Week 5 -  Football Game of the Week Preview

Highland (1-3) at Lowell (2-2)

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith
09-15-2011
 
 

The sign on US 2 at the east end of Lowell welcoming folks back home for the annual Homecoming game Friday night against Highland.

When:  7:00 p.m., CDT, Friday, September 16, 2011

Where:  Lowell High School  - 2051 E. Commercial AVE (Route 2), Lowell, IN. (3 miles west of I-65)
Tickets: $6
TV/Radio/Internet: WTMK (88.5) FM. Also listen to WLPR (89.1) for updates on all local games all night.

Weather: The football season is born again. Daytime temperatures will be in the 60s, which means upper 50s by the second half. In some recent weeks it's been hard to get into the Friday night football game. It was 92 degrees at game time two weeks ago. I really didn't want to be there and I probably wasn't alone. Then last week it rained all night and we all probably shouldn't have been there. But this week we get the weather you have to have for really good football. It's a little chilly for fans, but bring a jacket and stop whining.
 

Parking: Just between you and me? Nobody's coming from Highland to see this. It's odd. While Lowell people don't see driving to Morton as a long drive. North Lake County folks equate driving to Lowell as wagon trains exploring the old west. But above and beyond that, Highland has only won four games in four years. Their fan base is waiting for a reason to drive to Lowell. You and your car will find plenty of room at Lowell on this night.

Lowell Red Devils
Coach Keith Kilmer (8-6, year 2)
2010: 6-4, 2009: 13-2
Sectional titles (11): 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003-2009
Regionals (6): 1994, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 09
Semistates (3): 2005, ‘07, ‘09
State titles (1): 2005

Aug. 19 (L) 6-27 Crown Point (2-2)
Aug. 27 (L) 6-13 at Morton (4-0)
Sept. 2 (W) 36-14 at KV (1-3)
Sept. 9 (W) 18-13 Griffith (2-2)
Sept. 16 Highland (1-3)
Sept. 23 at Hobart (1-3)
Sept. 30 Hammond (4-0)
Oct. 7 at Munster (1-3)
Oct. 14 Andrean (4-0)

CLASS 4A Sectional 10
With Clay, Washington, Riley, KV, New Prairie, Mishawaka and Hobart


Highland Trojans
Coach Ken Bye (3-21, year 3)
2010: 1-9, 2009: 1-9, 2008: 0-10
Sectional titles (3): 1982, 1986, 1987
Regionals (1): 1987
Semistates (1): 1987

Aug. 19 (W) 49-22 Lew Wallace (2-2)
Aug. 26 (L) 21-26 at Hammond (4-0)
Sep. 2 (L) 0-29 at Munster (1-3)
Sep. 9 (L) 20-35 Morton (4-0)
Sep. 16 (Fri) at Lowell (2-2)
Sep. 23 (Fri) Andrean (4-0)
Sep. 30 (Fri) Griffith (2-2)
Oct. 7 (Fri) at KV (0-4)
Oct. 14 (Fri) Hobart (2-2)

Class 4A Sectional 9
with Gary Roosevelt, West Side and East Chicago, Hammond, Clark, Griffith and Morton.

All-time series: Highland leads 30-20, but has not won against the Devils since 2002. Lowell won 42-3 last year in Highland.

HISTORY: Highland and Munster are sister and brother in some respects, although Munster is older. Both towns' development is a product of the steel industry, although Munster later benefited from the giant Community Hospital on Calumet Avenue during its growth. Highland began when a few settlers from nearby Munster moved east in the early 1900s.

Highland does not have a long-standing history before that. The first settlers are known to have arrived in 1848. If your name is Johnston and your relatives have always lived in Lake County, you may be related to the founders of Highland. Michael and Judy Johnston were the first known settlers in Highland in 1848.

Nobody lived in Highland before then. The story is, what is now Highland was part of Lake Michigan before 1800. Everything north of Ridge Road was under water. The sand ridge that stood out above the lake water gave the town its named. What was later the "ridge road" area was referred to as "a high land" or "highlands" and the name stuck.
 

The high school has never been a state power in anything, always bowing to the larger schools growing up around it and the tradition-rich Hammond and Gary schools. I don't believe Highland has ever won an IHSAA state title in any sport.

Athletic success has been fleeting. Except for a girls basketball run in the 90s (when Highland, now a 4A school, was 3A) and consistent mid-level baseball success, Highland has not been able to create a signature sport, something the school is synonymous with as football is now with Lowell.
 

Highland began football in 1958 and (like Munster, which began in 1966 with an 8-2 record) they were an immediate success, going 8-2 in 1959. Highland's community seems pretty much complete. The town has the same total of 23-24,000 residents they had in 1970. The enrollment numbers they have now are about all they are ever going to have. The district just isn't that large. Only about 7 square miles. I can see a day when Highland would be a Class 3A school, which would spark some athletic success.

Right now their programs are a little overmatched, especially since they lose a few top athletes to Andrean every other year.

Under coach Brad Smith, the Trojans were 10-2 in 1998 and 9-2 in 1999. The '99 Highland playoff game with Lowell, a 20-17 overtime loss in 35 degree weather, was a classic. In 1987, on the day Hobart won the first of four 4A state titles, Highland played Ben Davis in the 5A state championship game and lost 14-7.

