Week 9 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Lowell (8-0) at Andrean (3-5)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-17-2008

When:  Friday, October 17, 2008

Where:  Andrean High School  - 5959 Broadway, Merrillville, IN

Tickets:  $5

Kickoff:   7:00 p.m.
Radio-TV:  WKIF (92.7) FM, WJOB (1230) AM, WTMK (88.5) FM
JV GAME:  Sat. Oct. 18  -   ANDREAN at LOWELL   - 10 a.m.

FRESHMEN: Thurs. Oct. 23 -  LOWELL  at ANDREAN - 6 p.m.

ENROLLMENT:   ANDREAN  - 3A,   enrollment - 643; LOWELL - Class 4A,    enrollment - 1,254

PARKING:  There isn't much at Andrean. You must get there early. If you don't arrive until 6:30, you'll be parking in the school lot which is about 200 yards from the grandstand.
One advantage of arriving early is that there are some places where you can park and see one end of the field from your car. That might be of value on a cold night.

WEATHER:  Cold.  This is a night that will test even Lowell's loyal fans.  Daytime temperatures Friday are said to be headed for the mid-50s so we're talking about the upper 40s for the second half.  Now, can I speak freely, kids.
It hurts me to see you guys in T-shirts sitting for two hours in an open grandstand in 30-degree wind chill.  Please. Summer is over. Don't be a dummy.
Bring real coats, real pants and shoes (not shorts and those goofy flip-flops y'all wear) and plenty of warm friends. For Lowell folks, they're selling a lot of those warm Red Devil jackets in the athletic department.  Halloween costumes are OK (maybe I shouldn't speak for the Andrean officials) because Lowell may not be at home on October 31.

The SERIES:   Lowell's 31-3 win over Andrean last season marked the first time the Devils had won this annual matchup since 1999. This is only the 15th meeting of Andrean and Lowell and the 59ers lead the series 11-3. The first ever Andrean-Lowell football game was won by the 59ers 32-0 on Aug. 25, 1977.  Andrean won 35-0 a year later and the two schools ended the series until 1990 when the Niners won 41-0. Lowell's first victory over Andrean was a 23-21 win on October 30, 1992 but the two schools did not meet again until Lowell and Andrean joined what would be the Lake Athletic Conference in 1998. 

Andrean, which charges tuition, has excelled in hard economic times before but that's something that has to be on the minds of school officials with the school's enrollment at just 643 students..  In severe economic hard times, that enrollment could go lower.

In the last 10 years, Crown Point has vastly upgraded their facilities and its hard for a CP kid not to go there. Now Hobart is opening a multi-million dollar palace after the first of the year. Andrean's top draw area is the Lake Central school district and, with LC projected to grow to 3,500 students in the next decade, new Niners will always come from Dyer, St. John and Schererville.

But it's going to be hard for Andrean to continue as a power in team sports when they will soon be smaller than Porter County Conference schools like Boone Grove (557) and Hanover Central (610).

If Hanover Central and Boone Grove grow to Class 3A schools (and they expect to) then Andrean could conceivably be a 2A school in the next decade, something that would shake up Northwest Indiana athletics considerably.  This might just be a "down year" for the 59ers. Sophomore QB Demetri Blanco, as soph QBs do, has had hard times.  But when he didn't play against Kankakee Valley, KV beat Andrean for the first time ever.

Andrean is in the 3A playoffs and none of the teams that have defeated them are in their sectional or regional. Still, those who are used to Andrean reached the state finals three times (2001, 2002 and 2004) in this decade wonder if they can turn things around in the post-season this time. The 59ers clearly have something to prove and nothing to lose Friday against the undefeated Devils.

