With the Division 2 semi final game on the line and less than a minute to play, while precariously holding on to a three-point lead, Lowell defensive coordinator Jason Katt replaced a lineman with a “cover kid.”

Walled Lake Western, having already blistered the Lowell secondary for over 325 yards, provided reason enough for Katt’s switch.

Lowell pressures Walled Lake Western's quarterback during Saturday's Division 2 semi final.

“We needed him,” Katt said following the Red Arrows’ thrilling 42-35 overtime win against Walled Lake Western.

The Warriors did manage 40 yards through the air in their final drive in regulation to set up a 47-yard, game-tying, field goal by quarterback/kicker Kyle Barnbard.

“That was one of the ugliest kicks, but it was good,” said Lowell football coach Noel Dean.

Lowell, on its second play in overtime scored on a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Gabe Dean to Blake Lyman.

With an extra cover man, Lowell’s defense then forced four consecutive Warrior incomplete passes in securing a game-for-the ages victory.

“It was the ugliest most exciting win I can remember,” Dean said. ‘We’re glad to get a chance to play another game.”

That game will be Lowell’s third consecutive trip to the Division 2 State Championship. The game will be played at Ford Field on Friday against Birmingham Brother Rice. a 27-26 winner over Detroit Martin Luther King.

Gabe Dean follows his blocks against a stout Warrior defense.

It will mark the Red Arrows fifth time playing for a state title since 2002. Lowell is 3-1 in its previous four trips. One of those trips (2002 – Lowell’s first) resulted in a 31-14 win over Birmingham Brother Rice.

In Saturday’s win over Walled Lake Western, the two teams combined for 64 second half points.

“i didn’t expect that many points to be scored, but both teams defend the run really well and started throwing the ball in the second half,” said Warrior coach Mike Zdebski. “We knew Dean could throw the ball and Lowell’s got some skilled kids who can catch the ball. They made one more play than we did today.”

Lowell trailed 32-28, following a five-yard touchdown run by Alex Buchanan with five-and-a-half minutes to play when the Red Arrows marched 80 yards in 13 plays with Dean connecting with Lyman on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Lyman, for the day, caught seven passes fro 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Joshua Addington falls just short of the end zone.

“I’ve never played in a game like this,” Lyman said. “It was a battle. There were a lot of momentum changes. When you’re down it’s important to stay focused and move on to the next play.”

Lowell trailed 7-6 at halftime before grabbing its first lead of the game early in the third quarter on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Dean to Jeff Houston.

Dean finished the game connecting on 15-of-21 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was a crazy game. We knew they were a tough team. We stuck together and  had an amazing team effort,” Gabe Dean said. “Credit our offensive line and the great routes our receivers ran.”

The Red Arrows increased its lead to 14 midway through the third quarter when Dean busted into the end zone from the one yard line.

The Warriors responded in quick fashion as Barnhard hooked up with xx xx on a 42-yard touchdown pass.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lowell fumbled the ball, setting the Warriors up at the Lowell 24. Four plays later it was Brent Zdebski scoring on a three-yard scoring pass. The extra point was blocked and Walled Lake trailed 21-20.

Lowell answered moments later when Joshua Addington busted through the Warrior defensive front and raced 49 yards for the score, giving the Red Arrows a 28-20 advantage.

With its win, Lowell advances to the state final against Birmingham Brother Rice.

“I was running scared,” Addington quipped later. “This was an unbelievable game.”

Walled Lake cut the lead to two (28-26) early in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard pass-and-catch from Barnhard to Carn Vieuax. The Warrior receiver caught 10 passes for 154 yards.

Lowell, who rushed for over 300 yards against Fenton a week ago, struggled to amass 70 against Walled Lake Western.

“We built this team to run the football, but they are a lot bigger team and we knew we’d have to pass the ball. We liked the matchups. The stats are a reverse of last week,” Dean said. “They’re an exceptional team and for us to score 42 against them when they haven’t been giving up many points is something.”

Lowell’s only touchdown of the first half came on a one-yard run by Dean.

Walled Lake grabbed the early lead, scoring on its opening drive when Barnhard found Connor Ruby on a 21-yard touchdown reception.

Category: Football, Lowell | Comments Off on Lowell’s 42-35 semi final O.T win, a game for the ages

Both Fenton’s offensive scheme and its coach were familiar to the Red Arrows and their coach Noel Dean.

