Lowell Red Devils Ready for Sectional Battle Against Hanover Central Wildcats The Lowell Red Devil football team and the Hanover Central Wildcats will open sectional action on October 24 at The Inferno, as the Wildcats look for revenge after losing to Lowell 35–20 in their regular-season matchup. Finishing the regular season with a 7–2 record, Lowell will be favored once again after facing a tough Andrean team last week for the conference title. The Niners won that game 19–3, giving them the outright championship. Senior quarterback Brody Kalwinski has high hopes that his Red Devils can make a deep postseason run — not only capturing the sectional title but continuing through the tournament. When asked about his team entering sectionals, Kalwinski reflected on how far they’ve come over the past few seasons. “The football team had a couple of down years, but things don’t always go your way. All of us made up our minds under new coach Casey McKim that we were going to fight for everything this season and build upon what Lowell football has meant to this region over the past 30 years — getting back to our winning ways.” At 7–2, Lowell has proven to be a strong opponent for anyone in the sectional. Kalwinski has plenty of options on offense, with the Red Devils scoring 34 points against LaPorte, 42 against Griffith (a game many in the media predicted the Panthers would win), 35 on the road versus Hanover, 42 against Highland, and 56 against Kankakee Valley. When the offense clicks, the Devils can score — and score often. Talking about his offense, Kalwinski shared the confidence he has in his teammates after their opening game against Crown Point. “Even though Crown Point beat us, we had some good moments and saw success in what we wanted to accomplish. After that, the entire team decided we weren’t going to let that game define what Lowell football is all about. Our coaches believed in us and showed us the steps to get better each week. So, at practice, we gave everything we had and worked our tails off to improve.” Watching Lowell practice, there’s no wasted energy and no fooling around — not until the players walk off the field at the end of the day. Kalwinski talked about how much fun and hard work goes into every practice to make sure everyone is on the same page for Friday nights. “Coach never wants anything done at less than 100%. We’ll practice the same play over and over until we get it right, then move on to the next. Our offensive line only plays one way, not both, so guys like left guard Chris Tully, left tackle Julian Cuadra, center Dylan Sinde, right guard Gavin Sodo, and right tackle Kash Komorowski stay fresh and focused on their jobs.” The Devils have found success both through the air and on the ground. Kalwinski has several reliable targets, including Gavin Gutierrez, who had a standout game alongside Brody against Munster. Roan Vasko, Max Arredondo, Beau Ison, and Gutierrez give Lowell plenty of receiving options. In the backfield, Tim James, Zach M. Scharnke, and Lincoln Snyder provide balance, along with several other offensive weapons. Kalwinski praised the team’s selflessness and focus. “All of us have a role, and nobody cares who scores — as long as we win. Playing for each other is what the game is about. We just go out on Friday night and do our jobs to be successful. A perfect example was the Hobart game. We didn’t play very well, but we believed in our ability to come back. We focused on the next play and didn’t give up. That mindset — being positive and tough-minded — helped us pull off the win with a late field goal against a very good Hobart team on the road.” Lowell’s tight ends — Troy Schmeiter, Zach Scharnke, and Gavin Gudgel — play a key role as well, alongside hard-nosed players like Gage Wimberly and Jackson Beckrich. Finally, senior Thomas McNorton deserves recognition for his four years of dedication to the Red Devil program.