Lowell Red Devils  (8-0)
Coach Kirk Kennedy, 143-67 in (18th year)
8-22 (W) 7-0 at Crown Point  (3-5)        
8-29 (W) 47-20 Morton (5-3)      
9- 5 (W) 42-0 Kankakee Valley (3-5)   
9-12 (W) 27-12 at GRIFFITH (4-4)
9-19 (W) 55-7 at HIGHLAND (0-8)
9-26 (W) 35-32 HOBART (7-1)
10-3 (W)  63-0 at Hammond (5-3)
10-10 (F) MUNSTER (5-3)
10-17 (F) at ANDREAN (3-5)

Sectional 10 Quarterfinals 
Oct. 24 (F) at (South Bend) Washington (6-2)
Oct 31 (F) Sectional 10 semifinals vs either Plymouth (8-0) or Concord (7-1)
Nov. 7 (F) Sectional  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

ANDREAN 59ers (3-5)
Coach  Phil Mason - 1st year
NW Crossroads Conference in CAPS
8-22 (L) 7-40 at Portage (5-3)
8-29 (W) 50-7 Bishop Noll (3-5)
9-5  (W) 35-16 at East Chicago (5-3)
9-12 (L) 7-42 MUNSTER (5-3)
9-19 (W) 3-29 HOBART (7-1)
9-26 (W) 39-0 HIGHLAND (0-8)
10-3  (L)   17-34 at KV (3-5)
10-10 (F)  7-41 at GRIFFITH (4-4)
10-17 (F)   LOWELL (8-0)

3A Sectional 17
Oct 24 (F)  at Calumet (7-1)
Oct 31 (F) vs. New Prairie (5-3)
Nov. 7 (F) Sectional 1 finals
Nov. 14 (F) 3A Regional
Nov. 21 (F) Northern 3A Semistate  championship
Nov. 29 (S) 2008 Class 3A title game - Lucas Oil Arena (1 p.m. EST) in Indianapolis

Last year's game
Andrean (6-3)   3-0-0-0  =  3
LOWELL (8-1) 0-10-14-7 = 31

LOWELL  (10-12-2007)  TJ Lukasik's 48-yard second quarter punt return gave Lowell a 7-3 lead and started a string of 31 unanswered points for the Devils in the 2007 regular season finale.  Brandon Grubbe scored two TDs and David Lang kicked a 39-yard field goal.  The Devils held Andrean to 89 yards rushing on 33 carries.

Lowell senior running back Cody Midgett (6) runs for a second quarter touchdown against Munster, 10-10-2008.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

Starting defensive lineman Logan Wright (66) anchors the defense, which has allowed only 78 points in eight games.

Class 3A Andrean (3-5)
Coach: Phil Mason - 1st season (3-5)
Enrollment: 643
2007 record: 9-4 (3A Sectional 17 champs)
Sectional titles: (11)  last in 2007
Regional titles: (5) 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004
Semistate titles: (4) 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004
State titles: (1)  2004

MERRILLVILLE (10-17-2008) Andrean's  Demetri Blanco (5-10, 175) is the key to an upset Friday if he plays. Blanco (39 of 95, 464 yards, 5 TDs) had 11 interceptions at QB after seven games and, last week, was replaced by junior Richard Schmidt (6-0, 165) , who was 16 0f 28 for 168 yards in the 41-7 loss to Griffith.   I think Blanco was injured or simply couldn't go, he had one rush for minus yardage.

The Niners won't beat good teams without him. Blanco, who was a wide receiver as a freshman, may be a wide receiver again this week. Schmidt(26 of 49, 290 yards) does appear capable.  Whoever plays QB will have Kyle Kovach to hand the ball to and that's good start.

In many games, Lowell's Brandon Grubbe is the fastest runner on the field. Maybe not Friday when speedy 59er half back Kyle Kovach (123 carries, 907 yards) gets in the clear.  Kovach, a star baseball outfielder, runs back kicks, catches passes. One missed tackle is a TD against Kovach and this is very good practice for the first Lowell playoff game against speedy Washington next week in South Bend.
 

Kovach has also caught 17 passes for 207 yards while junior Mike Skinner (5-10, 160) has caught 17 for 231 yards.  Andrean has given up 1,368 yards  (4.2 yards per carry on the ground) and that's a bad stat going into a game against Lowell.  Griffith ran for 345 yards against the 59ers and KV ran for 305 yards against Andrean.
 

