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Lowell (1-3) at Andrean (4-0) |
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Week
5 - Football Game of the Week Preview |
Lowell (1-3) at Andrean (4-0) |
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9-14-2006
When:
Friday, September 15, 2006
Where: Andrean High School - 5959 Broadway, Merrillville, IN.
Tickets: $4 - (for everybody).
Kickoff:
7:00 p.m.
Radio-TV: WTMK (88.5) FM
Weather: After a too-wet week, a too-warm night, low 70s and dry.
Parking:
Parking: There has never been much parking at Andrean and, like at Griffith and
Hobart, there isn't much they can do about it. There is a gravel
parking lot north of the field, and that's your best option. The school
parking lot is next but its very small. The last resort is the mall parking lot
south of the Andrean school building. there's always room there especially after
5 p.m.
Rivalry: The
59ers' first varsity team took the field on Sept. 1, 1962, a 13-6 win over
Chesterton. In the 1960s, the 59ers faced six different Gary schools
(Roosevelt, Lew Wallace, Wirt and the now closed Emerson, Horace Mann and
Froebel) almost every year. The first ever Andrean-Lowell football game
was won by the 59ers 32-0 on Aug. 25, 1977. Andrean won 35-0 a year later
and the two schools ended the series until 1990 when the Niners won 41-0.
Lowell's first victory over Andrean was a 23-21 win on October 30, 1992 but the two schools did not meet again until Lowell and Andrean joined what would be the Lake Athletic Conference in 1998. Playing every year, Andrean has still dominated the series, winning seven out of eight. The best game was the 2004 contest where the eventual 3A state champ 59ers outscored Lowell 35-28. That Lowell team would finish 11-2, losing to eventual state finalist Wawasee 28-21. Last year's game was a 7-0 win for the 59ers at Lowell, a game where the future 4A state champ Red Devils would be stronger in the second half of the year. Nobody could guess just how strong.
Very few private school Andrean students are from Lowell, which is 15-20 miles to the south. There are few connections, if any, between these two schools, one private, one public; one relatively well-to-do and the other fairly rural and working class. Andrean loses out as an athletic program sometimes as they lack deep rivalries because they don't have a specific feeder system like public schools do. Lowell boys play Griffith every season from the time they begin playing football. Lowell boys begin playing Andrean as high school freshmen. There just isn't that identification factor.
One of the unspoken advantages Andrean has as a school is a sense of purpose. You go to public school because you have to. You go to a private school like Andean because you (or more accurately your parents) choose to. So, if you choose to go to a school and you choose to be on the team, you tend to dedicate yourself more. That's a stereotype, but Andrean students as a whole are more serious, because when your daddy is laying cash money down, you tend to focus.
It isn't accurate, but outsiders see athletic achievements as a mirror into the character and potential of students and that's why Andrean puts such emphasis on sports. Top teams advertise them as a quality school and the fact that Andrean has the best football record in NW Indiana over the past six years (63-9) signals that kids achieve there. Along those same lines, Lowell's state titles in football and track (Rachel Thiel) indicate that kids with a high ceiling attend Lowell, too. This is a high time for both Andrean and Lowell. Enrollment is about to rise at Lowell, if home building is any indication. Andrean is also about to see a bump in enrollment as Lake Central is at capacity and surrounding schools Crown Point and Merrillville are fast approaching peak enrollment levels. Nobody says it out loud, but Andrean is limited by its location on a commercial main street. If the school moved three or four miles south and west (into the heart of the CP or LC land) into residential areas, Andrean could double its total of students. Parents in the South Lake County area will soon be looking for alternatives.
With the solidifying this week of the new Crossroads Conference (Highland, Munster, Griffith, Hobart, Morton, Andrean, Kankakee Valley and Lowell) Andrean and Lowell are guaranteed to be league rivals for the next few decades until Lowell, as they probably will, becomes too large for these other seven schools. The case study is Hanover Central, which is expected to double in the next 10 years. Twenty years ago, CP, which is near 2,400 now, had 1,400 students. Lowell will almost certainly follow suit and be in the 2,000-kid range by 2050. The Lowell school district is, by far, the largest geographically in northwest Indiana.
So the big Lowell-Andrean football confrontations are down the line. This is the dawn of that match up. The big 59er-Red Devil rivalry has probably been in girls sports. Basketball, volleyball and softball have been sports where both schools have been at the top of the LAC in recent years. With only 12 meetings in football (Andrean leads 10-2), there hasn't been enough interaction to build up any real feeling. Lowell does seem to measure themselves by Andrean, which is the highest standard. Andrean comes off their annual walk over Hammond and they welcome a tougher, more physical game heading into the stretch run, which, for them, means Griffith and Hobart.
This is a meeting of NW Indiana's last two state champions, but that's not something that is in anyone's consciousness right now, because a lot of time has passed and things have changed. This is a good match up for both sides.
Andrean traditionally gets to see a quick defense and a power running game. Lowell gets a chance to play a multiple offense team that wins all the time. Both know they will not meet in the post-season. This is a very good opponent both ways.
