Week 2 - Football Game of the Week Preview

Lowell Red Devils (1-0) at Hammond Morton Governors (1-0)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

8-28-2009

TV/Radio/Internet:  WWCA (1270) AM & www.regionsports.com; Updates: WLPR (89.1) FM; Highlights: Lakeshore TV football recap show
10:30 p.m. Com Cast Cable Ch. 17
Tickets: $5.00.  Tickets will be available at the gate.  Morton does not draw big crowds for football and the weather will be less than perfect,
 
JV game:  Saturday, Aug. 29 at Morton - 10:00 a.m.

Freshmen:  Thursday, Sept. 6 at LOWELL - 6:00 p.m.

Numbers:  Morton, Class 4A, enrollment 1,159;  LOWELL - 4A enrollment - 1,224

Weather:  Good for football.  Chilly for fans.  Long range forecasts say low 70s for Friday, which means upper 60s by halftime.  Remember it's almost always a little cooler up in the north end of the county than it is in Lowell.

Parking:  Last time I was at Morton, they charged you $2 to park.  They have limited space.  Morton is about the same size as Lowell and they have about as much parking as Lowell had before the renovation a few years ago.  That's not much.  This is the Governors' home opener so the crowd may gather early.  Remember that Morton is off Cline Ave at 169th and on Friday evenings, the traffic can easily make you late for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.

Last year:  Lowell scored 43 points in the first half and dominated Morton 57-20 in Lowell.  2009 graduate Kurt Monix set what is believed to be a modern day Lowell record with four TD passes, two to halfback Brandon Grubbe.  Morton gained 286 yards but much of it was after halftime.  Only two other teams were able to score as many as 20 points on Lowell last year: Hobart (9-2) and Bishop Dwenger (14-1).  Lowell only won 3-0 at Morton in 2007.

FAST FOOTBALL FACTS...

Morton lost 22 games in a row from 1995-1998
Lowell leads the series 12-5 and has won the last two years.  Lowell lost 21 games in a row from 1979-1978.


The RIVALRY

HAMMOND - This series is relatively short.  Morton and Lowell never met before 1985.  Hammond high was the original Hammond school and the original football dynamo.  But Morton was a powerhouse in the 60s and 70s.  The Governors were champions of the old Lake Shore Conference in 1969, 1970 and they were the undefeated league champ in 1971 and 1972.  Meanwhile, Lowell had 25 consecutive non-winning seasons before 1992.  Hammond never even thought about playing Lowell in the 1970s and these schools really have little in common even now other than football.

The Governors were 0-10 (1997) and 3-7 ('99) as recently as a decade ago, but it's better now with popular coach Roy Richards.  Morton's greatest victory in recent years came in October of 2002 when they overcame a 21-6 Lowell lead in the fourth quarter of a sectional semifinal to win 24-21. 

Morton is now the largest school in Hammond and, as a magnet school, can attract students from all over the city.  I didn't know that Morton high school is named after Oliver Morton, who was Indiana's first native-born governor and a hero for the North during the civil war.  There is talk of consolidation of schools in Hammond, but I don't think Morton would be involved.  The school seems to be growing and doing well athletically for a school its size.

With Morton having just upset Griffith after losing 10 times to the Panthers in the past five years, this would be another landmark victory for the Governors.  Lowell is always at a motivational disadvantage against Morton because they are not a sectional or league rival of Lowell (Morton should be in the Northwest Crossroads Conference) and the Devils have no overriding reason to be 'up' for this game.  Morton has watched Lowell have great success in this decade and since they have just three 'league' games, the Governors define themselves by what they do outside of league play.  Lowell has to understand that this game may always mean a lot more to Morton than it does to Lowell.

Ray Skamay (14) will lead the Red Devils offense into Morton Friday.

If Brandon Grubbe cannot play or is limited, junior Jordan Juarez (7) will carry the ball for the Devils.

2009 Lowell Red Devils
(4A) LOWELL  (1-0)
Coach: Kirk Kennedy, 148-68 (19th year)  13-1 (08), 13-2 (07), 7-6 (06), 11-4 (05)
Northwest Crossroads Conference (NCC) games in CAPS -all games begin at 7:00 p.m.
Aug. 21 (W) 19-0 Crown Point (0-1)               
Aug. 28 (F) at Morton (1-0)          
Sep. 4 (F) at KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-1)     
Sep. 11 (F) GRIFFITH (0-1)   
Sep. 18 (F) HIGHLAND (0-1)  
Sep. 25 (F) at HOBART  (1-0)   
Oct. 2 (F) Hammond (1-0)         
Oct. 9 (F) at MUNSTER (1-0)
Oct. 16 (F) ANDREAN (1-0)

Sectional 10
Oct. 23 (F) with Concord, Plymouth, Kankakee Valley, Logansport,
Clay, Riley and (SB) Washington

2009 Hammond Morton Governors
Coach: Roy Richards, 61-49 (11th year)
Enrollment:  1,159
2008 record:  7-5
Sectional titles:  (0)
Regional titles:  (1) 1991
Lost sectional 9 championship game 21-7 at Griffith

