season

High hopes for Red Arrow Raiders football season

BY STAN MADDUX

New Buffalo is where the home opener in high school football will be played Thursday, Sept. 2, against arch rival Bridgman.

The Red Arrow Raiders were formed when the high schools from New Buffalo and River Valley combined their programs for the 2021 season.

Head Coach Matt Johnson feels the team can be just as good, if not better, than last year’s New Buffalo squad, which had a winning season along with a post season victory.

River Valley did not field a team last year from being short on players.

Johnson said some of the players from River Valley are talented enough to provide more depth and make a positive impact on this year’s squad.

“I think athletically, overall, we’re a little bit better,” he said.

Johnson said he expects last year’s quarterback, Michael Bombin, will start the season taking the snaps.

The elusive Bombin racking up a ton of yardage running the ball last year is expected to share the quarterback duties at some point with Eli Thomas.

Johnson said the goal of using both players at quarterback is providing more options for exploiting weaknesses in the defense of the opposing team.

“Eli is going to get plenty of reps and, hopefully, as the season progresses he’ll get more and more reps,” he said.

New Buffalo lost at Bridgman last year in a high scoring game that was close until the second half.

Johnson said he hopes more talent on the field will make for a more competitive game against the Bees, who still have some of their high impact players on offense from last season.

Johnson said he believes his front line on offense and defense is stronger from summer workouts and younger players like sophomore Cameron Forker being more experienced and physically mature.

The return of bruising running back Ben Coffeen will also help on offense.

Johnson said the goal is to build on the success of last year’s squad, which started strong then lost consecutive games until key players lost for reasons like injury were able to return.

“The key is we got to be able to stay healthy deep into the season,” he said.

Johnson said combining the programs allows for a junior varsity team, which gives players the ability to play at a more competitive level until they’re ready physically for the varsity.

He said there are 24 players on the current varsity and junior varsity rosters.

NEIGHBORHOOD RAIL OVERPASS MOVING FORWARD

Plans are moving forward on building a two lane railroad overpass to improve the safety of motor vehicle travel along with traffic flow to and from downtown LaPorte.

Property acquisition is scheduled to begin once all of the engineering and other preliminary work finishes on the proposed Tipton Street overpass.

The project financed primarily with a $6.5 million state grant is set to go out for bids in April 2023, said Greg Wendling, project manager for Indianapolis based engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert.

City Engineer Nick Minich said the overpass will run above the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks from the north side of State Street to the south side of Furnace Street.

The 130-foot-long bridge with several hundred feet of approaches on both sides will put an end to travelers on Tipton Street waiting for freight trains to pass on the busy Norfolk Southern rail line.

Minich said that will make traveling to and from downtown more convenient on a corridor that essentially runs from U.S. 20 across Lincolnway to Indiana 4.

“We’re trying to create a better connecting transportation network,” he said.

Plans also call for a realignment of Washington Street and Clear Lake Boulevard to further help traffic flow and provide better access to NewPorte Landing, where 200 resort type apartments are being constructed.

Minich said safer travel is another reason for the overpass.

The seven crossings along the rail line in the city will be reduced to four.

Crossings at Detroit Street and Pulaski Street will be closed.

Minich said travelers at those locations can use the overpass to venture over the tracks.

According to project consultants, land acquisition within the footprint of the project is required and fair market value offers will be made to impacted property owners.

Spectrum Recycling, for example, will have to be moved.

Minich said the building will be in the way of a grass covered dirt embankment that will slope down from one side of the overpass.

He said semi-trucks hauling material will also not be able to reach the scale because of turns into the scrap yard becoming too narrow.

Minich emphasized the span in what’s still a mostly residential area will not be close in size to a typical four lane overpass. He said it’ll be just high enough to clear the trains passing underneath.

“We’re looking at a fairly simple overpass,” Minich said.

He said the city will contribute about $1 million toward the cost of the work.