But now, Highland has won four games in four years and they are trying to rebuild at lower levels. When you play Andrean, Lowell and Griffith every year, it's hard to get the kind of wins that make more kids want to play. Once you get down in a good league, it's very hard to get back up.

HIGHLAND Update:

Highland's Justin Thiele (5-10, 170) has carried 86 times for 568 yards and he is the heart of the Trojan offense. Obviously, he carries over 20 times a game, and since they've played some superior teams, he's breaking a lot of tackles. The quarterback is junior Gunner Grider (5-10, 180), who has had a rough ride so far throwing the ball, connecting on only 9-of-30 for 125 yards. Grider's father Trent is Highland's offensive coordinator and there is some offensive potential here.

Anthony Davis (6-2, 200) is the lead blocker and a starting linebacker. Highland is a little bigger in the lines this season with Aric Benton (6-3, 291) and Colin Parker (6-0, 250) weighing in. Wide receiver Mike Anderson (6-4, 190) is a strong kicker and Lakice Brooks (5-10, 170) is a threat. This is a young team that might be a year away from having a winning record. Defensively, the Trojans have not been able to stop the run. They gave up 245 yards rushing last week. The Trojans must maintain ball possession on the road in order to stay in this game. Highland won't be able to stand in against Lowell's offensive line for four quarters.

LOWELL Update:

The Devils are lucky to be 2-2 as they have 13 turnovers in four games. Nine fumbles and four pass interceptions. Lowell has also missed virtually every extra point all season and they have yet to rush for 300 yards in any game.

Halfback Nick Hamilton (5-9, 163) is on his way to 1,000 yards with 413 yards on 81 carries. Seniors Clark Mikesell (5-9, 163) and Zack Wolfe (5-7, 162) figure to get more playing time if Lowell holds onto the ball more. The Devils lose the ball so frequently that they don't win any time of possession battles. Sophomore halfback George Fields (5-10, 160) is being worked into the halfback mix because he has breakaway speed.

Lowell is very demanding of the offensive line and that's the key to the rest of the season. As the weather changes and running teams begin to control the game, Lowell's big line has to create sustained drives no matter how many times the skill players fumble the ball. They have to be determined to win the battle at the line of scrimmage all night, every night.
 

This line of center Spencer Kersey (6-2, 223), guards Jake Hayden (6-0, 266) and Tyler Wright (6-4, 243) and tackles Scott Pitrowski (6-3, 276) and Luke Mitrisin (6-3, 308) plus tight ends Nick Kijurna (6-3, 226) and Tyler Kristoff (6-3, 211) seems big and athletic. The potential is there for a great line, but the rushing results so far have been far less than great. It's not all their fault, but it's on them.
 

As the conditions begin to favor power football, it will be interesting to see whet happens at the line of scrimmage for Lowell on this night. The Devils' defense has allowed only eight touchdowns in four games and five rushing TDs. Lowell has great potential on defense as well as they have excellent base defenders in tackles Mitrisin and Hayden who were strong in last week's win over Griffith.

Lowell's big plus last week was two TD passes, one each from QB Bryan Thomas and fullback Jeremy Crocker, the backup QB. The Devils want to get the ball to the tight ends because that keeps linebackers and safeties from attacking the runners so quickly on every play. Both Kijurna and Kristoff are athletic enough to gain big yards after the catch.

Watch the kicking game. Coach Keith Kilmer vows that sophomore Sebastian Zagarena will start booming points and short field goals. Lowell must get decent kicking this season and the time is running out.

Lowell hoped to get center Wroe King and tackle Brandon Reed back this week off the injury list and they are very healthy for this late in the season.
 

Highland (1-3) at Lowell (2-2)

SAGARIN RATINGS: LOWELL by 23

Lowell lost 13-6 to Morton last week while Highland lost 35-20. The spread here is due to strength of schedule. Highland has played Lew Wallace, a team far weaker than Kankakee Valley, Lowell's weakest foe. Lowell's loss to Crown Point is devalued by CP's recent troubles, but this spread is about right.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: Highland's problems are on defense. The Trojans have allowed 28 points per game and at least 20 in every game. They may try to disguise their lack of size and depth with blitzes and alignments.

Highland will watch last week's Lowell-Griffith tape and they'll bring 10 men up close to the line of scrimmage like Griffith. Early on, Lowell will catch the Trojan defense early with a TD pass by Bryan Thomas to Nick Kijurna. Lowell should move the ball consistently after that, scoring a couple of early running TDs by Nick Hamilton and Zac Wolfe.

Halfback Justin Thiele will break a TD run for Highland and the score will be 21-7 at the half as the Devils make three extra points, for a change. Lowell's offensive line will break down the Trojans in the second half. Highland does not throw the ball effectively (4 of 11 last week) and they'll give Lowell too many possessions.

Clark Mikesell and George Fields should score TDs. Highland gave up almost 500 total yards last week at home against Morton in the 35-20 loss.

This is Lowell's Homecoming and they want to put on a better show than the first two home games. The Devils have to lose two or three fumbles to keep their guests in this game and even if they do, Highland will have major problems scoring and this could be a breakout week for the Devils in points scored.
 

LOWELL 41, Highland 7

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Revised: September 15, 2011 .