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Crown Point (0-0) at Lowell (0-0) |
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Week
1 - Football Game of the Week Preview |
Crown Point (0-0) at Lowell (0-0) |
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8-16-2007
When:
7:00 p.m., CDT on Friday, August 17, 2007
Where: Lowell High School, Route 2, Lowell, IN
Tickets: $5 (for everybody)
TV/Radio/Internet: WWLO (89.1) FM, WWCA (1270) AM and WTMK (89.5) FM will carry this game live. Live Internet coverage on www.RRSN.com and www.USA-365.com.
Weather: Our prayers may be answered by Friday. The long string of demoralizing 85-95 degree days broke on Monday and after a brief return to midsummer heat and some heat-busting rains, temperatures Friday are scheduled to drop. Friday highs are predicted in the mid-70s which means game-time Friday temperatures could drop into the 60s. This should be great for all players who have dragged themselves through heat and high humidity all month. Fans will be smiling and all the well-watered fields should be in top shape.
Parking: There simply isn't enough
parking at Lowell for a game of this
magnitude. In the predicted dry weather,
the practice field directly east of the
playing field will be used to line up cars.
Cars can also be parked south of the school
building if you get there late. Lowell does
not want you to park on the east side of
Holtz Road and run across the street to the
field. That's not very safe. If you arrive late, my spot has always
been south across Route 2 in the Bank and
supermarket parking lot. The drive-up bank
is closed by 6:00 p.m. and there's not a lot of
shopping going on when the Devils are
playing. What you really need to do is come in
car pools. Again, don't blame the school. Lowell and Crown
Point are as popular as
they have ever been. This is the first
night in history that Crown Point and Lowell
are both defending sectional champs heading
into their game.
RIVALRY: 'The Leather Helmet' game
is what Lowell and Crown Point have begun to
call this rivalry that dates back to 1903.
The numbers of meetings differ, but several
sources recognize this as the longest
standing matchup of two high school football
teams in Northern Indiana. Crown Point
leads the series 61-39-2. Lowell has won
five of the last eight, but CP has won the
last two.
Once again, the 'Leather Helmet' name is probably some colorful revisionist history. This rivalry dates back before helmets. This game is naturally hyped. Lots of Lowell folks head for Crown Point in early August for the Lake County Fair and the talk does occasionally drift to the season-opening football game. Surely some livestock and fried twinkies are wagered on the outcome.
The game often brings together relatives who have lived in different parts of the South Lake area. There is such a long distance from the south end of Lake County up to the north end of Crown Point that you may have a cousin show up at the Lowell-CP game you hardly knew you had. Crown Point had a volleyball and basketball player named Jill Weiand whose cousins are David and Mike Weiand at Lowell.
Now graduated Lowell star Jeff Clemens,
who is now at Joliet Junior College, played
Junior Bulldog football in Crown Point.
Lowell baseball pitcher Derek Brandenburg
played Babe Ruth all-star baseball for CP.
Lowell assistant principal Mike Chelap is a
former athletic director at Crown Point,
where all his kids graduated. CP principal
Ryan Pitcock is a familiar sight at Lowell
volleyball matches because his wife Wendy
has been the head coach there for 11 years.
There is a serious lack of animosity in this
rivalry.
Look for purple Merrillville jackets in the
stands Friday night, though. The Pirates,
who do not play Friday on the eve of their
long-awaited 'Saturday Night Special' home
game showdown (6 p.m.) against top-ranked
and defending 5A state champ Warren Central,
may head south to Lowell to watch the
arch-rival Bulldogs. That will add fun to an already eagerly
anticipated night.
