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4A Sectional 10 Quarterfinal
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Week 10- Football Game of the Week Preview
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4A Sectional 10 Quarterfinal
Preview:
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USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
10-21-2011
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| Lowell's Football stadium, "The Inferno," seats approximately 3,500 fans. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
When:
7:00 p.m., Friday, October
21, 2011. (Note: This starting time is correct.)
Where: Lowell High School - 2051 E. Commercial AVE (Route 2), Lowell, Indiana. (3-miles West of I-65 on State Route 2.
TV/Radio/Internet: WTMK (88.5) FM, WKIF (92.7 FM). Also listen to WLPR
(89.1) for updates on all local games all night.
Weather: Cold. Hard core cold. Low 50s during the day, but upper
40s for the kickoff. Plus, it's rained all week. The field will be muddy. This
is run-the-ball weather that both these teams traditionally like, but Lowell is
at home. Some of Lowell's greatest wins have come on nights like Friday. But
Mishawaka is Lowell in brown uniforms.
Parking: I'm not sure a big crowd is coming from Mishawaka for
this game. The Cavemen have allowed 67 points the last two weeks and the idea
that they can win the sectional seems farfetched. The game will be on radio back
to St. Joseph's County and week-long rains will convince Cavemen and Cavewomen
to stay home and listen. I'm not even sure of the home crowd for Lowell after
last week's 4 TD loss on the home field. If you're coming, there will be room
for you.
2011 Northwest Crossroads STANDINGS (final)
NCC overall
1. ANDREAN 6-0, 9-0
2. Munster 5-2, 5-4
3. LOWELL 5-2, 5-4
4. Griffith 5-2, 6-3
5. Kankakee Valley 2-5, 2-7
6. Highland 1-5, 2-7
7. Hobart 2-6, 2-7
WHAT'S AT STAKE: The winner faces either Riley (2-7) or New
Prairie (3-6) in the 4A Sectional 10 semifinals on October 28. Mishawaka is home
if they win. Lowell would have to play at Riley, but they would host New Prairie.
If Lowell gets to the sectional championship game against powerful South Bend
Washington and all-state receiver Gehrig Deiter, it looks like that game will be
in South Bend.
Class 4A Sectional 10 Quarterfinals Oct. 21
(SB) Riley (2-7) at New Prairie (3-6)
Mishawaka (6-3) at LOWELL (5-4)
Kankakee Valley (2-7) at (SB) Washington (6-3)
Hobart (2-7) at (SB) Clay (4-5)
HISTORY: Mishawaka is home to 45,000 residents and one of the state's most
timeless legends.
The story is that in the early 1800s Shawnee Indian Chief Elkhart, for whom
Elkhart, Ind. is named, was wounded in battle with the Potawatomi Indians. His
daughter, Princess Mishawaka, who was about 15 years old at the time, rallied
her father's men in battle and was taken hostage. The legend has it she fell
in love with one of her captors, a white fur trapper. They later married and
spent the rest of their days living along the St. Joseph River, working for
peace between the white man and the Indians.
If that story isn't true, it should be.
The princess died young at age 32 in 1818 and the St. Joe river area where she
lived took her name in 1833. There is more than one statue and monument to the
princess in downtown Mishawaka and it's the town's own legend. Mishawaka,
Indiana is known as "The Princess City."
Mishawaka (which means clear water) is a blue collar town that thrived on the
recreational vehicle industry in the 20th century. Next door neighbor Elkhart
was known as the unofficial "RV capitol of the world" for many years.
Technically, Mishawaka and South Bend are twin cities.
Mishawaka high is the oldest high school in Mishawaka, which counts Marian and
Penn as its own.
In my time here, I have never found out why Mishawaka athletes are called
"Cavemen." It is not explained on their web site and many you ask have no idea.
If there are caves in St. Joseph's County, I don't know about them. The school
is very old and maybe Cavemen had a connotation of strength and power in the late
1800s.
