 |
Lowell (3-3) at Hammond (2-4) |
 |
Week 7 - Football Game of the Week Preview
|
Lowell (3-3) at Hammond (2-4) |
|
10-2-2010
When:
7:00 p.m. Friday, October 1, 2010
Where: 5236 Indianapolis Blvd., Hammond, IN (Straight north down US/41 all the way front he west end of Lowell)
Tickets: $5
TV/Radio/Internet: WKIF (92.7) FM, WTMK (88.5) FM, live updates of
all local scores all night on 89.1 FM. All Lowell games are aired live on WKIF
(92.7) and WTMK (88.5).
Enrollment: Hammond - 1,100; LOWELL - 1,224
WEATHER: Perfect. Low 60s during the day. Upper 50s by kickoff
time. Come on. You are supposed to wear a coat. It's supposed to be chilly. If
you want to warm up. Cheer. Get some burnt wieners at the concession stand. It's
not that cold. This is perfect weather for players. Hammond has natural grass
but no rain is predicted Thursday or Friday.
PARKING: Hammond doesn't have much parking, but Hammond doesn't
have any football fans, so it's not an issue. Now that summer's over
weather-wise, the Hammond folks may not show up. They don't charge to park and
you do park next to the field. It's a good situation. And you are welcome here
because Hammond's foes usually do not bring a lot of paying customers. You might
want to stop for some burgers though, because Hammond high concession stand food
at basketball games (unlike the Gary schools) isn't that great.
WHAT's AT STAKE: Suddenly this is a must game for Lowell. The
Devils lost a game last week they should have won. So now, a non-conference game
has weight on it for Lowell. Hammond got smoked by Morton last week and this is
a tough week for them because they have to come back against another winning
team that is not an emotional rival. It's very hard for Hammond to beat Lowell
the week after they play Morton. It always will be.
HISTORY: Lowell leads this series 11-5, but the Wildcats have had
some great seasons. They were 10-0 in 1937, 8-0-1 in 1958 and 10-0 again in 1960
and 1962. Hammond was 10-1 in 1980 and 1981. But as the population began to
leave Hammond in the 1970s, their high school team sports declined. The state
tournament has been ugly. Hammond was just 6-36 from 2003-2006.
Hammond has changed coaches too often as well in recent years, while Morton has
stability with Roy Richards. Also, there is a Hammond charter school starting up
that will take students from Hammond high. What's the future? Consolidation?
Hammond and Gavit need to merge in a new 21st Century building that would bring
families back to the city.
An 1,800 teen Hammond high south of the present structure would also be a sports
power that could fill that open eighth spot in the Northwest Crossroads
Conference (the Hammond and Gavit school districts border the Munster and
Highland school district). I thought that government stimulus funds would be
funneled to build a new Hammond city school. But since the proposed Hammond
consolidation is still only on paper, it'll be at least five years. For now, its
been ugly. The last three Lowell-Hammond games? 63-0, 63-0 and 24-0.
Hammond can reach their season goals without defeating Lowell. As long as this
game is sandwiched between Hammond city rivals Morton and Gavit on the schedule,
Hammond will have a tough time doing anything special for the Devils.
LOWELL (3-3)
HAMMOND Update:
HAMMOND (10-1-2010) Hammond has only one hope in this game, a big night from
senior quarterback Antwoin McGee (6-2, 187), who threw for 14 TDs last season.
McGee didn't start the game against Lowell in 2009 due to disciplinary issues
and Lowell was far ahead before he got on the field. McGee threw 37 times (13 of
37, 165 yards) last week and he'll throw 30 times Friday and give the Devils a
good workout in the defensive backfield. Notre Dame will get a defensive line
before Hammond changes strategy and runs 50 times a game.
McGee is a threat to run and Lowell's pass rush has not been good. A key stat
here is that McGee ran 15 times against Morton last week. I would bet those are
not planned runs but run-pass options. You want to push the right-handed QB to
his left, which limits what he can do. Halfback Jesse Woods (5-9, 170) ran for a
TD and a conversion last week and Kevin Garret (5-9, 145) caught a TD pass,
while Michael Peavy caught two TDs against Gary West Side two weeks ago.
New coach Dedrick Dewalt was a receiver at Boston College University and he is a
former high school offensive coordinator. He believes in throwing the ball a
lot. Lowell has to be ready for Hammond to pass all night long.
While Hammond isn't strong in the defensive line, the linebacker corps led by
LeMarcus Moore (5-9, 211) and Rayvon Sanders (5-9, 185) has something to say
about opposing ball carriers, although Morton did run for 390 yards last week.