Class 4A Lowell
Enrollment: 1,150 - Class 4A
Coach: Kirk Kennedy (120-65, 16 years)
Sectional titles: (6) 1992, 1994, 1999,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Regional titles: (3) 1994, 1999, 2005
2005 record: 7-6*
*Lost the regional tile 33-14 at home to
Concord
2007 LOWELL Red Devils
Coach: Kirk Kennedy, 122-65 in 17th year at
school
Aug. 17 (F) Crown Point (12-1)
Aug. 24 (F) at Morton (5-5)
Aug. 31 (F) at KANKAKEE VALLEY (8-2)
Sep. 7 (F) GRIFFITH (10-1)
Sep. 14 (F) HIGHLAND (3-8)
Sep. 21 (F) at HOBART (10-2)
Sep. 28 (F) Hammond (2-10)
Oct. 5 (F) at MUNSTER (5-5)
Oct. 12 (F) ANDREAN (8-3)
2006 SEASON (7-6)
Aug. 18 (L)
0-17 at Crown Point
Aug. 25 (W) 63-6 Calumet
Sep. 1 (L) 0-35 at Griffith
Sep. 8 (L) 17-21 Morton
Sep. 15 (L) 0-17 at Andrean
Sep. 22 (W) 35-12 at Hammond
Sep. 29 (W) 15-14 Munster
Oct. 6 (L) 0-7 Hobart
Oct. 13 (W) 47-14 at Highland
4A Sectional (9) Nine
Oct. 20 (W) 24-6 Kankakee Valley
Oct. 27 (W) 58-6 Gary Roosevelt
Nov. 3 (W) 31-28 at Hobart (OT)
4A
Regional Championship
Nov. 11 (L) 14-33 Concord
Class 5A Crown Point
Enrollment: 2,400 (est.) Class 5A
Head Coach: Chip Pettit (41-26, 7 years)
12-1 in 2006
Championships
SECTIONALS (2) 1988, 1991, 2006
REGIONALS (1) 1988
Lost 28-21 (OT) to LaPorte in the 5A
regional
2007 Crown Point Bulldogs
DAC games in CAPS
Aug. 17 (F) at Lowell (7-6)
Aug. 24 (F) Hobart (10-2)
Aug. 31 (F) MERRILLVILLE (7-5)
Sep. 7 (F) at LAKE CENTRAL (4-6)
Sep. 14 (F) at PORTAGE (6-5)
Sep. 21 (F) VALPARAISO (4-6)
Sep. 28 (F) LaPORTE (10-4)
Oct. 5 (F) at CHESTERTON (5-6)
Oct. 12 (F) MICHIGAN CITY (1-9)
2006 SEASON (12-1)
Aug. 18 (W) 17-0 Lowell
Aug. 25 (W) 34-20 at Hobart
Sep. 1 (W) 17-2 at Merrillville
Sep. 8 (W) 31-14 Lake Central
Sep. 15 (W) 17-10 Portage
Sep. 22 (W) 35-21 at Valparaiso
Sep. 29 (W) 42-41 at LaPorte
Oct. 6 (W) 41-21 Chesterton
Oct. 13 (W) 45-13 at Michigan City
5A Sectional One
Oct. 20 (W) 49-0 at Lake Central
Oct. 27 (W) 14-13 (OT) Portage
Nov. 3 (W) 28-7 Merrillville
5A Regional Championship
Nov. 10 (L) 21-28 (OT) at LaPorte
LOWELL (7-6) at 5A No. 6 CROWN POINT (12-1)
CROWN POINT (8-17-2007)
There's no way either side gets to pretend
to be the underdog anymore. Lowell has won
four sectional titles in a row and Crown
Point has won two consecutive Duneland
Athletic Conference (DAC) titles. And the 2007 versions of the Bulldogs
and Devils have more potential stars than an
American Idol audition.
Crown Point has used five linebackers in the
last three seasons and they've had great
success. Linebacker will be a strength with
Nick Cottrell (77 tackles), Andrew
Szymborksi (68 tackles), Lance LaMere (66
tackles) and Tony Conway (51 tackles), to be
joined by Stahl, who was in on 48 stops last
year at cornerback, and possibly Nikrin, or
juniors Mark Myers (5-10, 165), Donny
Cocvaciu (5-9, 185) or Greg Schillo (5-10,
205).
Up front, Nick Hladek (70 tackles, 7 sacks) and tight end Zach Cecich (6-3, 230) could be the defensive ends while the tackle position is where the four offensive linemen, Blue, Childress, Brumm and Wermers come in. Back-up quarterback Marcus Shrewsbury (6-0, 210) , a state finalist wrestler who has been the backup quarterback for two years, will try his hand at defensive line, taking advantage of those wrestling skills.
Cody Blue (6-2, 250) and Matt Childress
(6-2, 260) have been switched from offense
to defense, at least part time, to add some
bulk that was needed last season. If someone
like Blue can draw a double team, it free us Hladek to rush the passer and one blocker
usually doesn't stop him. If Blue and
Hladez draw two blockers, CP will blitz you
into the ground.
CP's O-Line led by Matt Polus and Kurt
Wermers (6-5, 270), has plenty left. The
starters for the opener are not obvious but
there are several candidates. The biggest
chance at CP in the last 10 years has been
in the offensive line. They've alwasy had
skill position players.
At running back, CP will look to extend the
string of 1,000-yard rushers which began
with Mark Kaiser in 2005 and continued with
Jon Sertich (235 carries, 1,492 yards) in
2006.
Senior Russell Chick (5-9, 180) will the
chance to run behind CP’s senior-dominated
offensive line.
