
"It would also give kids in our area something they've never had before — a chance to see the NFL up close and imagine themselves there someday."
Beyond the state championships at Lucas Oil Stadium, hundreds of regular-season high school football games have been played in the Colts' home stadium. Mishler believes Region schools could eventually have opportunities to play games in a future Bears stadium as well.
Imagine Week 1 of the 2033 high school football season featuring Crown Point vs. Lowell, Andrean vs. Merrillville, Munster vs. Highland, Lake Central vs. Hanover Central and Whiting vs. Boone Grove.
"And if they do, I only have one request," Mishler said. "The very first game should be Morton and Hammond Central. That has to be the opener."
The money appears to be in Indiana.
The political support is in Indiana.
Now comes the waiting.
Football players, coaches and fans throughout Northwest Indiana continue watching for the announcement that could reshape the Region for decades.
"I think it will help young people like the game even more," Hanover Central's Lukas Valiska said.
His family has held season tickets at Soldier Field for years. Teammate Bubba Mowry has attended plenty of Bears games, and the two share a similar opinion of the team's current home.
"It's a dump," they said.
Valiska isn't thrilled about the Bears' plans for a domed stadium, but that doesn't change his hopes.
"I think they're going to come here," he said. "I really hope they do."
Like that nervous teenager waiting for an answer after asking for a date, Northwest Indiana is still staring at the phone.

DA REGION – Over the last eight years, I've heard two things whenever I've ventured out in public.
"Hey, Butterball Van Winkle, get out of my way. Unlike you, I've got somewhere to go."
Or...
"Hey, where have you been?"
Needless to say, I enjoyed hearing the second one much more.
If you're 25 or older and enjoy sports and good stories with athletic backdrops, there's a good chance you've read my articles and opinion pieces over the years. Thank you for doing so.
If you're under 25, I probably need to do some explaining.
For more than 30 years, I was a sports writer in the state of Indiana. My work appeared in something called a newspaper. It used to be a thing. No, really.
A newspaper was basically the VHS tape of communication. It was a collection of news articles printed on paper that folded. It was very much like another obsolete item called a road map — something no one could ever fold back up correctly after opening it.
Americans got their daily news from the newspaper, usually while eating breakfast.
Or while using the toilet.
Yes, really. That was a thing back in the day.
I absolutely loved covering Region sports. It was a thrill, to say the least.
Hobart football. East Chicago basketball. Munster basketball. Lowell football. Andrean everything.
The people, the stories and the games I had the privilege of covering were like a winning lottery ticket for me.
I also spent four years at The Indianapolis Star. There were great games, important issues and fascinating people down in Dixie.
But the pizza was god-awful.
So I came home.
By 2018, I realized the newspaper industry had about as much of a future as a telephone that hung on the wall with a cord that was never long enough. So I stepped away.
I taught seventh-grade English at Eggers Middle School for one year before moving to 21st Century Charter School in Gary.
Then COVID hit, and the world turned upside down.
Personally, things got even worse.
In May 2020, my daughter and I were sitting at a stoplight waiting to turn left when — BANG! — we were struck from behind by a speeding car. I blacked out for nearly 30 minutes.
The "Headbangers Ball" lasted for more than two years.
A severe concussion and whiplash put me on my backside for quite a while, often just staring at a wall and trying to remember what day it was.
Or the month.
Or even the year.
My faith grew stronger through that ordeal. My daughter and I easily could have been killed in that crash, but a Bigger Hand kept us above ground.
That same Hand has helped me continue recovering.
Two years ago, I returned to education as a substitute teacher in the School City of Hammond and Hanover Community Schools. I've met many outstanding people during that time, and I'll likely continue being a free-agent educator whenever I can.
But talking with athletes of all stripes and school colors in the classroom made me realize just how much I missed Region sports.
I really did.
So I said a prayer.
Or two.
Then, almost out of nowhere, I received a message from Ben Kolodzinski. Many of you know Ben as the longtime host of GameNight on Lakeshore Public Media. He told me he was bringing GameNight to the Heartland Sports Network.
Then he asked me one simple question:
"What are you doing the next few months?"
My answer was — and still is — a resounding yes.
On Aug. 21, we'll kick off GameNight on Heartland Sports Network as high school football returns. It's going to be a fun ride.
We'll unveil the Heartland Top 10 area teams. We'll make staff picks for area games, and I guarantee I'll win. We'll have live reports and video from games across the Region.
Most importantly, we'll have fun.
The show will be simulcast on WJOB-AM 1230 and streamed on the Heartland Sports Network app.
"This will be a new look for this classic Region show," Kolodzinski said. "Steve is joining us, and Ryan Mathews will also be providing insight. Heartland gives us the opportunity to do new things with the show, including live video highlights, while creating a one-stop destination for football coverage across the Region."
