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Published Aug 26, 2005
Prep Preview: Lowell vs. Grandville
Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Magazine Staff
It's time to break out the red face paint and gas up the Suburban. Football Fridays are back in the pigskin loving town of Lowell.
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And if Keith Jackson were there for tonight's season opener between Lowell and the Grandville, he would have a mouthful of "Whoa Nelly's."
Friday Night's clash features two West Michigan powers. Defending Division 3 state champion Lowell has the advantage in talent. But Division 1 heavyweight Grandville has had an entire year to think about avenging its 43-7 drubbing at the hands of the Red Arrows at Red Arrow Stadium in last season's opener.
Pride runs deep in the Grandville football program. Another lopsided loss is unlikely. The Bulldogs have a couple of intangibles that should keep the game close. First, Grandville is playing at home. Second, the Bulldogs will be trying to open the Scott Shaw era at Grandville with a victory.
Lowell should win, maybe even easily. But it would be surprising if the Red Arrows rolled past the Bulldogs like last year when Grandville entered the season as the most highly regarded football team in the O-K Red Metro conference. Incidentally, the Metro later produced Division 1 state-champion Rockford which finished league play in a second-place tie with Grandville.
The following is a position by position breakdown of the two teams:
QUARTERBACK
  • Grandville: Under departed coach Irv Sigler III, the Bulldogs featured a run-heavy spread offense like the one used at Rutgers. Early in his career, Sigler III favored the run over the pass. But he adapted his offense to accommodate gunslingers Buddy Rivera and Brad Iciek.
  • Rivera, a state-champion wrestler, used his solid arm and scrambling ability to guide the Bulldogs into the Division 1 semifinals three years ago. Last year, Iciek threw for 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. He is now is competing with Mason's Chad Somerville for the job of back-up quarterback at Grand Valley State University.
    At Three Rivers, Shaw's quarterbacks rarely threw the ball. In Three Rivers' 24-6 victory over DeWitt in the 2003 Division 4 state final, quarterback Nic Thompson only attempted four passes for 26 yards. He did, however, run the ball 12 times for 60 yards. Thompson, now at Grand Rapids Community College, is one of the top JUCO defensive backs in the Midwest.
    Sigler III looked for arm strength. Shaw looks for running ability. Sam Russell, a slippery runner with a strong arm, was a downfield threat at wide receiver last season before moving to quarterback this August. Russell combines the arm strength of Iciek and the wheels of a prototypical wing-T quarterback.
  • Lowell: Considered by many to be the best quarterback to come out of Michigan since Drew Henson, Keith Nichol became the first player in head coach Noel Dean's nine-year career at Lowell to earn a Division 1 scholarship.
  • Nichol, who selected Michigan State over offers from Purdue, Wisconsin, and Cincinnati, has the ideal combination of throwing ability and foot speed to thrive in the Red Arrows' potent one-back spread offense.
    Incidentally, Nichol began his varsity career against Grandville. In that game, he passed for just under 120 yards and ran for 131. His team pilled up more than 500 yards of total offense in 43-7 blowout.
    As a junior, Nichol has a far greater understanding of the offense. He is also stronger and faster than he was a year ago. He is, however, without his favorite target, all-state receiver Michael Koster , who has joined another Red Arrow great in Mark Catlin at GVSU.
    As a sophomore, Nichol rushed for 871 yards and 15 touchdowns. He completed 107-of-159 passes for 2,127 yards and 24 touchdowns.
    Nichol will have to work harder for his numbers in the absence of Koster, who holds state records for career receptions and receiving yards. But if he stays healthy, Nichol could still likely rush for 1,000 yards and throw for 2,000 as a junior.
    Nichol could be a Top 100 player nationally and an Elite Eleven quarterback next year. He is already listed as one of Rivals.com's 100 players to watch in the class of 2007.
