Week 7 - Football Game of the Week Preview

4A, No. 3 Lowell (6-0) at Hammond (4-2)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-2-2008

When:  Friday, October 2, 2008

Where:  Hammond High School  - 5926 Calumet AVE, Hammond, IN.

Tickets:  $5

Kickoff:   7:00 p.m.
Radio-TV:  WKIF (92.7) FM, WTMK (88.5) FM

JV GAME:  Saturday, Oct. 4 - Hammond at LOWELL - 10:00 a.m.

FRESHMEN:  Thursday, Oct. 9 -  LOWELL at Hammond - 6:00 p.m.

ENROLLMENT:  Hammond - Class 4A, enrollment - 958;  LOWELL - Class 4A, enrollment - 1,254

PARKING:  Plenty.  Hammond doesn't have very many fans.  The weather and last week's final score will drive even more of them away.  Hammond isn't a big school, but there is a good hunk of parking just behind the home grandstand.  This is a game where you can show up at 6:45 p.m. and still get inside before the kickoff.  You should also be able to walk to your car at halftime, something to keep in mind because it won't be warm Friday.

WEATHER:  Perfect.  Perfect for players.  Daytime temperatures may hit the mid-60s Friday, but there will be a serious drop-off after sunset and we're probably going to be in the high 40s by 9:00 p.m.  For players, that's perfect.  Even the linemen can stay strong for four quarters.  For fans?  Bring a winter coat.  It will most certainly get cold if you are not running around.  This may be a long game, too, because Hammond throws the ball a lot.

The SERIES:  Lowell and Hammond are not rivals in any way.  When Hammond was a football powerhouse in the middle of the 20th Century, Lowell was probably considered a distant country school in the wilderness.  There was no Lake Central, Hanover Central, Andrean, Highland or Munster in the mid 1950s and any town south of US 30 was pretty much Alaska.

Hammond, Indiana was probably named for George Hammond.  The GH Hammond packing company was founded in 1869 and was the city's largest employer in the late 19th century.  It was located on Hohman Avenue just north of the downtown area where a raft of old railroad tracks still exist.  Hammond High was originally called Hammond Industrial school since its construction on its present site in 1915.  Oddly, Hammond is listed as having played football from 1905-1915 so Hammond must have existed on another site before that time.

Hammond is the greatest high school franchise of all time in Northwest Indiana.  Not Hobart.  Not Griffith.  Not anybody else.  Under coach Bernie Krueger, for whom Hammond's football field is named, Hammond was 113-45-12 from 1955-1972.  The glory years have been forgotten, in some respects, because Hammond's greatness as a football school largely pre-dates the state tournament era (1973-present).  Hammond has 571 wins all time, while Hobart (which admittedly began football over a quarter of a century later) has 570 wins.

The Wildcats were 10-0 in 1937, 8-0-1 in 1958 and 10-0 again in 1960 and 1962.  Hammond was 10-1 in 1980 and 1981.  No school in this part of the state has won more total football games than Hammond High.  But the state tournament has not been kind.  The Wildcats have won just four sectionals and one regional title in 1988 when, I believe, Hammond and Lowell met for the first time, with Hammond winning 34-6.

Hammond was just 6-36 from 2003-2006, while Lowell, a longtime doormat, was rising to its present status as a Top-10 Class 4A state power.  Lowell leads the series 9-5 and has won the last seven meetings.  Obviously, the Devils are the kind of team that Hammond wants to be and could be again, especially if the much-rumored consolidation of Hammond and Gavit occurs in the next decade.  I'm not sure Hammond will remain on the Lowell schedule much longer.  It's a long trip for both sides and few fans follow Hammond.  I wouldn't be shocked if the Devils chose to play Wheeler or maybe even North Judson in the next decade.  But right now, Hammond High beating Lowell is like Oregon State beating the University of Southern California.  It would be front page news.

Lowell Red Devils (6-0)
Coach Kirk Kennedy, 140-67 in (18th year)
NWCC games in CAPs
8-22 (W) 7-0 at Crown Point (2-4)        
8-29 (W) 47-20 Morton (3-3)      
9- 5 (W) 42-0 KANKAKEE VALLEY (1-5)   
9-12 (W) 27-12 at GRIFFITH (3-3)
9-19 (W) 55-7 at HIGHLAND (0-6)
9-26 (W) 35-32 HOBART (5-1)
10-3 (F) at Hammond (4-2)
10-10 (F) MUNSTER (4-2)
10-17 (F) at ANDREAN (3-3)
Oct 24 (Fri) Sectional 10 quarterfinals  - 7:00 p.m.
Oct 31 (F) Sect. 10 semifinals - 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 7 (F) Sect.  10 finals
Nov. 14 (F) 4A Regional final
Nov. 21 (F) 4A Semistate
Nov. 29 (S) Class 4A state final - Lucas Oil Arena  (4:00 p.m. EST), downtown Indianapolis

Hammond Wildcats (4-2)
Coach  Robert Robinson (13-4) 2nd year
City Conference in CAPS
8-22 (L) 0-28 at East Chicago (4-2)
8-29 (W) 22-16 Gary West Side (2-3)
9-5 (W) 39-0 at (Chicago, Ill.) Kenwood (0-4)
9-12 (W) 39-6 Gary Roosevelt (0-5)
9-19(W) 46-14 Wirt (0-6)
9-26 (L) 8-63 MORTON (3-3) 
10-3 (F) Lowell (6-0)
10-10 (F) GAVIT (0-6)
10-17 (F) at CLARK (4-2)
Oct 24 (F) Class 4A Sectional 9 quarterfinals vs. Morton, Gary West Side, Highland, East Chicago, Hobart, Griffith or Lew Wallace.
Oct 31 (F) Sectional 9 semifinals
Nov. 7 (F) Sectional 9 finals
Nov. 14 (F) 4A Regional
Nov. 21 (F) Northern 4A Semistate  championship
Nov. 29 (S) 2008 Class 4A title game - Lucas Oil Arena (4:00 p.m.)

