Red
Devil season hard to predict in 2002
A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith
LOWELL
(8-15-2002) Lowell's schedule will make reading their early season
progress difficult. After three nonconference games (CP, Lake Station and
Lowell), Lowell will not be 3-0 and they will not be 0-3. They face physically
superior teams in CP and EC and they overmatch Lake Station.
Beyond that comes games with state-rated teams Andrean and Griffith. Plus, the Devils never seem to beat Munster. Still, early indications are, if Lowell can stay injury-free, the Devils should improve on last year's 6-6 record.
"We're strong at skill positions," says coach Kirk Kennedy. "We have personnel that can play in the offensive and defensive lines but they're inexperienced so they have to grow into their roles as starters.
Kennedy
says that the competition between junior Chuck Thompson (5-9, 158) and sophomore
Scott Schultz (5-9, 145) is closer than the Cubs and Sox race for mediocrity.
Both are working very hard at it and nobody knows who'll win.
"They're both really good athletes," said the coach last week. They're both good runners and they're both adequate passers. It's pretty even right now and that's a good situation."
Lowell's Sean Anderson gained 1,178 yards on 242 carries last season in 12 games and I would be surprised if junior Justin Henley (5-9, 180) does do as well this season or next. If Henley is not Lowell's next rushing star, sophomore Randy Lukasik (5-8, 185) might be. Toby Goetz (5-11, 198) starred on Lowell's once-beaten freshman team last fall with Lukasik. Those two could play on both sides of the ball.
Juniors Justin Wiler (6-0, 258) and Adam Holley (6-0, 238) give the Red Devils unusual (for them) size. Matt Storey (5-10, 215), Mike Marszalek (5-11, 197) and CJ Hall (6-3, 255) will be counted on for senior leadership.
Brothers Mike (6-2, 226) and Chris (6-1, 223) Marzotto should be solid two-way players. Division I colleges are reportedly looking at Mike, a senior, as a linebacker.
Lowell appears, at the very least, unsettled, in the secondary. Henley should play there somewhere and they will be tested on opening night against Crown Point junior QB Matt Cowan, tall (6-4, 235) tight end Sean O'Drobinak and track star WR Bobby Rutherford.
Lowell could find their kicking a major strength with senior Tim Sova handling both punting and place-kicking. "He's gotten a lot stronger," said Kennedy. "His kickoffs are constantly going to the 10 or the five yard line. With the kind of offense we play, if we get good kicking and play solid defense, we should be in every game."
The Red Devils were 4-5 during the regular season in 2001. They appear to be underdogs against Griffith and Andrean while Hammond and East Chicago have elite athletes. Crown Point and Munster may be physically stronger and certainly have more depth. Expect a 5-4 regular season and consider 7-2 a possibility but an overachievement.