Mishawaka has about 1,650 students, and they've played football since, at
least, 1902. Mishawaka plays in 8,000-seat Steele Field, which honors their
first great coach. Frank Steele coached the Cavemen to undefeated 8-0 seasons in
1925 and 1926, when they won the season opener 57-0 over Lowell.
I cannot imagine why Lowell traveled to Mishawaka for a football game in 1926. Remember, there was no I-65 and no superhighways back in the 1920s and much of the area between the two towns was unpaved roads. The trip had to take several hours and it's no wonder Lowell got stomped once they got there. This Friday's game is the first meeting of Mishawaka and Lowell in 85 years.
LOWELL (5-4)
Coach Keith Kilmer (11-6, year 2)
2010: 6-4, 2009: 13-2
Sectional titles (11): 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003-2010
Regionals (6): 1994, 1999, 2005, 2007- 09
Semistates (3) 2005, 2007, 2009
State titles (1): 2005
8-19 (L) 6-27 CP (6-3)
8-27 (L) 6-13 at Morton (8-1)
9- 2 (W) 36-14 at KV (2-7)
9-9 (W) 18-13 Griffith (6-3)
9-16 (W) 45-30 Highland (2-7)
9-23 (W) 19-17 at Hobart (2-7)
9-30 (W) 33-6 Hammond (7-2)
10-7 (W) 8-27 at Munster(5-4)
10-14 (W) 35-7 Andrean (9-0)
Mishawaka (5-4)
Coach Bart Curtis (36-10, 4th season )
2010: 12-1, 2009: 11-2, 2008: 7-4
Sectional titles (6) inclduing 2009, 2010
Regionals (1) 1991
Lost 2010 Class 5A Regional championship 21-14 to Valparaiso
8-19 (W) 29-22 Portage (4-5)
8-26 (L) 14-31 at Penn (9-0)
9-2 (L) 12-35 at (SB) St. Joseph's (6-3)
9-9 (W) 35-7 at (SB Riley (2-7)
9-16 (W) 45-28 (FW) North (7-2)
9-23 (W) 49-38 at Elkhart Central (4-5)
9-30 (W) 42-28 (SB) Adams (2-7)
10-7 (L) 30-35 at (Mishawaka) Marian (7-2)
10-14 (L) 13-37 (SB) Washington (5-4)
MISHAWAKA Update:
MISHAWAKA (10-21-2011) Mishawaka junior quarterback Sam Schrader (5-10,
170) is the whole show. In 13 games last season, Schrader carried 192 times for
1,139 yards. Two weeks ago against Marian, he ran 24 times for 131 yards. Three
weeks ago, Schrader ran for 146 yards and four TDs against Elkhart Central. In 21
starts at QB, the very quick Schrader has 36 rushing TDs. You have to hit Sam
Schrader on every play.
The Cavemen throw occasionally, but they are arrogant about running the ball. Using a quick-hitting type of veer option, Mishawaka ran for 324 yards against Marian, 388 yards against Adams, 303 yards against Elkhart Central and 290 yards against Portage. They didn't complete a pass in the win over Portage and completed just one in the 35-30 loss to Marian. Mishawaka isn't very big, so they need quickness and timing to make the rushing attack work. They run the Veer, which is a spinoff of the wishbone designed to allow small teams to beat bigger, slower ones.
Schrader runs it very well and the Cavemen have rushed for approximately 2,200
yards in nine games. Mishawaka is 24 of 52 passing all season and only four TD
passes.
To win, the Cavemen have to control the ball for long periods of time, but they
are very capable of doing that.
Despite their schedule, this is an inexperienced team. This will be the first
post-season start for many of the Cavemen since they graduated 17 starters off
last year's 5A sectional 2 title team.
The Cavemen have a big threat in halfback Danny Eggleston (5-9, 165), a big-time
kick returner who scored on a 93-yard runback last week.
Kicker Joe Herman was 44-fo-44 on extra points last year, but he missed last
week. Junior halfback Matt Carver (5-11, 170) also has a kick return for a TD
this season.