The Bulldogs have top passer Blake Mascarello (133-225, 2,080 yards) back but CP's nearly 2-to-1 run-pass ratio (434 rushes - 227 passes) figures to remain the same, even with top tight end Zach Cecich (16 catches, 324 yards, 6 TDs) returning. CP’s top two receivers graduated but Boone Grove-transfer Ron Burton (6-2, 180), veteran Joe Baker (6-4, 180) and No. 2 tight end Joe Maginot (6-3, 220) give CP size at the pass catching positions.
Look for juniors Danny Osojnicki (5-11, 170) and Kyle Qualizza (5-11, 165) to get chances because CP figures to continue to use four wide-receiver sets. Kicker Micheal Lipton has 40-yard range and was over 90% on extra points last year.
Look for Chick to be very effective.
Fullback Mike Kozlowksi (6-0, 210) will miss
the opener because he's playing with the
Hammond Seminoles baseball team (it is still
baseball season) in the Babe Ruth World
Series. Other than possibly the WRs and
defensive backs (and they would be described
as untested rather than untalented), I don't
see a weakness.
But there are few questions about Lowell
either.
Lowell's key until has traditionally been the offensive line and they appear to have the makings of a better-than-average line for 2007. Geno Wentworth (6-2, 240), David Lang (6-0, 206), Josh Hayden (5-11, 210), Brian Demario (6-3 222), Matt Haebel (5-9, 190) could start but Justin Juarez (6-4, 221) and Jon Sgouroudis (6-1, 260) could fill in there, too.
The quarterback would appear to be junior wrestler Kurt Monix (5-9, 155), who has as god a throwing arm as Lowell has had at that position in this decade. Accepting that Lowell traditionally runs the ball 90% of the time, Monix is going to keep the opposition's secondary at a respectful distance because he can throw accurate spirals 30-40 yards downfield. If this was a passing team, they'd be well-equipped with WR Eric Roadruck (5-8, 155) and tight end Jeff Barker (6-4, 205). Barker caught 17 passes for 301 yards last year and he runs sprints for Lowell's track team so he will rarely be caught from behind. Senior Lukas Palmer, Lowell's leading tackler in 2006, had four interceptions and he could be utilized as a wide receiver in 2007. TJ Lukasik can catch the ball out of the backfield.
Lowell will still run most of the time with two-year starter Steffan Peck (5-8, 185), who looks to follow graduated Max Znika as Lowell's next 1,000-yard rushers after gaining 995 yards on 198 carries in 2006. With Danny Remboski (6-0, 205) and Johnny Black (6-2, 195) blocking and Lukasik runner counters or misdirection plays.
Lowell's strength will be on defense
where Barker is a major problem at one
defensive end and DE Joe Carlson (6-0, 205)
takes advanatge of all the attention paid to
Barker.
Geno Wentworth wilbe a key in the line with
maybe Logan Wright. The Lowell linebackers, Ben Rigby, Justin
Juarez, David Eastling and Danny Remboski
all started at one time or another last
year.
Palmer and Lukasik return in the secondary after a season when they combined for over 130 tackles and 10 interceptions. The Dviols need one corner for the defense to be complete. Senior David Lang is all-area caliber as a punter and place-kicker.
To be honest, Lowell has as much talent this
season as they did in the 2005 state title
season, a year when Crown Point defeated
them in the season opener.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ?
This game is typically very
conservative. Both teams run the ball a lot
early.
For CP to throw 20 passes on this night
would be to play into Lowell's greatest
strength, their speedy pass rush and
experienced secondary.
The Devils wont throw much because they know
the ground game is what they need later in
the season and they want to work on it
CP will use Russell Chick repeatedly and
they'll take a 6-0 lead after one quarter on
a couple of field goals by Michael Lipton.
Crown Point will score in the second period as Blake Mascarello finds Ron Burton for his first Bulldog score. The Bulldogs will dominate a low-scoring first half.
Lowell will be forced to the air in the
second half and they will find some success
on short passes to Steffan Peck, who will be
the running focus of the CP defense.
Look for Lowell to work some counter
plays or misdirection wurns that take
advanatge of CP's defensive footspeed. But
it will be difficult for Lowell to break a
play into the open field against CP's
experienced linebackers.
Lowell cuts the lead to 13-7 on a pass from
new QB Kurt Monix to Jeff Barker (6-4, 210).
The Bulldogs have the bigger stronger team
and they'll be able to wear down Lowell for
a late TD drive. Chick's second TD will
give the Bulldogs the two TD lead again.
Some scrambles by Monix and runs by Peck
will set up another David Lang field goal to
create the final score.
This is almost always a low-scoring game and
with so many new offensive faces for both
sides, that seems certain Friday night.
CROWN POINT 20, LOWELL 10