It was as if it was week one of the regular season.
Lowell was playing one of the top teams from the highly vaunted O-K Red.
So much so, that a Lowell fan was heard saying, as she left Bob Perry Field, “our Rockford Red Arrows are back.”
As it did on the opening night of the regular season, Lowell provided its faithful with a grand performance against one of West Michigan’s top football programs.
On Friday night, the Red Arrows scored on each of its opening four possessions in busting out to a 28-0 halftime lead over Rockford…wrong week, I mean Muskegon.
“Our kids are in the playoff mode. This time of year there is so much focus on these rounds of high school football,” Lowell football caoch Noel Dean said. “We’re coming together at the right time.”
Gabe Dean rushed for 154 yards, threw for 147 and scored three touchdowns in Lowell's 36-7 win over Muskegon.
The Lowell players came together in district championship form as they dominated Muskegon from start to finish in earning a 36-7 victory.
Lowell will now play the winner of Saturday’s game between Okemos and Fenton.
“It was a great team effort,” said Lowell quarterback Gabe Dean. “It’s a big win, but it’s not a state championship.”
Dean, however, played like the 2010 Division 1-2 Player of the Year recipient. He rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns while completing six-of-12 passes for 148 yards.
While Dean and his band of Red Arrows were marching up and down the field against the Big Reds in the first half, the Lowell defense stymied the Muskegon offensive attack. Juwan Lewis was held to 14 yards rushing in the first half and 59 on the night. He is the same freshman who raced for 284 yards the week before against Mattawan.
“We couldn’t get into any rhythm. It seemed as though all our positive plays were called back,” said Muskegon football caoch Shane Fairfield. “Lowell does a real good job of getting off the football. We didn’t respond until it was too late.”
Lowell took the opening kickoff and marched 60 yards, with Dean punching it in from the one yard line. The Red Arrows opened the game with a 40-yard pass-and-catch from Dean to Blake Lyman.
The Red Arrows used another huge pass play to set up is second touchdown of the night. On third and 25 from the 50, Dean scrambled right and connected with J.P North at the Muskegon 10. Two plays later Dean rumbled in from the two.
Lowell tallied two second quarter touchdowns, Dean recorded his third touchdown of the night on a one-yard burst early the second quarter while Joshua Addington scored on an eight-yard burst late in the first half.
Muskegon gave its fans a faint dash of hope as it drove 75 yards for its first score of the night to start the third quarter. Quarterback Princeton Duncan pushed it in from the one yard line.
The Big Reds, however, failed to get past midfield the rest of the way.
Jake Stehley and the Red Arrow defense held Muskegon to less than 145 total yards.
“Our kids keep finding their way. Tonight, they clicked on all cylinders,” Dean explained.”We’re excited to still be alive and to still be playing.”
Lowell’s defense also celebrated a masterful performance, holding Muskegon to 145 total yards
“They pitched a shutout during the pivotal part of the game,” Dean said. ‘We draw our strength from within – the community, not from all over.”
Lowell scored late in the second half on a safety by Jake Stehley and a one -yard scoring run by Addington.
