Lowell comes back from 10-point deficit to beat 59-ers 25-21

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

10-19-2009

Friday, Oct. 16, 2009,  43 degrees, light rain at LOWELL, IN

1st Qtr:  No scoring.
2nd Qtr:  ANDREAN (7-0) Richard Schmidt, 1-yard run. .84-yard drive, 13 plays.  Richard Schmidt kick.  11:17 left.
LOWELL (3-7) Boge Pejoski, 32-yard field goal. 6:52 left.
ANDREAN (14-3) Robert Saltanovitz, 10-yard run, 53-yard drive, 4 plays.  Richard Schmidt kick.  1:27 left.
3rd Qtr:  LOWELL (11-14) Brandon Grubbe, 1-yard run. 70 yards, 14 plays.  Grubbe 2-point conversion run.  6:17 left.
ANDREAN (21-11) Kyle Menefee, 5-yard pass from Richard Schmidt.  66-yard drive, 10 plays.  Richard Schmidt kick.  1:40 left.
LOWELL (18-21) Cole Midgett, 38-yard pass from Ray Skamay.  54-yard drive, 4 plays.  Boge Pejoski kick.  0:13 left.
4th Qtr:  LOWELL (25-21) Brandon Grubbe 35-yard run.  80-yard drive, 4 plays.  Boge Pejoski kick.  8:48 left.

RUSHING:
ANDREAN (36 carries, 129 yards, 2 TDs) Robert Saltanovitz (HB) 21 carries, 89 yards, TD;
Richard Schmidt (QB) 13 carries, 32 yards (4 sacks minus-25 yards), TD; Kyle Menefee (FB) 2-8 yards.
LOWELL (35 carries, 210 yards, 2 TDs) Ray Skamay (QB) 3 catches, 46 yards; Nate Cleveland (FB) 2-12 yards; Cole Midgett (WR) 4-17 yards; Brandon Grubbe (HB) 26 carries, 135 yards, 2 TDs.

PASSING:
ANDREAN: Richard Schmidt (QB) 14-for-26, 254 yards, TD, interception;
LOWELL: Ray Skamay (QB) 6-of-13, 93 yards, one TD, 2 interceptions.

RECEIVING:
ANDREAN: Rob O'Neill (TE) 1-25 yards; Kyle Menefee (FB) 3-25 yards; PJ Mason (TE) 3-56 yards; Alex Maldanado (WR) 1-29 yards; Mike Skinner (WR) 6-119 yards.
LOWELL: Cole Midgett (WR) 2-76 yards, TD; Jordan Juarez (FB) 1-5 yards; Zach Norcutt (WR) 1-5 yards; Joe Bell (TE) 1-5 yards; Jake Grah (WR) 1-2 yards.

TOTAL YARDS:
ANDREAN: 383 total yards, 2 turnovers (one fumble), 18 first downs;
LOWELL: 303 total yards, 2 turnovers (2 interceptions), 11 first downs.

LOWELL (10-16-2009) There was talk the week of this Lowell-Andrean game about the value of a half share of the Northwest Crossroads Conference championship, the prize that was on the line in Friday's season-ending game.  I'm not sold on the value of a regular season league championship, but I think Lowell got a lot of mileage out of playing Andrean.

For eight weeks, Lowell was the best team on the field, even though the record didn't always show it.  Friday, Andrean (6-3) outplayed Lowell for almost three quarters before the Devils rallied to rescue a 25-21 victory.

This was the first time all season that an opponent out-gained Lowell (8-1).  It was the first time that anyone led Lowell for three quarters.  For a team that shut out four opponents this fall, it was an eye-opener.  While the head-to-head battle for a share of first place (Lowell shares the title with Munster, a 40-13 winner at Kankakee Valley Friday) was very entertaining, it was also a little disturbing.  The Devils were shaken seemingly by their inability to stop Andrean's balanced, skilled attack.  To their credit, Lowell regrouped in the second half and imposed their will on the local 3A power.  But either Lowell, which trailed 14-3 at halftime and 21-11 late in the third quarter, is not as good as it has appeared at mid-season or Andrean is better.

Senior wide receiver Zach Norcutt said he was a little surprised with the roller coaster aspect of the win.

"It was a good game," said Norcutt, who was clearly not celebrating the dramatic win.  "Back and forth.  We just came out slow.  Their QB (Schmidt) was a surprise.  He was running everywhere on our field and we couldn't run at all in the first half."

