Lowell overpowers Lake Station 56-6
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Friday, Aug 30, 2002  -   78 degrees, dry  (in Lowell)

Scoring Summary:

1st Q: LOWELL (7-0)  Toby Goetz, 4-yard run. Tim Sova kick.
LOWELL (14-0) Toby Goetz, 6-yard run.  Tim Sova kick.
2nd Q: LOWELL (21-0) Justin Henley, 24-yard run.  Tim Sova kick.
3rd Q: LOWELL (28-0) Justin Henley, 91-yard kickoff return. Tim Sova kick.
Lake Station (28-6) Neal Anderson, 3-yard run.  Run failed.
LOWELL (35-6) Nick Brill, 17-yard TD pass from Chuck Thompson. Tim Sova kick.
4th Q: LOWELL (42-6) Randy Lukasik, 5-yard run. Tin Sova kick
LOWELL (50-6)  Ed Overdorf, 24-yard run. Tim Sova kick.
LOWELL (56-6) David King, 64-yard fumble return.  Kick failed.
(end scoring)

LOWELL (8-30-2002)   You knew going in that Lowell would beat Lake Station last Friday. Lowell is a 4A school with a strong football program. Lake Station is a Class 1A school with a weak football program. So, after Lowell beat Lake Station 56-6, there was a feeling of relief that this was the final meeting between the two schools.

"You don't ease up," said Lowell coach Kirk Kennedy. "When you ease up on the football field, a lot of bad things can happen. You can get a leg taken out. When you put on the uniform, you need to go as hard as you can. Let the coaches ease up by putting in the second and third string." The situation with Lowell this year is two-fold. Their second stringers are pretty good. And, with only 39 boys on the varsity, there really isn't a third string.

So, not only did Lowell's starting backfield of sophomore fullback Toby Goetz and junior halfback Justin Henley both score twice, but backup runners Randy Lukasik and Ed Overdorf tallied their first career TDs and quarterback Chuck Thompson tossed his first Lowell varsity TD pass.

Except for Lake Station, which lost two of their 30-man roster to injuries, a good time was had by all in 70 degree weather in front of about 1,200 fans.

Lake Station opened up in a wing-T formation and they gained a first down before punting. Lowell then drove 60 yards in four plays with Goetz carrying four yards for his first career score with 8:30 left in the first period. After a short Lake Station punt, Goetz scored from six yards out. The 198-pound fullback unofficially had 86 yards on 12 carries.

In the second quarter, Justin Henley scored on a 30-yard run only to have the play called back on a holding penalty. Two plays, later, Henley scored on a 24-yard run, part of his 106 yards on 14 carries.

Henley, a smooth-striding open field runner, broke the second half kickoff straight down the center of the field all the way for a 91-yard score, Lowell first kickoff return for a TD in six years.

Lake Station did score after Lowell fumbled at their own four yard line in the third quarter but QB Chuck Thompson threw a roll-out 17-yard TD pass to senior Nick Brill to make it 35-6 after three periods and Lowell scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore fullback Randy Lukasik, junior halfback Ed Overdorf and senior linebacker David King all scored their first career TDs, King after he picked up a fumble and ran 64 yards. Lowell outgained Lake Station 369-165 in offensive yardage and the Eagles, who lost for the 18th game in a row, did not complete a pass.  There is no time in the foreseeable future in which Lake Station could beat Lowell and since they haven't defeated the Red Devils in 20 years, it's time to move on. Calumet replaces Lake Station on the schedule when the Lake Athletic Conference expands next year.

DEVIL NOTES: Junior QB Chuck Thompson showed significant improvement over his first week against Crown Point. Thompson was 4-of-8 with no interceptions and one TD. Tight end Jim Jeffries caught three passes and a 2-point conversion pass from holder John Huseman.  Lowell fumbled three more times against Lake Station. They've lost five fumbles in two games. The last Lowell kickoff return for a TD was by Matt Pernick against Griffith on the opening kickoff of a 33-13 Griffith win on September 27, 1996.

The last time Lowell scored 56 points was last year when Lowell beat Orr high of Chicago by the exact same 56-6 score. Ironically, Lowell was playing Orr because Lake Station could not field a team at the start of last season. Lowell drops Kankakee Valley, East Chicago  and Lake Station from the schedule next year when they pick up Morton, Calumet and Hobart.

Lowell did not seem to suffer any serious injuries but Lukasik, Lowell's only back up at fullback, will have his knee and foot examined this week.  Lukasik (5-7, 185) who played well on both sides of the ball, was walking with a noticeable limp during the game and may have to sit down for a period of time.