Fenton’s spread offense had averaged 30 points a game as it entered Saturday’s regional final against Lowell.

“We’re seeing more and more of that,” said Dean. “We’re the anti that (spread). We’re the put your hand in the dirt and play football.”

With its collective hands in the dirt, Lowell’s offensive line powered Lowell as it churned up 361 yards rushing en route to a 35-14 win against the Tigers.

“Lowell is very good at what it does. It’s patient and disciplined. They get two, three, four yards a crack and then they will break one,” said Fenton coach Jeff Setzke.

Gabe Dean rushed for over 240 yards and three touchdowns in Lowell's 35-14 win over Fenton on Saturday.

The win advances Lowell to the Division 2 semi final Saturday against Walled Lake Western (a 20-14 winner over Port Huron). It marks the third straight year Lowell has reached the semi final.

“We came out and did what we do well. The boys played with a level of intensity.Our offensive line did a really nice job out there today,” Dean said.

Much of the game’s buildup was focused on Dean and Setzke being brother-in-laws.

“That received a lot of media attention. I look at it that we lost and you’re never happy when you don’t win,” Setzke explained. “Lowell’s got a great team and has built a great tradition. We’re a program on the rise.”

Dean explained that when the game started it was Lowell competing against Fenton.

When that was the focus, Lowell dominated play with a possession munching offense that never once punted. The Red Arrows stopped themselves three times with fumbles.

Joshua Addington busts through with the help of some timely blocking by Lowell's offensive line.

Lowell quarterback Gabe Dean ran for a season-high 244 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Joshua Addington eclipsed the century mark (107 yards) and scored two touchdowns.

Through the air Dean completed 6-of-9 passes for 85 yards. Luke Bigham took in four of the receptions for 58 yards.

Lowell strung together five scoring drives of 59, 65, 80, 80 and 97 yards. The Red Arrows averaged 11 plays per drive with the its longest being 15.

“I felt we stayed the course,” Dean said. “I thought we did a nice job up front. Long drives can take the wind out of a team’s sail. And it gives us a chance to rest our defense,”Dean explained. Lowell’s QB scored on runs of one, two  and 14 yards. Addington found the end zone from a yard and 17 yards out.

Lowell's defense restricted Fenton to 27 yards rushing and 198 through the air.

“It was classic Lowell football. It is very difficult to defend,” Setzke said.  “I’m happy for Noel and Lowell. I  want them to go on and win a state title so that our guys know they lost to the champs. We came in here trying to win, and it didn’t happen. But this is the kind of game that will make us better for the future.”

Category: Football, Lowell | Comments Off on Lowell runs into semi final with 35-14 win over Fenton

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.

Category: Football, Lowell | Comments Off on Right time, right place, Lowell comes together in 36-7 rout over Muskegon

Lowell leaned on its defense Friday night in its Division 2 distrrct-opening 13-7 win over Forest Hills Central.

Red Arrow defensive tackle Ryan Woodhead made the perfect read on a lean prior to blocking a punt and then recovered the ball in the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

For a 12th consecutive year Lowell won its first round playoff game. The Red Arrows defeated Forest Hills Central Friday night 13-7.

“When I saw their center lean in a little I knew the snap was coming,” Woodhead said in explaining his jump. What followed was the defensive tackle spun off a block en route to the Ranger punter. Woodhead then used his right forearm to block the punt before racing into the corner of the end zone where he recovered it for a touchdown. It was the senior’s first career blocked punt and his first-ever touchdown.

“It was the perfect situation to go after a block. You knew they weren’t going to fake it with the ball on the 10,” Lowell football coach Noel Dean explained.

Woodhead’s touchdown gave Lowell a 13-0 half-time lead. It was Lowell’s final score of the night.

“I thought we did a nice job of moving the ball, but we did not finish,” Dean said.

On five occasions Lowell moved the ball inside the Ranger 30 yard line and came away with no points.

The win marked the 12th straight time Lowell has won its first round playoff game and the 13th straight year the Red Arrows have qualified for the playoffs.

Lowell’s only scoring drive came late in the first quarter on a Gabe Dean two-yard run. It capped a nine play, 70 yard drive, giving Lowell a 7-0 advantage.

