LOWELL Red Devils
(Friday,
Aug. 23 - 7 p.m.)
TICKETS:
$5 each this season.
RADIO: None
TV: AT & T Channel 3, tape delay - 10:35 p.m. - Friday, 7
p.m. Monday, 7 p.m. - Wednesday, Aug. 28.
WEATHER: As of Wednesday, light rain was expected. Temperatures
in the 70s.
HISTORY: When the Lake Suburban Conference broke up in 1992, Crown
Point became the first non-original member of the larger Duneland Athletic
Conference and Lowell joined the smaller Northwest Hoosier Conference.
Lowell's program took off and they have had only two losing seasons since 1991. While some thought they'd stumble when they joined the stronger (than the NHC) Northwest Hoosier Conference in 1998, that hasn't happened as the Devils are 28-19 in the last four years.
Crown Point has had only two winnings seasons (`95 and `97) since joining the DAC and they are only 4-26 over the last three years. But coming into Friday night's game, the feeling is that Lowell is a talented but young team while Crown Point is primed to rebound, has more experience and more numbers.
Still, Lowell has won the last three meetings, all by seven points or less, 27-21 in 1999, 20-13 (in Crown Point) in 2000 and 14-7 last season. CP leads the all-time series 53-29-2. This is the longest running prep football series in northwest Indiana. For the first time this year, they'll play for the 'Leather helmet', an 'award' that will go to the winning team of each years' Lowell-CP contest in honor of the era (1924) when the series began.
The key Friday night will be who can run the ball. Crown Point can line up big backs Troy Bush (6-1, 225), Chris Kutanovski (6-1, 200) and Dave Swenson (6-2, 220) behind their young line anchored by senior center Nick Hoffman (5-9, 190) and big tackle Mark McInerney (6-2, 295).
Tight end Sean O'Drobinak (6-4, 235) was rolled to the hospital after an awkward fall in Saturday's scrimmage against Griffith. Sean reportedly does not have any serious back or neck problems but it is not known whether he can play Friday.
A key man will be track sprinter Bobby Rutherford (6-1, 180) who could line up at RB or WR behind QB Matt Cowan, a double threat to run and throw. Cowan ran for a 35-yard TD in Saturday's scrimmage.
Lowell's defense is led by big linebacker Mike Marzotto (6-2, 224) and they consistently bring eight men to the front and force the opposition to throw. The Devils' secondary was not strong against Clark, a foe that is inferior to Crown Point.
Lowell will line up around center Chris Marzotto (6-2, 223) and run the ball with Justin Henley (5-10, 180), Randy Lukasik (5-8, 186) and Toby Goetz (5-11, 198) three potential star runners. QB Chuckie Thompson (5-08, 158) will be starting his first varsity game ever and he ran for a 35-yard TD against Clark. Lowell will run and punt and play defense. Tight end James Jeffries could turn the game with a key reception. Henley has dropped a couple of punts but when he catches the ball he can go all the way. A special teams' TD or a TD pass turns this game to Lowell. The Devils' Tim Sova is a good punter and Lowell's game depends on the punter a lot. Six of their 12 games including all 3 playoff games) were decided by a TD or less last year. Lowell can play close, tight games and win. Unfortunately, other than the games against Lowell CP hasn't been in many close games in recent years.
Crown Point considers this a must game so if they do not go to the lead quickly, they will may press and make mistakes in front of their loyal home fans.
Lowell
has the kind of runners who can ice a game in the late going but they can't
really come from more than 10 points behind.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
I like Crown Point to go to the lead with a first quarter touchdown, probably on
a long drive. Lowell will mount a threat in the second quarter but neither
side will have 10 points at half-time.
The Bulldogs will open the game up a little with Cowan running outside and throwing. CP. will lead 14-3 or 17-7 in the third quarter. Bobby Rutherford will score a CP TD. Both punters - Lowell's Tim Sova and CP's Chris Kutanovski will punt a half dozen times and will have good nights.
Lowell
will mount a fourth quarter rally behind the running of Goetz and Henley and the
Devils will pull to within a TD. But Lowell will not be able to mount a
game-winning drive and CP will run the clock out on a 20-13 Bulldog win, their
first win over Lowell since 1998.
CROWN
POINT 20, LOWELL 13
OTHER GAMES
VALPARAISO
at PENN -
Both teams return starting QBs so they will both move the ball. But Penn may be
a bigger, more physical team now and they are at home. Tailback Tony West (5-7,
147) may be neutralized if it rains but he ran 84 times for 826 yards last year.
Penn
will turn loose all-stater defensive lineman Bryan Mattison (6-3, 238) to chase
Valpo star QB Jason Renn 132 of 239, 2,203 yards). I see no way Penn
can guard all-state WR Jeff Samardzija (55 catches - 1,197 yards) so 29-year
coach Chris Geesman will turn loose his 'Wild Bunch' defense to rush the passer.
How Valpo handles the pass rush is the key to this one.
PENN
- 28 VALPO - 20
ANDREAN at
HOBART -
The 59ers are loaded with skill players led by QB Brett Goins (152 of 245,
2,304 yards, 27 TDS). The temptation might be to run the ball with Rob Caldwell
(6-2, 205), Rocco Marcinak (5-10, 180) and Derrell Tinner (5-9, 185) , who
combined for 1,600 yards rushing last season.
But
Hobart will have more trouble handling pass catchers Rob St. Germain (6-0, 215),
Aaron Babb (6-0, 180) and Ty Harangody (6-3, 205). Hobart can
win this game on a bad field running behind their all-veteran offensive line,
led by tackle Chris Ciesilski (6-2, 235). This is a bad match-up
speed-wise a Tinner should be a major factor on this night.
ANDREAN
28, HOBART 14
Lake Central - 13, Merrillville - 10
Morton - 42, Hammond - 36
Portage - 49, East Chicago - 21
Chesterton - 28, Highland - 26
New Prairie - 27, LaPorte - 20
Munster - 24, Gavit - 0
Whiting - 30, Lafayette Catholic - 20
(We'd welcome fans e-mail predictions and comments at usa365@ameritech.net
)