Red Devils score 7 TDs; Pirates score 5 TDs in scrimmage at Demaree Stadium
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 8-14-2011

LOWELL RED DEVILS
Coach: Keith Kilmer, 6-4 (2nd season)

Aug. 19 (F) Crown Point {8-4} 7:00 pm
Aug. 27 (Sat) at Morton {12-2} 7:00 pm
Sep. 2 (F) at KANKAKEE VALLEY {1-9} 7:00 pm
Sep. 9 (F) GRIFFITH {6-4} 7:00 pm
Sep. 16 (F) HIGHLAND {1-9} 7:00 pm
Sep. 23 (F) at HOBART {5-6} 7:00 pm
Sep. 30 (F) Hammond {3-8} 7:00 pm
Oct. 7 (F) at MUNSTER {7-4} 7:00 pm
Oct. 14 (F) ANDREAN {9-4} 7:00 pm

CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 10
(with South Bend Clay, Washington and Riley, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, New Prairie and Mishawaka)
Oct. 21 (F) quarterfinals
Oct. 28 (F) semifinals
Nov. 4 (F) sectional championship

MERRRILLVILLE (8-12-2011) Most high school football scrimmages, like National Football League pre-season games or golf tournaments where Tiger Woods misses the cut, leave the watcher feeling like the whole thing was a waste of time. That was not the case Friday night on the green and purple artificial turf at Merrillville.

The first on-field meeting of Lowell and Merrillville in 36 years was a TD filled dustup in perfect 75 degree weather, played in front of a few hundred "friends of the programs" in the Pirates' giant 8,000-seat Demaree Stadium.

Lowell played Merrillville evenly in a scrimmage where no score was kept. It appeared that if the Pirates wanted to emphasize the passing attack, they could have done a lot of damage to a rebuilt Lowell secondary. But when it came to running the ball, the Class 4A Devils (45-9 over the last four years) and the Class 5A Pirates (40-12 over the past four seasons) were pretty evenly matched. Lowell scored seven TDs, including two in the final moments when subs were playing. Merrillville scored five TDs all against what seemed to be the Devils' first string defense.

Merrillville is the better team, but Merrillville was unequivicably impressed with Lowell.

"Nobody got hurt," said Merrillville coach Zac Wells. "That's the number one goal. Everybody knows they're a very good program. They played very hard tonight. Hopefully our kids can learn from that."

"They (Lowell) are physical enough to challenge anybody. Their top guys are physical enough to compete with most anybody's top guys. The difference for them comes when you get beyond that. If they have injuries, they might struggle."

Lowell struggled last year but there was a much different feel Friday night. The Devils were loud and confident, something they rarely were in 2010, when they posted a respectable but disappointing 6-4 record.

Even coach Keith Kilmer. now in his second season, seems more confident and more vocal.

"I definitely feel more comfortable with what's going on right now," Kilmer agreed. "Last year, they had to learn from us and I had to learn my role as a head coach. I knew my role as an assistant. But the head coach role is different. It's easy for me to be excited when the boys are excited."

Some of us had a little concern walking into the stadium that Merrillville (2,263 students) might run wild on Lowell (1,299) and score two dozen TDs in the scrimmage format, which includes series of downs beginning at the 10-yard line and the 35-yard-line. Kilmer wasn't worried about that.

"No, I know Zac," he said. "And he told me what plays they were going to run. I think they could have thrown it deep on us 20 times and scored 15 times. I think we could play with that team, but we'd have to control the ball. We did a nice job of getting long drives and that's how I measure it."

"I think they could light us up on two or three plays, but I'd rather see us drive 10 plays down the field. Quick touchdowns do nothing for us. We need to get to third downs and get it. It was fun. I think it was pretty evenly matched. I just don't know what it would be if they opened up their playbook."

The Devils appear set to rebound this season beginning with Friday's home game with Crown Point, a team that defeated Lowell 37-6 in the 2010 season opener. Seniors Tyler Wright, Nick Kijurna, Austin Magley and Tyler Kristoff are among those who missed the majority of last season with injury, who were alive and well in Lowell's black and white uniforms Friday night.

"It was pretty good," said Luke Mitrisin, who admits he's up to 300 pounds. ("Actually, I'm down from 310," he said.) "It was good. Last year was just bad for us. The first game and the last (a sectional loss to Concord) game. Everybody wants their revenge. I remember they were a pretty good physical team. And a team that wanted to win a lot more than we did."

By the time you read this, Merrillville will have forgotten about Lowell because the Pirates host Warren Central Saturday night (6:30 p.m.) in their 2011 season opener.

"I know the coach," said Wells, "and I asked him to tell me for real. Off the record. How good are you. He said, well, it hasn't been announced yet, but the pre-season rankings have them Number 3. In the nation. He said, 'We have nine guys on defense going to Division I schools.'"

SCRIMMAGE NOTES: Merrillville's season opener with 5A No.1 Warren Central will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Lowell lost a lot of players to injury last season, but few players in recent Lowell history have had a longer road back to the football field than senior Tyler Kristoff (6-3, 210).
"In my seventh grade year," he explains, "I blew out my knee. ACL and miniscus. In my freshman year, I had a minsicus tear. In my sophomore year, in the first game I took a helmet to the knee and I needed three screws in both of my knees. I took my junior year off and here I am."

Many players would have given up after that series of injuries and for a while, Tyler did.

"I wasn't planning on playing this year," he admitted. "But I played some basketball and it felt good and strong. I thought I'd give it a shot. Tonight was amazing. I was nervous, but it feels great. We're going to have a great year. I'm glad I came back."

Lowell sophomore George Fields (5-10, 160) opened some eyes with some good moves and breakaway speed late in the scrimmage against Merrillville's junior varsity players. Fields stands out because he has been awarded the No. 6, which past Lowell star running backs from Michael Pickett to Brandon Grubbe have worn. Fields runs a bit too upright and he's probably not ready to take varsity punishment yet. But it's obvious he's a gifted runner whose day on the Lowell varsity is coming, perhaps as a kick-returner.

Merrillville starts the season with Jake Raspopovich at quarterback. He is the youngest brother of Josh (2007) and Zach (2011) Raspopovich, both of whom were Pirate QBs for coach Zac Wells.

"He's a good decision maker," said Wells. "Point guard in basketball. He's progressed as a decision-maker. He can put the ball in small places. Good strong arm. He has quarterbacking tools because his brothers were quarterbacks."

"What helps him is that he was a wide receiver last year. He knows all the routes. He knows where the receivers are supposed to be and that really helps."

"Our offensive line had some really good series down near the goal line. There were some plays where we gained four yards where we could have had more if everyone had made their blocks. But we only ran three (different) plays."