Lowell rushed for 240 yards against FHC, including 107 by Gabe Dean and Joshua Addington.

FHC’s only score of the night came early in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard sweep by Spencer Nehls.

The Rangers got the ball back moments later at its own 10 yard line with one final shot to take the lead.  The drive for an upset ended when Jeff Houston intercepted a Justin Chopp pass at the Ranger 32 with 2:42 to play in the game.

“Our kids gave everything out their tonight. We don’t match up physically with Lowell, thus are passing game needed to be sharper and it wasn’t,” said Ranger football coach Greg Ganfield. ‘We haven’t given up a blocked pun t all year. That obviously was a crucial play.”

Forest Hills Central, O-K Black Conference champions, finish its season at 6-4. The four losses have come against opponents (Zeeland West, Grand Rapids Christian and Lowell) with a combined record of 29-1.

“Central is a good football team. Our first game with them was a lot closer than what the score (35-7) indicated,” Dean said.

Lowell rushed the ball for 203 yards. Both Dean and Joshua Addington ran the ball for 107 yards. The senior quarterback was also 7-of-17 for 77 yards through the air.

The Red Arrow defense held Central to 45 yards rushing and 95 yards passing.

Lowell will now spend the next week preparing for Muskegon (8-2), a 40-19 winner over Mattawan. The Big Reds regular season losses came against Rockford (29-26) and Grand Haven (35-21).

The two schools met last year in the Division 2 regional championship with Lowell winning 33-28.

Category: Football, Lowell | Comments Off on Defensively inspired, Lowell marches into district title game against Muskegon following 13-7 win over FHC

It appeared as though an emotionally charged Greenville football team, playing a varsity football game for the final time at Black Field, would do what no other football team has done this year…. hold the Red Arrows scoreless in the first half.

Lowell, trying to avoid wearing a Black Field goose egg into the locker room at half, had one final snap with seven seconds on the second quarter clock from the Yellow Jacket 22 yard line.

Gabe Dean, flushed from the pocket, stepped up and threw one to the front corner of the end zone. where Blake Lyman out-dueled the Greenville cornerback for a game-tying (7-7) touchdown with no time remaining on the clock.

The catch fueled a stronger Red Arrow effort in the second half as Lowell powered past Greenville 35-7.

“Our kids played a tremendous first half. It was our best half of football this year,” said Greenville coach Dave Moore. “We were in great position to make a play on that throw before half, but missed. In the second half Lowell’s athleticism and not having as many kids playing both ways wore us down.”

Lowell scored on four of its first five second half possessions.

The Red Arrows took its first lead of the game a little over half way through the third quarter on a one-yard run by Gabe Dean. It capped a 29-yard drive which was set up by a Greenville fumble. It was one of two second-half turnovers committed by the Yellow Jackets.

Lowell increased its lead to 14 early in the fourth quarter on a Dean one-yard burst. This time it capped a 45-yard, 11-play drive.

“We were slow getting started and were sloppy in that first half, but were still tied. We made a lot of mistakes and penalties,” Lowell football coach Noel Dean explained.

Following a Greenville fumble at its own 40, Lowell wasted little time in capitalizing on the opportunity. Dean connected with Zach Huver on a 55-yard pitch and catch. Joshua Addington took it in from the three on the next play, building Lowell’s lead to 28-7.

Lowell finished the scoring with a little over three minutes to play when Addington rumbled in from 14 yards out.

“Our boys showed some poise in the second half. Our young offensive line works to get better every week. We were able to run up some yards in the second half,” Dean explained. “I’m also proud of the work our defensive line did.”

Lowell rushed the ball for 205 yards. Both Gabe Dean and Addington ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

Dean was 10-of-19 through the air for 162 yards and one touchdown.

The Red Arrow defense shut Greenvile down over the final 24 minutes. The Yellow Jackets finished with 75 yards on the ground and 66 through the air.

Lowell finishes out the regular season at home on Friday against Creston. Greenville will play Northview.

“We’re banged up and hopefully we can get some guys healthy before the playoff starts,” Dean said.

Lowell’s Huver was injured in the second half and had to be helped off the field. His status going forward is not yet known.

Category: Football, Lowell | Comments Off on Lowell 35, Greenville 7 – Touchdown pass before half rallies Red Arrows past Yellow Jackets