Devils' Monix fires 3 TD passes to lead balanced attack in 63-0 win at Hammond High

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-06-2008

Friday, October 3, 2008,  51 degrees, dry at HAMMOND, IN

1st Qtr:  LOWELL (7-0) Brandon Grubbe, 1 yard run.  63-yard drive, 7 plays.  Matt Berkos kick.  7:44 left.
LOWELL (14-0) Justin Juarez, 20-yard interception return.  Matt Berkos kick.  0:00 left
2nd Qtr:  LOWELL (21-0) Bryan DeSomer, 2-yard run.  32-yard drive, 7 plays (after Justin Muscari recovered a fumble).  Matt Berkos kick.  7:04 left.
LOWELL (28-0) Cody Midgett, 13-yard run.  37-yard drive, 3 plays.  Matt Berkos kick.  3:51.
LOWELL (35-0) Jake Belt, 26-yard pass from Kurt Monix.  26-yard drive, 1 play.  Matt Berkos kick.  1:37 left.
LOWELL (42-0) Jake Belt, 78-yard pass from Kurt Monix.  Matt Berkos kick.  0:36 left.
3rd Qtr:  LOWELL (49-0) Brandon Grubbe, 73-yard pass from Kurt Monix.  77-yard drive, 3 plays (after a Cody Midgett interception).  Matt Berkos kick.  6:07 left.
4th Qtr:  LOWELL (56-0) Steve VanBaber, 7-yard run.  43-yard drive, 5 plays.  Matt Berkos kick.  9:54 left.
LOWELL (63-0) Deron Johnson, 2-yard run.  20-yard drive, 3 plays (after Craig DuBord recovered a fumble).  Matt Berkos kick.  7:04 left.

RUSHING:
HAMMOND (28 carries, 66 yards, 2 fumbles) Rayvon Saunders (HB) 2-27 yards; Josh Nabors (HB) 10-21 yards; David Moore (HB) 2-11 yards;
Josh Reday (FB) 3-5 yards; LaMarcus Moore (HB) 3-12 yards;  Antwion McGee (QB) 6-1 yard (one sack minus-3).
LOWELL (28 carries, 268 yards, 4 TDs) Kurt Monix (QB) 1-21 yards; Ray Skamay (QB) 1-15 yards; Cody Midgett (HB) 2-22 yards, TD; Brandon Grubbe (HB) 12-90 yards, TD;
Cole Midgett (HB) 1-23 yards; Deron Johnson (HB) 5-51 yards, TD; Bryan DeSomer (FB) 2-6 yards, TD; Steve Van Baber (FB) 4-39 yards, TD. 

PASSING:
HAMMOND - Antwion McGee (QB) 1-for-8, 2 yards, 3 interceptions;
LOWELL - Kurt Monix (QB) 4-for-9, 189 yards, 3 TDs.

RECEIVING:
HAMMOND - Jeff Todd (HB) 1-2 yards; 
LOWELL - Jake Belt (WR) 2-104 yards, 2 TDs; Brandon Grubbe (HB) 1-73 yards, TD; Bryan DeSomer (FB) 1-12 yards.

TOTALS YARDS:
HAMMOND - 68 yards, 3 first downs, 5 turnovers (3 interceptions);
LOWELL - 434 yards, 13 first downs, 0 turnovers.

HAMMOND, IN (10-03-2008) - I really don't like all this passing Lowell does.  They're always throwing the ball now.  Pass.  Pass.  Pass.  Up and down the field.  That's all they ever do.  I'm sick of it.

I'm just kidding.

Lowell quarterback Kurt Monix only completed four passes in nine attempts Friday night at Hammond High.  But the Devils cashed in those four good tosses for 189 yards and three TDs as Class 4A No. 3 Lowell jumped on the Wildcats 63-0.

The chilly night win down by Calumet Avenue in Hammond moved the Devils to 7-0 for just the fourth time in the 100-year history of Lowell football.  But, with only a handfull of Hammond fans in the home stands, there was no weight on this game.  It seemed like a late season oasis.  A non-conference calm before the storm of the state tournament draw on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and the potential conference clinching game against Munster (5-2) on Oct. 10.

Is this one of Lowell's best teams ever?  Championship teams do blow people out 63-0.  But Lowell has not really faced enough competition for anyone to know yet and the 'greatness' question doesn't seem relevant.  This Friday night was more of a showcase for every aspect of Lowell's game with nobody getting injured.

"On a night like this," said coach Kirk Kennedy.  "That's the important thing.  Last week (a narrow 35-32 win over Hobart) was a learning experience.  We always focus on ourselves as being our only true opponent."