    ADVANTAGE: Lowell has an
    overwhelming advantage at quarterback. Nichol possesses a rare combination of arm strength and speed. Grandville is faced with the difficult choice of defending the run or trying to shutdown the Red Arrow passing attack. That is not something Shaw is used to doing. At Three Rivers, he rarely faced teams of Lowell's caliber.
    ***
    RUNNING BACKS
  • Grandville In '04, Grandville ran the ball on fewer than 40 percent of its plays. The Bulldogs did this, despite having a bruising running back in Andrew Hawken, who has since moved to linebacker in his freshman season at Michigan State.
  • Hawken rushed for more than 4,000 yards in his varsity career, but coaches around the Metro always seemed surprised he didn't get the ball more. Spartanmag.com discussed Hawken with Shaw at the East-West All-Star Game.
    "I'll tell you one thing, he would have got the ball about 30 or 35 times a game," Shaw said. "We would have run him straight down their throat he is fine looking athlete."
    Hawken spent a lot of time split out wide during his senior year. When he was lined up at receiver, Shane Mitchell (5-11, 200) was Grandville's primary ball carrier. A strong north-south back, Mitchell can be a headache for undersized defenders. Mitchell's back-up is hard-nosed state-champion wrestler Jordan Richardson, a junior. Richardson is smaller than Mitchell, but he is very strong and could emerge as one of the top runners in the O-K Red this season.
    At Three Rivers, Shaw a large stable of running backs in his veer offense. The Bulldogs could have has many as five running backs in their rotation.
  • Lowell: Aside from the ground production provided by Nichol, the Red Arrows will look to 5-foot-9 185-pound Gabe Delnik to replace all-stater Ryan Esbaugh. Like Esbaugh, Delnik is a bit on the smaller side, but he is the strongest player on the roster according to Dean. Delnik reportedly squats more than 600 pounds.
  • As a back-up last year, Delnik rushed for nearly 1,000 yards. He will likely approach the 1,500 yard mark as a senior. Free safety Brock Graham could also see some time in the backfield.
    ADVANTAGE: Lowell again holds a slight advantage. Grandville will likely run the ball two or three times as much as the Red Arrows, but it will not likely out produce Lowell unless it sells out to stop run. To shutdown the run, Grandville would need to put at least eight in the box. That is something they cannot afford to do against a quarterback with an arm as good an arm as Nichol. If Grandville sells out to stop the run, Red Arrow receivers could pick up a lot of yards.
    ***
    OFFENSIVE LINE
  • Grandville: The graduation of outstanding guards Eric Ladomersky and Eric Gritter will undoubtedly hurt the Bulldogs against a tough Lowell front four. But Grandville always has a big offensive line. This year is no exception.
  • Seniors Robert Weideman (6-7, 245) and T.J. Bentley (6-4, 240) provide experience at tackle. Ryan Renmiff (5-11, 240) is a solid guard, as is Jordan Moore (6-2, 240). Jake Brown is also in the mix to earn a starting nod.
  • Lowell: Dean called last year's line the best he's had in his nine-year coaching career at Lowell. That front five was big, strong, and they were nasty.
  • That senior dominated line was senior led by veteran tackle Tim Droese (5-10, 235), senior center Kyle Kaminski (5-10, 195), and a pair of senior quards in John Rasch (6-3, 215) and Michael Wildey (5-10, 250). The only non-senior among Lowell's core of starters was Evan Orniston (6-1, 240). He will anchor the unit at tackle. Tony Andrianse (6-1, 260) played a lot minutes as a reserve guard during his junior season and is expected to be a solid starter as a senior.
    Despite losing four starters, the Red Arrows have plenty of young talent up front including four offensive linemen that made the varsity roster as sophomores one year ago.
    ADVANTAGE: Both lines appear even heading into Friday's opener. Each team has the potential to field productive lines. The number of sophomores that made Lowell's roster one season ago is impressive as is the size of the newcomers.
