Stay Connected with YourSeason
Crown Point, Lindeman too much for Lowell
Updated: May 9, 2012 9:43AM
There was a time in Jake Lindeman’s career when he didn’t get to experience the Friday night lights.
As a sophomore at Crown Point, in 2009, Lindeman — a key component to the baseball program, sat out. Upon returning last season, he played in the backup running back role, amassing only 197 yards.
So, Friday was a moment that the senior will probably never forget. In his first ever start, Lindeman used much of the same tactics that host Lowell has been long known for, and in the process his 112 yards of rushing led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive win of the leather helmet trophy in a 27-6 outcome. It was yet again another chapter for two of Lake County’s oldest rivals.
And in the most recent installment, Lindeman turned the keys to the ignition of an offense that offered a variety of plays. The Bulldogs rushed, they threw, they kicked and well, at times they were just outright deceptive.
With 7:58 remaining in the first quarter, six plays into the Bulldogs’ opening drive, Lindeman surged ahead with a 28-yard TD run. Following the successful PAT by Brett Bayer (he was 3-for-3), they took the only necessary lead.
Then CP maintained a robust intensity.
After Lowell drew the score to 7-6 at 6:22 in the next quarter on a six yard run by Nick Hamilton (missing the PAT), the Bulldogs stifled their rival’s golden chance.
The Bulldogs’ very next possession resulted in a punt, which Hamilton (who led Lowell with 53 yards) returned 27 yards. But immediately following that, Lowell fumbled to the Bulldogs. And the very next play, adding insult to injury, CP pulled a double reverse — with Tyler Wells passing back to Zach Plesac, who launched a 63-yard pass to Drew Breuckman — which blew the game open.
“I think we had a momentum change with the turnover and wanted to capitalize on that immediately,” said Crown Point coach Chip Pettit.
From there between the bombastic foot of Brett Bayer (who made two field goals, including a career best 44-yarder) and a wild 39-yard interception return for a touchdown by Austin Stanley, Crown Point powered away to a somewhat rare win at the Inferno.
“We always talk defensive turnovers,” Stanley said of the Bulldogs forcing Lowell into six turnovers. “We’ve got to take it to the house.”
Lowell coach Keith Kilmer said CP played his squad at their own game, using the ground.
“That’s what we want to do,” he said of a performance like Lindeman’s. “Crown Point is playing Lowell football and they beat us at our game.”
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Cell Phone Alerts
Comments Click here to view or make a comment