And if you're reading this, you already know I'll also be writing stories and columns for the Heartland Sports Network website.
I hope you'll take a moment to read my story on how Andrean football is dealing with the challenges created by the June 11 tornado that damaged the school.
And if the Hand that watched over me in 2020 continues to allow it, there will be plenty more stories on the way.
So thank you to Jed, Ben and Sam Michel for giving me another opportunity to do what I love.
Just like I did for more than three decades, I'll give it everything I've got.
I believe it's going to be good stuff.
Questions or comments? You can reach Steve Hanlon at [email protected].

By Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network
MERRILLVILLE – The shoes that once skipped through Andrean High School's hallways as a student now shuffled through them decades later. But this visit was different. Dramatically so.
Chris Skinner was in complete shock as he walked into Andrean High School on June 12, a frightening Friday morning.
“Tears came to my eyes,” said Skinner, the head football coach of the vaunted 59ers program.
Shattered glass was everywhere. Broken pieces of what had once been a school lay scattered across the floor. Water poured through a hole in the ceiling.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Skinner continued. “I was in shock.”
The night before, an EF-2 tornado had ripped through Northwest Indiana, leaving a path of destruction across much of the region. But it seemed to have targeted 5959 Broadway in Merrillville.
Trees were snapped and uprooted. Roofing tiles were everywhere except on top of the building that opened in 1959. It seemed as though nothing had been untouched by the storm.
Skinner had received a text the night before after the winds moved east. It was simple and straightforward.
“It’s bad.”
At a time like this, preparing to defend the Class 2A state championship won last November seemed a long way away.
“Once the initial shock passed,” Skinner said, “I kept walking around and started to see something different — almost mini-miracles.”
The crucifix that had stood in front of the building for decades was surrounded by shredded trees and leaves. But the devastation hadn't won in this spot.
“It was still standing,” Skinner said. “Just like it always has.”
The traditions of the program are many and time-tested. On Friday afternoons in the fall, the players attend Mass together before taking a prayer candle to the grotto. Each player lights a candle and says a prayer for themselves or someone else.
Some of those prayers seemed to have been answered.
“Everything around the grotto was shattered,” Skinner recalled. “But the candles and the glass around them hadn’t been touched. They were all still standing.”
Walking to the back of the school, Skinner saw the baseball scoreboard had been ripped in half, with debris littering much of the 59ers athletic complex.
He then looked up at the iconic “Touchdown Jesus” mural above the entrance to the gymnasium. A sense of comfort rushed over him.
“Not one tile from the mural was gone,” he said. “Not one.”
The 59ers had held an afternoon football workout at the school just hours before the tornado struck. Every player had made it home before the destruction occurred. The campus has remained closed ever since.
But the stories of survival and faith have spread throughout the community.
“It proves that God is real,” senior Ethan Reyna said of Touchdown Jesus still standing tall.
“It’s a sign,” added classmate Carson Cavalcante. “We know we can get through this as a team. It’s been cool to see how everyone has come together for a common cause.
“But it was shocking to see what had happened.”
Two weeks after the tornado, more than 100 Andrean students joined others in the community to help their neighbors. They spent a day in a neighborhood off 61st Avenue cleaning up wreckage that still remained. Bag after bag and dump truck after dump truck were filled and hauled away.
“Our team works hard,” Reyna said. “But I’m not sure we’ve ever worked this hard in one day.”
“It was great to help so many people,” Cavalcante added. “They were very grateful that we came to help. It made us feel good to give back.”
At first, no one was certain how the upcoming school year would unfold. Skinner said more than 100 construction workers have been at the school each day, racing against the calendar. There was so much to do and so little time.
The football team has not been able to use its weight room since June 11. Instead, the players have been working out at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center just blocks south of the school.
Skinner said the team's strength and conditioning program has not been able to take place as a full group. As a result, the 59ers have adjusted their preparation leading into the official start of the season Monday.
School is scheduled to reopen Aug. 13 in the same building that was hammered just two months ago.
The bleachers at Father Eckert Field have been inspected and approved for home games. Andrean’s first home game is Sept. 11 against Munster.
New lights are also being installed in time for Friday night football.
The 59ers will not be able to practice on their home field until Aug. 8.
Make no mistake: this program still has lofty goals for the upcoming season. But those ambitions have been shaped by everything the players, coaches and community have endured together.
“I think it’s made us stronger,” Cavalcante said. “We know what we want to accomplish.”
“It’s all about finding a way,” Skinner said. “All things considered, I’m very grateful. I have a lot of gratitude just being a part of this community.”
So, just as they have for more than half a century, large crowds will gather on Friday nights to watch high school football at Andrean High School.
And after the final whistle, as fans head home, they'll be able to look up and see Touchdown Jesus still standing.
Just like the football program.