"There wasn't much said at halftime.  He (Kennedy) told us he wasn't going to go crazy.  He let us talk among ourselves and we just came out fired up.  The captains (Joe Bell, Nate Cleveland, Ray Skamay and Brandon Grubbe) took over talking to us."

"We got fired and we came out with about nine minutes left at halftime.  It seemed like we were really ready to play."

What happened to Lowell the last two games (they lost 15-13 at Munster on Oct. 9) may be understandable because they've played a soft schedule.  Usually, Crown Point is a very tough game.  This year, the Bulldogs were 3-6.  In the past, Highland's been tough.  This year, Lowell rolled over Highland (1-8) by a 41-0 score.  Traditionally, Lowell vs. Hobart is a big match up, but the Brickies (2-7) have hit on hard times.

Lowell didn't seem ready for a hard core team.  In that respect, it's a good thing they met Andrean before next week's state playoff game at Plymouth (9-0).

"It was a good, well-fought game," said Andrean coach Phil Mason.  "They (Lowell) are a good team.  They're a great team.  Our kids came in at halftime and said, 'Coach, they're good.' But we were good, too.  A lot of good things are still going to happen to us this year."

Lowell did two other things that were noticeable from the sidelines.  Trailing 14-3, the Devils abandoned any two wide receiver formations and loaded up the backfield with Cleveland (6-4, 215) at fullback and Jordan Juarez (6-1, 200) in front of 1,000-yard rusher Brandon Grubbe (6-1, 195).  Grubbe who had 50 yards at halftime, ended with 26 carries for 135 yards.

"We just needed an extra blocker," said Kennedy, "to help us move the ball."

The Devils also could not stop Andrean wide receiver Mike Skinner (5-10, 170), who caught six passes for 119 yards from 59er senior QB Richard Schmidt (14 of 26, 254 yards).  Lowell chose to double cover Skinner with Cole Midgett and safety Jake Payton.  Even though the 59ers then ran plays in the other direction, in effect, having ten Niners play against the nine Devils who weren't spilt wide guarding Skinner.

"We knew that might happen," said Mason.  "They doubled Michael at the end.  So we ran the ball.  We might have run it one too many times, but we did have Michael open at the end and the ball went off his hands."

"I told coach I wanted to take him," said Lowell junior cornerback Cole Midgett.  "In the first half, it wasn't working out.  Why did I want to take him?  Somebody had to.  It might as well be me."

"They took away our sprint out game," said Mason of what happened in the second half.  "They bring those two big ends (Nate Cleveland and Joe Bell) hard and take away (the QB) sprint out.  I thought that Brad (Lowell defensive coordinator Brad Stewart) might do that because I saw on tape they did that against Morton.

While Midgett's night at cornerback wasn't a 100% success, he did make one of the games biggest offensive plays.  Lowell took the second half kickoff and drove 70 yards in 14 plays to cut the lead to 14-11.  But Andrean drove 66 yards in 10 plays, including a 34-yard pass to Skinner, to go ahead 21-11.

Four plays later, Skamay rolled out and fire a high arching pass down the home sidelines to Midgett, who got behind the Niner defense and ran away for a 38-yard TD to cut the lead to 21-18.

"We've had that play in forever," Skamay admitted, standing with Midgett after the game.  "But it's just a small adjustment by Cole because we noticed the corners just sit (cover the short route).  We ran it a bunch in practice.  We ran it to perfection in practice."

"Did I tell you I had him?" said Midgett to his QB.  "The first time I told you that would work and you threw it to Joe (Bell)."

"I don't know if you do this intentionally," Skamay replied, "but you throw your hand up when you get a step on him (the corner) and as soon as I see that hand I'm throwing it."

The score created momentum, which saw the Devils take the lead in the fourth period on a 35-yard run by Grubbe.

Trailing 25-21 with 6:46 to play, Andrean noted the two defenders surrounding Skinner and they ran the football with senior halfback Robert Saltanovitz (5-10, 213).  As the crowd of 2,000 made noise in the rain, the 59ers picked up three first downs, reaching the Lowell 41-yard line on a six-yard run by Schmidt with 1:30 to play.  But the QB then fired a slant pass to Skinner over the middle.  The sure-handed receiver, who had caught everything catchable all night, saw this final toss bounce off his hands to Payton, who grabbed it at the Lowell 25-yard-line.  The Devils ran out the clock for their third consecutive victory over the 59ers and Lowells' 17th home field win in a row.