I'm not sure why. The Niners are not that small physically. They're heavier (not taller) than Munster as many positions.  My suspicion is that the Andrean defense has been a little demoralized by 27 turnovers (they only have 20 touchdowns scored), more than three per game. they have worn down and are getting crunched up front.  The Niners will want to make a stand in the final home game but its a tall order. Andrean has also drawn 49 penalties in eight games.

If the Niners come out fumbling, this will be a long night. But a scoreless first quarter and Andrean could be reborn. In many games, they are beating themselves.

4A Lowell Red Devils  (8-0)
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 Semi state titles: (2) 2005, 2007
4A State Titles (1) 2005

LOWELL  (10-17-2008)  Lowell may have to go without junior halfback Brandon Grubbe (6-1, 175) who has gained 1,021 yards this season. Grubbe was hurt late in last week's 24-7 win over Munster.  He walked off the field but the Devils coaches have to make sure he cant hurt himself again on this night with the three-game sectional playoffs coming up quickly.  Lowell has two other smaller halfbacks Cody Midgett (20 carries, 175 yards, 5 TDs) and Deron Johnson (47 carries, 279 yards, 6 TDs) who have consistently reached the end zone and fullback Bryan DeSomer (45 carries, 227 yards. 5 TDs) also benefit form the Devils small but quick offensive line which includes center Ryan Russnak (6-3, 175) with Justin Juarez (6-3, 227), Brian DeMario (6-3, 232), Nick Schultz (6-0, 238), and David Eastling (6-0, 213). 

Senior Jake Belt (5-8, 160) has caught 15 passes for an unreal 385 yards (25.6 per catch) and four TDs and QB Kurt Monix (46 of 74, 1,025 yards, 8 TDs) has not thrown an interception all season. Lowell throws less than 10 passes a game and that wont change because incomplete passes extend the game and force the defense to spend more time on the field.

Lowell arguably has six full-time, two-way players (others, like Nate Cleveland, are 1 1/2-way players in that they start on one side of the ball and back up on the other) Russnak, Juarez, Eastling, Midgett, DeSomer and Joe Bell) and four of them are on the offensive line.  Some of the fans want Lowell to throw more but the Devils system is predicated on the running attack allowing those two-way Devils to play offense more than they do defense. That's why Lowell is successful and, without throwing 20 passes a game would hurt their defense.

That is simultaneously Lowell's strength and their weakness.  Lowell's best players are on the field all the time. Late in games, that often rallies the Devils. Some teams put their best athletes on offense and Lowell can keep those players on the sidelines by holding the ball.  The Devils run into trouble against good teams when they have short possessions and the core players have to expend more energy on defense.

With that said, I wouldn't be surprised to see Brandon Grubbe or Kurt Monix in the secondary against some of the all-out passing squads (Washington, Concord) that Lowell could face early in the state tourney.

Kicker Matt Berkos has two field goals (21, 27 yards) and he has made 23 extra points in a row since missing a point boot against Griffith on September 12th.  Lowell has allowed just 29 points in the first half all season and they have outscored eight foes 131-14 in the second quarter. Lowell wins the Northwest Conference championship with a victory but more significantly, they complete the fourth undefeated regular season in school history. There are a couple of stories with each year.

In 1993, Lowell was 10-1 before they lost to Munster 28-14. Those wee the days of the old Northwest Hoosier Conference and some of the wins were over Lake Station, River Forest and Rensselaer.  In 1936 Lowell was undefeated but they were 8-0-1 with a scoreless tie at Frankfort (there weren't many high schools south of US 30 in those days).  The 1935 Red Devils were arguably the greatest Lowell team of all time. They outscored nine foes 215-48 beating Valparaiso, Hobart, Griffith and Crown Point twice.  Lowell played CP twice a year in the 30s and 40s.  Oddly, a 10th game at Whiting on Nov. 11 , 1936 was canceled.   I do not know why.  In 1935, 36 and 37,  Lowell was 24-1-1.  Should Lowell win three playoff games this year (a tall order), they would be 25-2 in a two-year span, edging the 1930s Devils percentage wise.

With a 12-0 mark, the 2007-2008 Devils would not automatically become the greatest Lowell team ever but they'd definitely be in the discussion.

LOWELL 37, ANDREAN 20