    ***
    TIGHT ENDS and RECEIVERS
  • Grandville: Under Shaw the ratio of run to pass would likely be 10:2 unless Grandville were to fall behind by a two or more touchdowns. If Iciek were still under center, Shaw would have to consider utilizing the pass more.
  • With Grandville graduating their quarterback and their top four receiving threats in Hawken, Mike Shalhoup, Aaron Olman (Saginaw Valley), and Matt Laskovy (Olivet) the passing game will suffer a major setback. Derek Roseman is the only returning receiver with solid varsity experience.
  • Lowell: With the exception of returning starter Brad Shea , a tight end, Nichol will be throwing to all new receivers. The graduation of Koster deals the biggest blow to the Arrows' passing attack. But Lowell is also looking to replace tight end Matt Meppelink, and starting flanker Frank Mulder, a three-year starter in the secondary who signed with GVSU.
  • ADVANTAGE: Lowell gets the best of Grandville in this match-up. While Shea doesn't quite have Koster's hands, he is a player that can catch the ball and making things happen after he does. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds Shea is a big target and his coaches think he has the talent to play on Saturdays.
    ***
    DEFENSIVE LINE
  • GRANDVILLE: The Bulldogs' defensive line suffered a set back with the graduation of Gritter, an all-conference defensive end, who led the O-K Red in sacks as senior. Gritter's bookend at left defensive end, Jono Krysteniak (Hope) has also graduated.
  • The Bulldogs are relying on youth to fill the holes in their line. Bentley will start at nose guard and Moore will alternate between defensive end and tackle. After Bentley and Moore, the Grandville line situation is wide open. Several of Grandville's offensive linemen will likely play both ways.
  • LOWELL: A second-team Detroit Free Press Dream Team selection and first-team all-state selection, Ed Zigmont was the heart and soul on a Lowell defensive line that posted six shutouts in 2004. But Zigmont wasn't the only defensive linemen lost to graduation. All four starters in the Division 3 title game have graduated. Jay Eldridge (5-10, 230) was in the rotation as a junior defensive tackle. He will start as a senior. Junior Tyler Meppelink (6-3, 230), Jonathon Gregaitis (5-10, 240), and Dominic Doyle (6-3, 250) are also in the tackle rotation. Mike Racine (6-2, 220) is a quality defensive end.
  • ADVANTAGE: Even. As with the offensive lines of both teams, there is a lot of youth and inexperience. Both teams have a history of reloading with little drop-off on defense.
    ***
    LINEBACKERS
  • GRANDVILLE: Shaw's defenses at Three Rivers were always solid. He expects his Grandville defenses to play at a similar level. The Bulldogs had a good group of linebackers in '04 led by Mike LeVand, who earned a full-ride scholarship to Saginaw Valley.
  • The loss of LeVand hurts, but linebacker is an area where Grandville has quality depth. Senior Sam Underhill is a returning starter who was an effective run stopper as junior. In Shaw's defense, linebackers are moved up and down the line. Underhill has a chance to become a playmaker. Jake Loomans (6-1, 210) is an outside linebacker that gets after the quarterback.
  • LOWELL: When it comes to producing linebackers in the West Michigan area, Lowell is the equivalent of what Penn State used to be. Last year, the Red Arrows featured several talented underclassmen at linebacker. Kameron Blake (5-10, 205) is Lowell's top returning linebacker. Blake started in the Division 3 final against St. Johns and registered 4.5 tackles. He is very quick to the ball and is very good in pursuit. Brock Graham (6-foot-1) started at linebacker one year ago, but is making the move to free safety as a replacement for Koster. Matt Hodges (6-1, 195) played a lot as a sophomore and will make an even bigger splash as a junior.
  • ADVANTAGE: Lowell has a slight advantage at linebacker. Blake has all-state potential and the Red Arrows played a host of young linebackers a season ago. Underhill and Loomans are good, but Grandville doesn't have the luxury of depth that the Red Arrows do.