Hammond is traditionally vulnerable to misdirection. They aren't that
disciplined and their footspeed often can work against them. Hammond also
fumbled three times last week and they have major problems in the kicking game.
LOWELL Update:
LOWELL (10-1-2010) Lowell has not been good on defense, especially against
the run where they have allowed over 1,200 yards in six games. The Devils are
playing some undersized and inexperienced sophomores and they need improvement
to start showing in the next couple of weeks. It's difficult to get better
against the run in the middle of the season, but injured all-area linebacker
Jordan Juarez (dislocated elbow on August 28) will play soon and he will make a
difference.
There's a school of thought that says that Juarez should wait until the final
regular season game, but he was dressed last week and I think he's coming in
soon.
The Devils have allowed 200 yards rushing three weeks in a row and that has to
stop. But that's not the issue this week as Hammond's McGee will be rolling out
and running or throwing. The Devils get good practice here as they'll see a top
flight run-pass option guy like Demitri Blanco in two weeks at Andrean and
another one in Anthony Yoder of Concord in 4A Sectional 10.
Sophomore Joey Gruzkowski had an interception for a TD last week, but the
secondary has been shaky. I would not be surprised to see quarterback Chris
Sekuloski (6-3, 170) in on defense Friday. He played safety last season and he
could help a small, inexperienced group.
What has gone unnoticed is that Lowell's offensive line has turned loose the
juice. Lowell rushed for 370 yards last week and they are near 1,500 yards for
the season.
Its hard to describe what Cole Midgett has done. His 315 yards on 27 carries
(unofficial numbers) broke Toby Goetz' six year old single game school record.
Midgett also went to QB late in the game and just missed connecting on a game
winning TD pass to Nick Hamilton in the final minute.
Chris Sekuloski had two passes intercepted last week, but I would not see him
throwing much this week anyway as Lowell may get an edge up front. I would like
to see Sekuloski used in the running game as Hammond will certainly key on
Midgett, who was 25% of Lowell's 4-by-4 (160 meter) state qualifying team
(coached by football coach Keith Kilmer) last year.
I would not be shocked to see Lowell use three backs with Jeremy Crocker or Nick
Tokarz as the fullback in front of Midgett, Hamilton or Zach Wolfe. They may not
talk about it, but the No. 1 goal for Lowell in the next three games is to get
Midgett (100 carries, 821 yards, 16 total TDs) through the regular season
uninjured. You may see a lot of Wolfe, Hamilton or Gruszkowski on this night.
Midgett was 5-of-6 on extra points last week and he averaged 35 yards a punt.
The Devils need a plan for when teams kick away from Midgett and they may be
working on that for the post-season.
Lowell has scored 40 points four times in the first six games, which suggests that the offense still has great potential.
at 'Bernie Krueger Field' - capacity - 2,500 Sagarin ratings:
Lowell by 37
LOWELL
- The rating here is because of Hammond's strength of schedule, which is
223rd in a state of 320 teams. Lowell has faced two Top-50 teams in Morton
(Morton actually is 51st) and Crown Point and they defeated Morton. Hammond lost
by 32 to Morton.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Hammond game comes at the right time for Lowell
this season as the Devils need to get over last week's one-point loss. Lowell
will score early on a long run by Cole Midgett and they will block a punt for a
TD in the first period. Jason Parker will intercept a pass to set up a third
score and Midgett will close the first half with another TD run.
In the second half, Zach Wolfe and Nick Tokarz will score TDs before Hammond
gets on the board with an Antwoin McGee pass to Jesse Woods.
This season is a reason Lowell might want to keep Hammond on the schedule. It's
a time to work on things. Most schools that are not 5A have a game like this.
It's a second chance to start the season and Lowell usually jumps all over this.
But
Lowell should be playing Rensselaer or North Judson the way they used to. Those
of us who watch Red Devil football would appreciate that and the Lowell athletic
department piggy bank would be fatter because of it. Until the Hammond schools
consolidate, Hammond cannot compete with the Devils in varsity football.
But that's the future. Lowell will see 30 to 40 passes from McGee Friday so they
better be in shape, all the way down the bench. I look for a sub like Joey
Gruszkowski to have a big game.
The Red
Devils' offensive line can control this game if they come to play. This is a
business trip. Get ready to run for 48 minutes. Get the win. Come home and get
to work on the final two league games.
It's
not a big game for the Devils, but Lowell found out last week that every game is
a big game if you're playing Lowell.
LOWELL 42, Hammond 6