2009 schedule - Hammond Athletic Conference
(HAC) games in CAPS - all games begin at 7:00 p.m.
8-21 (F) 20-0 at Griffith (0-1)
8-28 (F) Lowell(1-0)
9-4  (F) Clark (1-0)   
9-11 (F) at Highland (0-1)
9-18 (F) Munster (1-0)
9-25 (F) at Hammond (1-0)
10-2 (F) at Gary West Side (0-1)
10-9 (F) Hobart (1-0)
10-16 (F) Gavit (0-1)    

Class 4A Sectional 9
Oct. 23 (F) with Highland, Hobart, Hammond, Griffith Gary West Side, Gary Roosevelt and Lew Wallace.

The FACTORS

1. Playing on the road

Lowell won their home opener, which would be great if they could play every game at home.  But the Devils have been defined in recent years by how well they play away from Route 2.  Not counting the neutral site 2007 state championship game, Lowell had won 16 games in a row on the home field of their opponents before the 38-22 semistate loss at Bishop Dwenger last November.  A lot of it is their style of play, which takes few risks offensively and attacks on defense.  But this is a new year and Morton defeated Lowell in 2005 and 2006.  The Governors thought they should have defeated Lowell two years ago when the Devils got out of Hammond with a 3-0 win.  You have to be more serious and disciplined on the road no matter what surprise awaits you when you get off the bus.

2. They'll run you ragged

It's no secret.  Morton likes to spread the field and throw the ball.  They are built for speed and the other team gets tired before they do.  The Governors use two QBs but the boy Lowell needs to stop is junior Andrew Glidewell (6-6, 180) who tossed two TD passes to Kayln Aaron (6-0, 180) in his varsity debut last week.  Morton threw the ball 30 times last week in the 20-0 upset at Griffith.  The Devils secondary can't control Morton's speed all night so the defensive line, led ends Joe Bell and Nate Cleveland, have to get in the face of the quarterback.  Bell, Cleveland, tackles Chad Ulanowski (5-10, 215) and Jake Hayden (6-0, 290) got the best of Crown Point last week, but Morton presents more problems and they'll get rid of the ball faster.

3. Special teams need to be special

There were three TDs for Lowell last week, but only one successful conversion.  Even the Detroit Lions have a higher percentage than that.  Crown Point's longest gain against Lowell was on a kickoff return.  I know the Devils will get better on special teams eventually, but "eventually" really needs to be this week.  You can bet your bottom dollar that Lowell was working on special teams this week.  Usually, Lowell can block a kick or run a kick back for a TD against Morton, but maybe not this year.


The Bottom Line...

HAMMOND (08-28-2009) There is a major possibility that Morton will upset Lowell Friday night.  The Governors stuffed Griffith 20-0 last week, a major victory against the team that has eliminated Morton from the post-season five years in a row.  New QB Andrew Glidewell (6-6, 180), one of Morton's two rotating QBs, may be able to stand in the pocket and throw over Lowell's pass rush, something smaller QBs cannot do.  The Devils usually play up very tight on receivers, so Morton will try to throw over the top of the defense and we'll get our first real test of the Red Devil secondary.  The Governors have a couple of 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-2 receivers, while Lowell defensive backs are on the 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9 range except for Brandon Grubbe, who is questionable for this week's game after a head injury in week one.

Lowell's Grubbe, Cole Midgett and QB Ray Skamay are all very fast and Morton must be especially careful not to overrun plays in an effort to make a big hit.  The Governors have to match physical strength and line mechanics with Lowell.  Lowell's new line is inexperienced, but it is big and strong.  I do not know if Grubbe is playing.  Obviously he makes a very big difference in this game, but Morton surely is planning on him being ready.

Glidewell (14 of 20, 190 yards last week) will come out firing early and toss two first half TD passes to Kalyn Aaron (6 catches for 96 yards last week).  Cole Midgett will get one back on a kickoff return.  The Governors will take advantage of good field position again and score on a run by halfback David Sisk (14 carries, 70 yards last week) to lead 21-7 at the half.

Lowell will respond in the third quarter as Ray Skamay lead Lowell into Morton territory where Midgett will kick his first field goal of the year to cut the lead to 21-10.

After a blocked punt, Skamay will toss his first TD pass of the year to Bulls.  But a third TD pass from Glidewell will up the lead to 28-17 after three quarters as the Governors will be able to hit quick slants and pop passes over the middle against the Devils 'D'.

I think Lowell's Joe Bell recovers a fumble and Lowell will score on a run by Nate Cleveland to cut the lead to 28-24 in the fourth quarter, but the Devils don't have the passing attack just yet to steal the game in the final moments.  Morton has the offense to score four TDs and force the Devils to play catch-up.

The Governors may not be as strong as Lowell up front, but on the artificial turf and using their speed they don't have to be.  Morton's defense will bend, but not break and Lowell takes an upset loss here to a fired up home team.

MORTON 28, LOWELL 24