Andrean couldn't say this but they're very happy with this game.  Nobody at Andrean cares about conference championships.  It's all about sectionals, regionals and state finals.  Andrean has been tied or ahead of every team they have played in the third quarter and those opponents include Lowell (8-1), Munster (7-2) and Merrillville (8-1).  The 59ers will not see that level of talent in the 3A playoffs until they get to Indianapolis, and don't bet against them being there.

Lowell was great in the second half.  Backed by their customary vocal home crowd, Skamay led the Devils on a 70-yard drive to put the Devils on the board at the start of the second half.  Skamay hit Midgett for a big TD with his side trailing 21-11.  Star halfback Brandon Grubbe, who played the entire game on defense as well, scored the go ahead touchdown as he turned a wide side sweep up field and ran through the Niner defense for a 35-yard TD run with 8:48 to play in the fourth quarter.

Moments before that, Skamay ran 42 yards on a 3rd-and-7 play from the Lowell 23-yard-line.  The offensive line, which was almost totally ineffective in the first half, gave the play makers a chance in the final two periods.

But there is an uneasy feeling about the immediate future where the Devils are concerned.  While Andrean is blowing out Calumet (6-3) next week in the first round of the 3A playoffs Lowell will face a sellout crowd of 4,000 crazy Plymouth fans in Marshall County.  The Lowell team that showed up for the first half against Andrean will not be able to come home with a win.  The Devils are well aware that, as excited as Andrean appeared to be about the prospect of beating Lowell, Plymouth will be twice as jacked up.

"We rose to the occasion to make plays," Kennedy said as he was leaving the field.  "But we have to realize that effort is more than physical.  Our physical effort is never in question.  You have to back that up with mental preparation.  If we're giving all we've got physically, but not backing it up mentally, it doesn't really do you any good.  You have to understand the value of the mental part of the game.  It's like we need jumper cables to get started."

Kennedy then made a couple of statements that stand alone.

"When you see it (the second half intensity), you know it's there.  But it begs the question, 'Where was it in the first half?'  Our level of intensity is the difference in what we're capable of doing and what we have been doing."

DEVIL NOTES:  For the record, Munster (7-2, 5-1) does not win the Northwest Crossroads Conference simply because they defeated Lowell (8-1, 5-1) head-to-head and tied them in the final standings.  There are no tiebreakers in Indiana high school football.  Both teams are considered league champions.

Lowell senior defensive back Zach Norcutt said that, while playing Plymouth will be tough, it won't be like facing Andrean, which threw the football 26 times.

"We have a good run defense and that's pretty much all they do," he said.  "They have a good tight end.  He's D-1.  But they run most of the time and we can stop the run.  We just have to be able to run the ball ourselves."

Andrean had allowed just 688 yards rushing all season before Lowell gained 210 yards on 34 carries Friday.  Morton gained 334 yards on Lowell in a 34-25 Red Devil win in August, the most this season until Andrean gained 384 yards Friday.

Lowell has a weakness in the secondary that they can't do much about.  Norcutt (6-0, 176), Stephen Garton (5-8, 158) and Midgett (5-10, 154) may not even be as tall as they are listed as being.  Unless the Devils drop Grubbe (6-1, 194), who's really a linebacker, or back-up QB Chris Sekuloski (6-3, 172) into the secondary (which they did often Friday), they have no match up for a high jumper like Andrean's Skinner or Munster's tall receiver Justin Gill (6-5, 205), who caught two fourth quarter TD passes against Lowell in the loss last week.

Lowell's winning drive was 80 yards in four plays.  The Devils did not rush for 80 yards in the entire first half.

"Our running game was much better in the second half," said Kennedy.  "We went to the Power I.  We were trying to find ways to move the football.  The further away we get from our base offense, the worse we got."

There were two shocking results in the South Bend area as South Bend Washington (7-2) blasted undefeated 5A No. 5 Mishawaka 24-0.  The winner of next week's Plymouth-Lowell 4A Sectional 10 quarterfinal will almost certainly face Washington in the semifinals.  Concord (6-3) fell for the third week in a row when they were shut out by Warsaw 24-0.  Concord QB Derrick Yoder was playing with a separated left shoulder the last two weeks and he may have been held out of this game in anticipation for the playoffs.