Lowell (2-1, 0-0)

at

Highland (2-1, 1-0)


Friday, Sept. 13, 2002 - 7 p.m.

TICKETS:   $4
Radio-TV:  None
WEATHER:     Cooler, mid-60s

PARKING:   There's not enough parking at Highland for a football game between two popular 4A teams. You need to be there by 6:15 or you'll be walking through some nice Highland neighborhoods.

HISTORY:  Lowell had won three consecutive games in this series until Highland beat them 20-17 in overtime on a field goal by Chris Johansen.   


HIGHLAND - Highland's opening night 34-3 lost to Chesterton was a shock but since the, the Trojans have played as they were expected to, beating Gavit 40-14 and Hammond 27-20.

Junior QB Kris Boyd (17 of 38, 208, one TD, 4 INTs) is a good passer but perhaps too much is expected too soon because his brother Kevin Boyd was an all-area player in 2000. Highland has 659 yards rushing after two games and if you can run for almost 220 yards a game, you don't need to throw.

But Highland is unlikely to rush for 200 yards on Lowell, which brings some aggressive defenders to the front like linebacker Mike Marzotto (6-2, 226) who has a team-leading 32 tackles. Especially if halfback Bret Bach (5-10, 175) can't play. Bach, who has scored 6 TDs in three games, hurt his knee late in last week' s 27-20 win over Hammond.  Highland also has 6-senior defensive back Brandon Fieldhouse and hard-running Mark Natelborg (6-0, 190), who has scored three TDs.  

But the game may come down to the battle between Highland's all-area punter Chris Johansen and Lowell's underrated Nick Brill.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN:  Highland has heard of Lowell halfback Justin Henley (41 carries, 356 yards, 5 TDs) and they will surely assign a linebacker to him on every play. Lowell seemed to surprise East Chicago with the quickness  and precision with which they ran plays. Highland  has to defense the option and take away the fullback. In the past, they've used four linebackers against option teams like Griffith.

I'm not sure whether fullback Toby Goetz (38 carries, 240 yards) will play. Like Bret Bach, Goetz finished last week's game on the sidelines with an injury.   If Goetz can't go, (soph FB Randy Lukasik is out for 3 or 4 more weeks with a knee problem), Lowell will have to either play Chris Garza (5-8, 185) a sophomore with a broken left hand or they'll have to bring up a freshman to be named late this week.

I'm thinking that neither side can move the ball consistently so turnovers and punts will decide this one.   Red Devil sophomore Scott Schulz, previously best known as the back-up QB,  solidified himself as a defensive regular with three interceptions this week. He may get another one this Friday. I think Lowell has more team speed than Highland and that will be a factor in on a dry field.

Because of the two key injuries, this game is hard to figure. I'm guessing that neither Bach or Goetz will play.  Red Devil kickers Nick Brill and Tim Sova have been kicking the ball very well and I think Sova decides this one. Highland-Lowell games have been close recently.  After three months of hot weather, a cooler night will spark a hard-hitting low scoring battle.

LOWELL   10,    Highland  9


DEVIL NOTES: Official Lowell stats had Justin Henley gaining 206 yards on 15 carries last week against East Chicago. The last Lowell back to gain over 200 yards was Mike French who carried 22 times for 220 yards on Sept. 15, 2000.  The highest single game total in recent years was Michael Pickett's 298 yards on 14 carries in a 20-13 win over Rensselaer on Oct. 14, 1994.

Lowell is now 2-0 at home, reversing a trend that saw them go 6-6 at home over the past two seasons. The 1999 semistate team was 6-1 at home. The Red Devils have rushed for an unofficial 717 yards this season, 239 per game.  QB Charles Thompson is 6-of-12 for 122 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs.  Tight end Jim Jeffries has caught four for 102 yards and two TDs.  Nick Brill averaged 43 yards per punt last week  after averaging 34.5 on four boots against Crown Point. Lowell only punted once against Lake Station which, won their first game in three years last week 23-6 over Calumet.

Lowell has won 28 of their last 40 games.

Here's a look back at the last four meetings between these two schools:

Highland 24,  LOWELL 21  (OT)

LOWELL (9-7-2001) Good old-fashioned football. Lowell led 14-6 at the half and they feel they should've won. Tim Sova missed a 22-yard overtime field goal and Highland's Chris Johansen hit a 24-yarder to give the Trojans the win.  Lowell ran for 219 yards and blocked a Highland punt. Now-graduated Trojan Zac Cooke carried 17 times for 129 yards. Now-graduated Red Devil Sean Anderson carried 32 times for 171 yards.

LOWELL 9,  Highland  0

HIGHLAND (9-8-2000) Lowell rushed for 243 yards and Sean Anderson's 5-yard second quarter TD held up.  Now-graduated Chris Kimbrell intercepted two passes and carried twice for 4 yards.

Highland was held to 36 yards rushing and QB Brandon Siska was sacked by Lowell's Joe Kersey for a fourth quarter safety.


LOWELL 20,  Highland - 17 (OT)

HIGHLAND  (10-22-99) Other than the 1994 victory over Hobart, this may be the Red Devils' greatest win. Both teams were 8-1 and Lowell had beaten Highland 25-13 earlier in the season. Lowell led 7-0 at the half but two short runs by Marty Havens (31 carries, 113 yards) put the Trojans ahead 14-7 in the fourth quarter. But QB Joe O'Connell drove Lowell down the field and tossed a game-tying TD to Matt Van Deursen in the final minute.

After Isaiah Bishop's field goal gave the Trojans a 17-14 lead in overtime, Lowell ran a near perfect pitch sweep with Mark Reid and Mike French delivering key blocks and Chris Goult scoring the game-winning 6-yard TD untouched in front of 4,000 fans.

Sam Voss and state champion wrestler Marcus Schontube both had 15 tackles as Lowell held Highland's high-powered offense to just 148 yards on a 45-degree, windy night.


LOWELL 25,   Highland   13

LOWELL  (9-10-99) One of the most unusual games in recent Lowell history. Both teams were 3-0 but Highland fumbled both the opening kickoff and the second half kickoff in front of a sellout crowd.

Lowell's Joe O'Connell completed 7-of-12 87 yards and two TDs to Matt Van Duersen.   Highland lost six turnovers.  All-area QB Kevin Boyd was 12-of-27 passing for 131 yards for Highland.   Lowell never trailed and evened the score for a 55-0 Highland win over Lowell in 1998.