    ***
    DEFENSIVE BACKS
  • GRANDVILLE: Not only was Laskovy one of Grandville's leading receivers, he was also among the best strong safeties in the Metro. Few defensive backs played the run as well as he did. This year the strength of the Grandville secondary resides in its corners. Russell and Cory Fletcher return to their starting positions on the outside. Russell is a solid cover corner and Fletcher has a nose for the ball. Deketrick Harris could be a star by the end of the season. Richardson has the ability to fill Laskovy's shoes at safety.
  • LOWELL: Half of last year's exceptional Lowell secondary is playing at GVSU. Koster and Mulder are gone, but Lowell returns two starters in junior cornerback Mike McElroy and Graham, who slides over to free safety. The position of free safety usually goes to Lowell's best all-around athlete. Catlin played the position three years ago. He was succeeded by Koster. Essentially, the free safety is a ball hawking centerfielder for the Red Arrows. With his pedigree at linebacker, Graham should also be pretty darn good in run support against the Bulldogs.
  • ADVANTAGE: Lowell has a slight advantage with experienced playmakers in McElroy and Graham. Grandville's defensive backs will be severely tested by Lowell's receivers. With two starters back, the Bulldogs look to be in good shape. But Grandville will need to generate a consistent pass rush to take the pressure off its two corners. If Grandville brings too many blitzes, Nichol could pile up more than 150 yards in rushing.
    COACHES
  • GRANDVILLE: The Bulldogs brought in the right guy when they hired Shaw away from Three Rivers. Shaw's teams were consistently superior to their Southern Michigan opponents. And in his 18 years at Three Rivers, Shaw amassed a record of 163-38. His lone state championship came in 2003.
  • LOWELL: When Dean arrived at Lowell 10 years ago he had a vision. Through hard work and dedication, he and his coaching staff have built one of the most powerful football programs in the state of Michigan. Dean's Red Arrows have captured state championships in two of the last three seasons, and they appear to well on their way to capturing a third. Over the past five years the Red Arrows own a 57-6 record.
  • ADVANTAGE Both coaches are skilled at what they do, but two championships in nine years speaks for itself. In his first nine years at Lowell, Dean has compiled an 86-16 record. Most of those losses came during the first two years of his tenure.
    REASONS WHY LOWELL WILL WIN
  • Grandville's veer offense works well against outclassed opponents, but it isn't deceptive enough to score points against disciplined defense with linebackers possessing the wheels to disrupt toss sweeps.
  • Aside from East Grand Rapids, Grandville is the one big name opponent on Lowell's schedule. As was the case in '04, Lowell consistently brought its best game against the best opponents. A win against the Bulldogs will increase Lowell's prestige around the state.
  • Grandville has no answer for Nichol. If the Dawgs sell out to stop the run, Nichol will stretch the field vertically. If the Bulldogs sell out to stop the pass, Nichol can rush for 150 yards.
  • One could make the argument that Lowell has more talent than Grandville at every position on the field. It will be interesting to see how much improvement the Red Arrow underclassmen have made from this year to last.
  • REASONS WHY GRANDVILLE WILL WIN
  • The Bulldogs are desperate to avenge last year's 43-7 loss to Lowell. Led by Hawken, Grandville clawed its way back to respectability before losing a heartbreaker to eventual state champion Rockford in the Division 1 playoffs. But Grandville could never shake the stigma of its season-opening setback. They want revenge.
  • Scott Shaw has won everywhere he has coached. A prodigy of Washington State's Bill Doba, for whom he played high school football, Shaw is a stickler for disciplined defense. His team is eager to give their new coach his first victory.
  • ***
    PREDICTION Lowell 35, Grandville 14. This game will be close until the second half when Lowell will pull ahead by a couple of touchdowns. Facing a deficit, the Bulldogs will be forced to put the ball in the air. Graham will haul in a couple of second-half interceptions to put the game out of reach.
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