For the past two Semi-States, the team has had to pack up, hit the road and play in front of their opponent’s fans in unfamiliar territory. This year will be different. On Friday, the team will face Concord at home in front of a stadium full of Pirate fans.
“It’s going to be a great experience,” Senior Mikel Smoot said. “We’ve been asking for a home Semi-State game for the whole four years of high school, and we finally got it. I feel like it’s the one”.
Merrillville has not hosted a Semi-State since 2020 when they were not able to have fans due to COVID, raising excitement for home-field advantage.
“This is what Merrillville and the fans have been wanting,” Senior Jac’Quarius Johnson said. “I feel like we will do good at home, we have a big fan base, the crowd gets loud, and we’re going to go out there to score and play Merrillville football”.
Merrillville advanced after beating Michigan City 34-14 for their third straight Regional title.
Senior Warren Brown plans to make this one count.
“Since my freshman year, watching the guys go out there and lose at regionals I cried a little bit”. Brown said, “Sophomore year we fell short to Snider. I cried that day. Warsaw, junior year I cried as well. It’s very heartbreaking. But it’s my senior year, I’m ready to do or die and put it all on the line for my guys”.
While it will be nice not to make a two-hour bus ride, the team and coaches know it will take more than that to win.
“We still have to go out there and execute,” Brown said. “Even though some may get too happy being at home and assume it’ll be a cake walk. All because the other team has to travel, they’re not just going to ‘rollover’ for us. So we will have to show them that they can’t come into Pirate territory and win”.
Coach Brad Seiss said the team needs to continue to build on what the team does best.
“We really need to do what we’ve been doing all year,” he said. “Concord has a pretty good offense, so we have to limit their big plays. And because they have a good offense, we’ve got to be able to score a lot of points”.
Warren Brown is on the same page, being ready to “assert dominance in our pirate defense”.
“Another obstacle for me is my size with these guys being a lot bigger than me. But they don’t have more heart than me.”
Despite their personal obstacles each member of the team faces, they still plan to get out there with their best foot forward.
Mikel Smoot selflessly credits their successful season to, “Hard work, teammates, and God”.