Class
3A Andrean (4-0)
Coach:
Brett St. Germain (37-5, 4 years)
Enrollment: 691
2005 record: 8-2*
Sectional titles: (10)
Last won in 2002-2004
Regional titles: (5) 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004
Semistate titles: (4) 1997, , 2001, 2002, 2004
State titles: (1) 2004
*Lost Sectional 17 quarterfinal 24-10 to Morton.
ANDREAN
59ers(4-0,
2-0 LAC Black)
Coach:
Brett St. Germain (37-5, 4 years)
8-18-6
(W) 22-16 (5A) Chesterton (1-3)
8-25-6 (W) 27-6 (2A) Bishop Noll (2-2)
9-1-6 (W) 21-6 at (3A) Morton (2-2)
9-8-6 (W) 47-21 (3A) Hammond (0-4)
Sep. 15 (4A) Lowell (1-3)
Sep. 22 (4A) at Hobart (3-1)
Sep. 29 (4A) Highland (1-3)
Oct. 6 (3A) at Griffith (4-0)
Oct. 13 (4A) Munster (3-1)
3A Sectional 17 playoffs
10-20 (F) quarterfinals
10-27 (F) semifinals
11-3 (F) championship
Class
4A Lowell (1-3)
Enrollment:
1,150 - Class 4A
Coach: Kirk Kennedy (116-60, 16 years)
Sectional titles: (5) 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005
Regional titles: (3) 1994, 1999, 2005
2005 record: 11-4, Won first state title with a 28-27 win over eight-time
champ Roncalli
2006 LOWELL Red Devils
Coach: Kirk Kennedy, 116-61 in 16th year at school
Aug. 18 (L) 0-17 at (5A) Crown Point (4-0)
Aug. 25 (W) 63-6 (3A) Calumet (0-4)
Sep. 1 (L) 0-35 at (3A) Griffith (4-0)
Sep. 8 (L) 17-21 (3A) Morton (3-1)
Sep. 15 (F) at (3A) Andrean (4-0)
Sep. 22 (F) at (3A) Hammond (0-4)
Sep. 29 (F) (4A) Munster (3-1)
Oct. 6 (F) (4A) Hobart (3-1)
Oct. 13 (F) at (4A) Highland (1-3)
2005 Lowell Red Devils (11-4)
8-19 (L) 6-16 5A No. 2 Crown Point (11-1)
8-26 (W) 61-14 at 3A Calumet (4-6)
9-2 (L) 0-21 3A No. 1 Griffith (12-1)
9-9 (L) 13-32 at 3A Morton (8-4)
9-16 (L) 0-7 3A No. 4 ANDREAN (8-2)
9-23 (W) 41-7 3A HAMMOND (1-10)
9-30 (W) 48-7 at 4A Munster (3-7)
10-7 (W) 14-7 at 4A Hobart (6-6)
10-14 (W) 41-14 4A Highland (4-6)
4A Sectional nine
10-21 (W) 41-7 at Roosevelt (3-6)
10-28 (W) 41-6 vs Kankakee Valley (7-4)
11-4 (W) 32-6 Hobart (6-6)
4A Regional
11-11 (W) 30-23 at Concord (9-3)
4A Semistate
11-18 (W) 16-14 (FW) South (11-3)
4A State Championship
11-27 (W) 28-27 at Indianapolis Roncalli (12-3)
Sagarin
computer ratings: Andrean by 14
MERRILLVILLE
(9-15-2006) - Andrean
has been solid in every game so far, averaging almost 30 points a game. A
lot of that was expected because quarterback Jesse Repay was back off a strong
2005 season. Repay has thrown nine TD passes and that's with him sitting
out the second half of last week's 47-21 win over Hammond. The Niner QB
wants to roll out where he has the pass-run option. If you can't contain
that, you can't beat Andrean right now. You don't want to give him too
much credit, but Andrean has not lost a fumble all season and they've scored six
first quarter TDs this season in four games. Halfback Chandler Bowens
(5-5, 150) has rushed for 250 yards in four games.
But another story has been the 59ers defense, led by senior linebackers Matt Ryan (6-0, 195) and Matt Meschede (6-1, 185). They held Chesterton passer Alex Beierwalter to 17 of 38 and limited Morton's David Wallace to 14 of 29. Hammond scored 21 points, but they trailed 47-7 after three quarters. So that final score is irrelevant.
You don't want to give him too much credit, but the Niners' defensive prowess has come with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Phil Mason from Wheeler. Andrean has not allowed a fourth quarter point all season and the defense has allowed only one first quarter TD. There have been 7 TDs scored against Andrean, but one was a kickoff return and another was an interception runback.
What worries you is 500 yards rushing allowed in four games and three TDs rushing last week, albeit two in garbage time, by Hammond halfback David Moore. The Niners' success is qualified by the fact that they have faced the traditionally weaker Hammond schools, plus Chesterton. I'm not sure they have been tested and they probably aren't sure either.
The
59ers have had success kicking, with a near 40-yard punting average.
Sophomore Pat Gorny has a 51-yard kickoff average. Andrean has no field
goals and has missed three extra points. They rallied to win at Chesterton
on opening night, but they have not been in a close game since. Can
Andrean slow down the hard-running teams, Hobart and Griffith, that remain on
their schedule?