Lowell led Hobart 35-11 before being outscored 21-0 in the final quarter and that isn't something they have forgotten.

"That definitely did feel like a loss," Monix said.  "I think we learned a lesson about how you can't let up.  That just can't happen again.  The coaches stay on us and I have to admit tonight, I did not play well in the first quarter.  We have to execute the things we have to do and we just can't afford to make mistakes at this point.  It's our senior year."

"I'm looking at our offensive line and we're all seniors.  Brandon is the only junior on offense.  We're near the end of our senior year.  We have to play well."

Kennedy almost promises that if his team does get beat, he won't allow it to be because they were not motivated.

"That's my job," he said.  "I've got to lean on them every week.  If I let up they'd let up.  We're close to realizing our potential and we have to keep closing that gap between potential and reality."

Hammond's won-loss record was deceptive and the Wildcats had lost 63-8 seven days earlier to city rival Morton.  It was not a shock that Lowell also scored 63 points.  But this game should have been 7-0 after one quarter.  On the final play of the first period, Lowell got a good pass rush on Hammond sophomore quarterback Antwoin McGee.  Instead of taking a QB sack inside his 20-yard line, McGee threw the ball while he was being dragged to the ground.

The pass was tipped by Hammond's Jeff Todd into the hands of Lowell senior linebacker Justin Juarez, who charged into the end zone for a 14-0 lead.  The Wildcats, on their own 'Senior Night', never recovered.

Lowell scored four second quarter TDs on runs by Bryan DeSomer and Cody Midgett before two TD passes from Monix to Jake Belt, the last one a 78-yard toss far behind the Hammond defense with 36 seconds left in the second quarter.  A 73-yard screen pass to Brandon Grubbe midway through the third quarter gave Lowell a 49-0 lead and Monix a three-TD passing game for the second time this season.

After that, officials went to a  running clock (the game clock run between all plays, not just running plays) to hurry the end of the lopsided contest.  Lowell's fans didn't start heading for the parking lot until senior Steve Van Baber's first career TD lifted the margin to 56-0 with 9:54 left in the game.  Lowell had maybe 250 fans make the trip to Hammond while the host Wildcats had about 25 fans.  That fact did not go unnoticed by anyone in attendance.

"It puts in perspective how important our fans are," said Monix.  "But I give their kids a lot of credit.  They were giving us high fives after the last play."

To watch the Devils, who have run the ball over 95% of the time under coach Kirk Kennedy, fire three more TD passes, even if the opposition wasn't top flight, is worth noting.  Monix, the veteran signal caller who has completed an unofficial 39 of 63 passes for 911 yards and eight TDs in seven games, is spending a lot of time answering questions about Lowell's 'new' passing attack.  But Lowell threw 110 passes in 15 games last year.  The reality is:  Lowell is only averaging nine passes a game.  It just seems like they're throwing more because they're completing some for long gains.  To average 23 yards per completion is outrageous.  Lowell is just being Lowell.  They're just better at it on offense right now.

"We always focus on ourselves as being our only true foe," said Kennedy.  "You have focus on the other teams' schemes and personnel, but ultimately it's up to you.  We have two other serious games to play before we get to the sectional.  We just have to keep doing the right things and working hard."

"On a night like this, it's a good thing for us to get a chance to let some guys get out there and feel good about things.  They (Hammond) have a good program, but I think they were down after last week."

DEVIL NOTES:  Next week's Lowell game with Munster is a milestone for the Devils in relation to past undefeated Lowell teams.  Lowell is now 7-0 for the first time since 2000.  In 1999 and 2000, the Red Devils won their first seven games before losing to Munster in week eight.  Lowell was 10-0 in 1993 before losing, again, to Munster.

In a match-up of undefeated Sectional 10 rivals of Lowell, Plymouth held of a rally to win at Concord 27-25.  Two of David Yoder's three Concord touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter as the Minutemen (6-1) cut a 27-12 lead down to two points with 6:54 to play.  But Plymouth (7-0), which did not complete a pass in the entire game, rushed for 310 yards on 61 carries.

Munster (5-2), Lowell's next foe, lost 24-23 to Hobart (6-1) when Hobart's Michael Josifovski kicked a 35-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.  The Mustangs lost three fumbles, but left-handed Munster QB Joe Gill was 10 of 23 for 212 yards.

Lowell two-way starter David Eastling is still playing with a cast on his left arm, but the Devils have no other serious injuries.  Kicker Matt Berkos hit nine consecutive extra points after going 5-for-5 last week against Hobart.  Berkos is in his first year of football.  The senior plays on Lowell's soccer team that will be in action next Saturday in the Lowell sectional semifinals at 11:00 a.m.

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Revised: October 06, 2008 .