Red Devils open up the passing game

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HAMMOND -- There are three things you can take to the bank about Lowell.

One, the Red Devils are well coached by arguably the best in the region in Kirk Kennedy. Two, they have a running game to die for, and three, you will never, ever see a Lowell quarterback in need of Tommy John surgery.

Translation: Lowell just doesn't throw the ball a whole lot.

That is why the following stat has to range as the biggest upset in football since USC made that ill-fated trip to Oregon State last week: 

Lowell rushing yards in the first half of its 63-0 victory over Hammond on Friday: 136. Passing yards: 112.

Hammond's concession stand could have made a fortune on smelling salts on that stat alone.

"That's just kind of weird thinking about that," running back Brandon Grubbe said. "But we have a pretty good quarterback."

The QB in question is senior Kurt Monix, who threw for an un-Lowell like 184 yards and three touchdowns. And we're not talking dink -and-dunk stuff here, with one of his scoring passes a 78-yarder to a wide open Jacob Belt, one of two the senior would catch for the game (the other was a 24-yarder).

"The running game opens up the passing," said Monix, who also threw a 70-yard scoring pass to Grubbe on a screen pass. "Maybe we didn't do as good early in the game when opportunities opened up for us but when those chances come, I have to step up and make the throws."

There would be no second-half breakdown by the Lowell defense unlike last week when disaster almost struck after blowing a big lead against Hobart.

The Lowell defense actually set up two scores in the first half, forcing a fumble to set up a 70 yard drive ending in a Grubbe 1-yard run, then picking up six on a Justin Jaurez 35-yard interception to help Lowell stay unbeaten (7-0).

"It feels good to have this win in your back pocket and go into sectionals and going for a conference title," Monix said. "It's good to have that balance and hopefully it will make us a better team."

Hammond coach Robert Robinson says his team is getting better, even though the last two games have been anything but kind to the Wildcats, who lost 63-8 to Morton last week.

"I think we're getting better every week," Robinson said. "We start so many young players and juniors who have never played before, so we're taking baby steps.

"Believe it or not, we're getting better; we're making some individual plays that we weren't making at the beginning of the season, so I think the future is bright for Hammond football."

Turnovers were a problem for Hammond (4-3) for the third straight week, fumbling three times and being intercepted three more by a Lowell team whose future might be brighter than any other team in the region.