Lowell would never say this out loud, but their 1-3 record is not totally
unexpected. The Devils needed the first half of the season to construct a
new team, after graduating 14 starters off the 2005 state champs. Despite
the record, that construction appears to be going on. Lowell has lost to
3A No. 1 Griffith (4-0), 5A No. 2 Crown Point (4-0) and Morton (3-1). They
could have, and should have beaten Morton, but they didn't beat the other two in
2005 and no one expected them to do so this year. A lesser Andrean team
defeated a tougher Lowell team in 2005. The point is, these first six
games (Lowell plays winless Hammond next week) are all rebuilding for the Red
Devils.
They have not done badly. Halfback Steffan Peck (5-6, 165) has carried 75 times for 437 yards and six TDs and QB Josh Kuiper has 21 carries for 102 yards. Kuiper has not yet hit his stride passing with just 12 of 27 for 128 yards. Lowell needs about 100 yards passing a game to balance the running attack. Jeff Barker (6-5, 187) has been a two-way star with seven catches for 88 yards on offense and a team leading 37 tackles on defense. Players like Lukas Palmer (36 tackles) and TJ Lukasik (25 tackles) have been good in a secondary that has permitted only 27 of 59 passes for 291 yards. Junior kicker David Lang is averaging 32 yards a punt and is 11 of 11 in extra points.
Lowell
has had two big problems. They have 12 turnovers, far too many for a
conservative team. That can be stopped and may already have been.
The Devils did not lose a fumble in the loss to Morton. Also, Lowell isn't
strong at linebacker. Returning starter Kaleb Layman (5-10, 188) is out
for the year with a knee injury. New starter Danny Remboski (6-0, 193)
missed last week's game with an ankle injury and backup Chris Briggs is also
out. The Devils will be playing sophomores Justin Juarez (6-4, 197) and
David Eastling (6-0, 187), who must do well for them to win against a ranked
foe.
The Niners are more effective once senior QB Repay scares the defense with his
scrambling ability. The Niners will probably call some designed QB runs
early and then morph that into option passes. The Devils would rather have
Repay run than throw because Lowell's strength is defensive speed. The
Devils may believe they have a passing game that they simply haven't turned
loose yet. Andrean does not have an outstanding secondary. Good but
not great. Lowell offered a peek at a passing game against Morton
and they might surprise the Niners with 10-15 play-action passes this
week. Don't be shocked if Josh Kuiper does his 'Manning' impression
Friday, looking for TE Jeff Barker, HB Steffan Peck and several others as the
Devils fly the friendly skies in Merrillville. If it happens, the Red
Devils hope Josh is more Peyton Manning than Eli Manning. The Niners want
to sit on Lowell. Andrean's going to put eight up front close to the line
and dare the Devils to put it up. Andrean is known for a physical presence
up front and they'll give the Devils single coverage on receivers, so they can
put heavy weight on the Devil blockers and running backs.
That is the conventional way to play Lowell, but some schools even contain the Devils with seven defenders up close. Andrean traditionally can. Here's another strength against strength matchup in the early going because pigs will fly and listen to satellite radio before Lowell totally abandons the running game.
The 59ers want to regain the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Black Division title so a home contest against Lowell is a must game. Lowell has 11 seniors in the program. They have as much chance of winning the LAC as Jerry Springer does of winning 'Dancing with the Stars' and they knew that before the season started. But time is running out for the Devils to make the turnaround that a lot of us still expect. Lowell needs an upset that would erase their 1-3 start. But win or lose, they must show more of the improvement they appeared to begin showing last week.
WHAT
WILL HAPPEN? Friday is a kind of get out of jail free card for
Lowell and they shouldn't be afraid of it. But it's all about containing
the Niners' senior QB Jesse Repay and the visitors will find out why no one has
done that this season. Andrean checked out the first quarter of the
Lowell-Morton game, so they'll gamble and win early with a long pass to end
George Dravet for a 7-0 lead. But the Devils will shock Andrean with a TD
pass from QB Josh Kuiper to tight end Jeff Barker to even the score.
Andrean's secret weapon will be Repay's ability to run on passing downs for key
first downs. Lowell's speed is underestimated. They looked slow at
the start of the Lowell-Morton game and by the third quarter, they looked
quicker than the Governors. But the Devils must make tackles and that's
where the inexperience will hurt them on this night. Lowell will miss some
tackles and the 59er QB will score twice for the Niners to make it 21-7.
Lowell's Steffan Peck will be a marked man by the Niners' defense, but once
Lowell hits a couple of passes, Peck will be able to break through for a score
to close the gap to one TD in the third quarter.
A Red Devil fumble recovery will close the gap to 21-17 in the third period and Lowell fans will sense an upset. But Repay will prove hard to hold and a second TD pass will put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Lowell will play well for the second week in a row, avoiding the turnovers that have embarrassed them early this year.
Lowell was 1-4 last year and they came back to win the sectional, regional, semistate and state. But the time they walk off the field late Friday, you'll know if they can again rally, if only for the sectional championship. Andrean has too much offense for Lowell to stop for 48 minutes.