Kurt Monix (2) leading Lowell onto the field at Griffith, 09-12-2008.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

Russ Russnak (54) blocking for Brandon Grubbe (25) in the Red Devils' 27-12 win at Griffith, 09-12-2008. (All photos by Mark Smith)

4A Hammond (4-2)
Coach  Robert Robinson (13-4) 2nd year
Enrollment: 958
2007 record: 9-2
Sectional titles: (4)  1978, 1983, 1988, 2000
Regional titles: (1) 1988
Semistate titles: (0) none
State titles: (0) none

HAMMOND (10-3-2008) I don't know what happened last week (actually the 63-8 loss to Morton pretty much explains itself) in an 8 TD loss.  But Hammond is led on offense by Antwoin McGee, and before he completed just 2-of-11 passes last week, McGee (6-2, 190), the sophomore cousin of 2007 senior QB Louis Willis, was 26 of 60 for 638 yards and 10 TDs after five games.  McGee had also rushed 52 times for 324 yards and seven scores.

Receivers Daron Houston (6-3, 205) and Rob Stone (6-1, 175) can go all the way, but let's face it.  Antwoin McGee is the whole show.  McGee to Huston, a 4.55 sprinter, is Hammond's best play.  For what its worth.  McGee threw for four TDs and ran for two others in a 46-14 win over winless Wirt (0-6).  But if he can't get outside the defense and run or throw, the result becomes something like last week.

Defensively, Hammond is challenged.  EC beat them 28-0 and Morton topped them 63-8.  Neither is as strong offensively as Lowell is.  The Wildcats need to win a shootout.  They won't win a defensive struggle.  Hammond punted eight times last week, which is bad enough.  But they averaged 15 yards a punt, which is even worse.  Hammond returned just one defensive starter from last season and it shows.  The Wildcats have not kicked a field goal all year and they go for a two-point conversion after most TDs.

4A Lowell Red Devils (6-0)
Enrollment: 1,254
2007 record: 13-2
4A Sectional titles: (9) 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08
4A Regional titles:  (4) 1994, 1999, 2005, 2007
4A Semistate titles: (2) 2005, 2007
4A State Titles (1) 2005

LOWELL  (10-3-2008) Lowell scored five TDs for the fourth time in six games last week and they should do well on offense again this week behind QB Kurt Monix (36-of-55, 722 yards, 4 TDs, one INT) and HB Brandon Grubbe (125 carries, 719 yards).  Fullback Bryan DeSomer carried 16 times in the last two weeks for 120 yards and senior wide receiver Jake Belt has 10 catches for 219 yards.  Senior rookie kicker Matt Berkos is 26-of-31 on extra points and he has booted one 27-yard field goal.  Lowell has scored a touchdown in 18 of the 24 periods they have played this year.  The Devils have outscored the opposition 96-7 in the second quarter this season and they have not allowed a rushing TD in the first three quarters through six games.

Lowell surely has focused on pass defense this week and it will be tested.  The Red Devil pass rush does not have the sack totals they have had in recent years and Hammond may throw the ball 30 times.  You may see some new boys getting into the defensive substitution rotation this week as more good passing teams (Munster, Andrean, Concord) are on the immediate horizon. 

Lowell had allowed 39 points all season until they gave up 32 last week and they have to know about this team in their sectional (Concord), which is a far better passing team than Hobart is.  The best thing about last week's game may be that the Devils have a weakness to work on.  Sometimes strong teams coast along hearing about how great they are until they get blown up one day.  Kinda like the Cubs against the Dodgers the other night.

HAMMOND (10-2-2008)  After last week's Hammond loss, this spread isn't a surprise.  Lowell beat Morton by 37 and Morton beat Hammond by 55.  One thing is certain.  This won't be a rerun of the low-scoring, 24-0 game these two played last season. 

The Devils will score early as Brandon Grubbe gets on the board with a long run.  I expect this to be a very big night rushing for Lowell, against the Cats, who took a hard loss last week.  Hammond does not have a top running back, other than the QB, so they will test the Lowell secondary with 25-30 passes.

I  look for Grubbe and Bryan DeSomer to score twice as the Devils take a 28-7 halftime lead.  Two more Grubbe TDs will up the count to 42-7 before McGee rallies his team with a lot of late passing.  This won't be the most satisfying win for the Devils, as the defensive secondary will give up 200 yards here.  Lowell needs this, considering the passing teams (Munster, Concord) they could face in October.

The Devils gave up 180 passing yards to Morton and 240 to Hobart; both times, in the second half.  Lowell has allowed 71 points this season, 35 in the fourth quarter.  That may indicate a lack of quality depth or problems in the secondary.

Lowell will rush for 400 yards and the outcome will not be in doubt in the fourth quarter as the Devils stay unbeaten on the road.

LOWELL 52, Hammond 20