Their line is not big, but senior Ryan Reideenbach (5-6, 215) is a player who
started part time last year. All of Mishawaka's experience seems to be on
offense and they are desperate for a win to avoid a 5-5 season.
The Cavemen average 30 points a game, but they have allowed 29 points per game.
You have to dominate the Mishawaka defense because you will not stop them for
four quarters.
LOWELL Update:
LOWELL (10-21-2011) The Devils could not move the ball on Andrean in a
35-7 loss and their defense wore down, a very decisive loss.
Lowell had to punt six times and Andrean rushed for 286 yards. The Devils were
held to 137 total yards and just seven first downs.
The Devils have been stalled on offense for two weeks and it's more than just
facing good defense. Lowell is averaging just 19 points a game, the lowest total
for the Devils since 1998 and there's no apparent reason for it.
The line, led by guard Tyler Wright (6-4, 245) and tackle Luke Mitrisin (6-3,
308) on the right side, has banked 2,000 yards rushing. But halfbacks Nick
Hamilton (5-9, 165), Clark Mikesell (5-6, 160) and George Fields (5-10, 160)
have not gotten into the end zone as much as they'd hoped. Lowell has 19 rushing
touchdowns, which is low by Lowell standards.
The offense has 21 turnovers, far too many for a winning team. The Devils only
had one turnover last week, but it was key in a 35-7 loss to Andrean.
Defensively, the Devils seemed to have tired in recent weeks and you may see
different substitution rotations against Mishawaka. Lowell has to chase
Mishawaka's quick Sam Schrader and they'll need fresh legs, especially on a
muddy field.
You may see senior Brandon Reed (5-9, 230) at one tackle and you might see some
of Crown Point and Morton's 3-5-3 defense that is very tough to block.
Spencer Kersey has taken over the extra point duties, but Lowell has not booted a
field goal all season and they would only try one in 4th-and-long situations.
When you speak of Lowell's offense and defense, it is somewhat misleading
because a lot of the same players play both ways. That means the Devils need things
to go well early and it will carry over on both sides of the ball.
But Lowell's offensive line and running backs can keep the Mishawaka offense off
the field with long, slow possession drives. The Devils have no major injuries
they have made public. Almost everyone is available for the biggest game of the
season.
Mishawaka Cavemen (5-4)
at Lowell Red Devils (5-4)
SAGARIN RATINGS: Mishawaka
by 9.
Lowell's played a good schedule, but the Cavemen have played a tougher one
including Penn (9-0), Marian (7-2), Fort Wayne North (7-2) and South Bend
Washington (6-3).
Mishawaka has played five Class 5A schools. Lowell has faced just two: Munster
and Crown Point, both teams they lost to. The Penn (9-0) team that defeated
Mishawaka is probably superior to the Andrean (9-0) team that topped Lowell. The
spread here would be about right if the game was played at Mishawaka.
WHAT
WILL HAPPEN:
LOWELL (10-21-2011) Lowell is an emotion-based team and you'll know the
Devils' fate early. If the bench is into the game early and Lowell scores in the
first quarter, things will go their way.
I think The Devils go right down the field on their first possession to score on an option run by Bryan Thomas. Mishawaka, which desperately needs things to go well early in their first-ever visit to Lowell, won't be able to run early. But QB Sam Schrader will shock the home team with a rare (for them) TD pass to running back Nick Eggleston.
The Devils drive the length of the field in the third quarter to score for a
Nick Hamilton TD and a 13-7 lead. But Schrader breaks away for a long TD run to
give the Cavemen, who need a win to save their season, their first lead of the
game.
Lowell will look to Clark Mikesell for a spark and he gets through the Cavemen
defense on a misdirection run to score the winning TD midway through the final
period.
This is a good matchup for Lowell. The matchup I wanted. Mishawaka has a great
player in Schrader, but they've had serious defensive problems. If the Devils
don't fumble more than once, they win the "hard times bowl" and save their
season.
LOWELL 20, Mishawaka 14