Rock Bottom For Lowell?

[VikingNation]

Viking nation: I agree 95% of your post. As they say "Lowell is Lowell" Coaches come and go but programs sustain. Lowell will sustain, the coaching staff has a plan I am sure. As far as the 5% I disagree with, I am impressed that Hanover Central has succeeded in their jump to the NCC thus far.

Just my opinon, not saying they are not a good team but we all have talked about since the beginning of the season of how bad that conference was going to be because of how much graduated from the top 3 teams.

[Brickman2020]

It is simple that they are a young team that will be good in a few years. Not everyone is the school on Broadway who gets the best players money can buy.

They have 3 D1 players on the roster and could be more if Jayden Holmes or Ethan Reyn pick up an offer.

[Boilernation]

What's the point of this post, Boiler? Kilmer is 109-53 in 14 years without a losing season prior to this one. Are you suggesting they fire a guy who's won more than 2/3 of games?

You called Lowell a JV team in an earlier post, which is totally offensive given what the program has done the last 3 decades. Sounds to me like you have a personal axe to grind against Lowell.

Why is it significant they lost to their former coach? Kirk left of his own choosing and he and Kilmer remain close friends.

In reality, the residents of Lowell are the ones who need to look in the mirror. They failed to pass a referendum by over a 2:1 margin which would have paid teachers and staff on par with the rest of the area districts, and yet they wonder why teachers are leaving and the enrollment is stagnant/declining. Not a good recipe for sustained success.

P.S. Hanover is north of Lowell. To the west would be Illinois....

The point was simple. Lowell is on a downward trajectory while their neighbor to the north (thanks for the reminder) is on a ski slope up. You telling me that doesn't bother Lowell fans? You telling me they don't care that they lost to Kennedy? If the answer to at least one of those is "yes" than RDP has lust its luster. Like you said, 3 decades of excellence. 2-6 with 6 blowout losses since the loss to NP in Sectionals last year. Hence, have they hit rock bottom? Or, should we expect next year to be worse?

[NWI10]

Losing Friday night to Munster would be a huge blow to RDP. They have not lost to the Mustangs since 2011.

As far as the future goes.... the next couple years may be thin.

Where do they fall in the future power rankings in the NCC?

Is the future brighter then anyone but maybe Highland/Munster?

[scarab527]

Not everyone is the school on Broadway who gets the best players money can buy.

Pretty ironic considering two of the best players on your team are transfers.

And you guys wonder why you haven’t won the big one in 30 years.

[paintballer]

If programs continue after coaches leave then why didn't Griffith sustain success after Russ?

Not saying Lowell's program is done but just tossing out a thought/question.

[scarab527]

If programs continue after coaches leave then why didn't Griffith sustain success after Russ?

Not saying Lowell's program is done but just tossing out a thought/question.

Difference is Radtke went and took New Prairie to state while Griffith went into the dumps. Lowell has been much more successful than Kennedy has been since he left.

[warrior]

The point was simple. Lowell is on a downward trajectory while their neighbor to the north (thanks for the reminder) is on a ski slope up. You telling me that doesn't bother Lowell fans? You telling me they don't care that they lost to Kennedy? If the answer to at least one of those is "yes" than RDP has lust its luster. Like you said, 3 decades of excellence. 2-6 with 6 blowout losses since the loss to NP in Sectionals last year. Hence, have they hit rock bottom? Or, should we expect next year to be worse?

Define downward trajectory? Last 4 years prior to this year (using Hobart as the Lake County 4A standard):

Hobart - 38-14 overall with 2 sectional, 2 regionals, and 1 SS
Lowell - 32-15 with 2 sectionals

Ironically, and to your point, this is probably one of Lowell's worst 5 year stretches if not the absolute worst post 1991 (Kennedy's arrival) and yet most area teams are envious of that record and two sectionals in 5 years. This is Hobart's best stretch since the Howell days.

I say this year is an anomaly. Your bias and dislike for the Red Devils seems quite apparent. My guess is they knocked your team out of the playoffs senior year? I totally get it, I have programs I dislike for one reason or another. Time will tell who's right and who's wrong. Bottom line, Kilmer and staff have not forgotten how to coach. It's about the Jimmy's and the Joe's. Lowell is dropping to 3A in most of the other sports next year, but lots of housing on the way along with a brand new sports complex breaking ground very soon. Lowell still LOVES its football and the PW program has a ton of kids after all the concussion drama subsided. RDP will rise again.

Finally, good for Hanover. They are exploding with growth, have a solid staff, and benefitted from a few key open enrollees. I think it's only a matter of time before they have a higher enrollment than Lowell. In fact, I foresee both schools being 5A in the next 10 years.

[Boilernation]

The point was simple. Lowell is on a downward trajectory while their neighbor to the north (thanks for the reminder) is on a ski slope up. You telling me that doesn't bother Lowell fans? You telling me they don't care that they lost to Kennedy? If the answer to at least one of those is "yes" than RDP has lust its luster. Like you said, 3 decades of excellence. 2-6 with 6 blowout losses since the loss to NP in Sectionals last year. Hence, have they hit rock bottom? Or, should we expect next year to be worse?

Define downward trajectory? Last 4 years prior to this year (using Hobart as the Lake County 4A standard):

Hobart - 38-14 overall with 2 sectional, 2 regionals, and 1 SS
Lowell - 32-15 with 2 sectionals

Ironically, and to your point, this is probably one of Lowell's worst 5 year stretches if not the absolute worst post 1991 (Kennedy's arrival) and yet most area teams are envious of that record and two sectionals in 5 years. This is Hobart's best stretch since the Howell days.

I say this year is an anomaly. Your bias and dislike for the Red Devils seems quite apparent. My guess is they knocked your team out of the playoffs senior year? I totally get it, I have programs I dislike for one reason or another. Time will tell who's right and who's wrong. Bottom line, Kilmer and staff have not forgotten how to coach. It's about the Jimmy's and the Joe's. Lowell is dropping to 3A in most of the other sports next year, but lots of housing on the way along with a brand new sports complex breaking ground very soon. Lowell still LOVES its football and the PW program has a ton of kids after all the concussion drama subsided. RDP will rise again.

Finally, good for Hanover. They are exploding with growth, have a solid staff, and benefitted from a few key open enrollees. I think it's only a matter of time before they have a higher enrollment than Lowell. In fact, I foresee both schools being 5A in the next 10 years.

I've never in my life played against Lowell in football. I can't even think of a single year that I didn't want them to win when they've advanced to Semi-State or State. I share that to say I have no dislike or bias against Lowell. Just calling it as I see it. 2-6 in their last 8 with 6 blowout losses is a downward trajectory for Lowell compared to where they've been in the past. I hope RDP does indeed rise again. I would prefer to see the NCC and Duneland as competitive as possible, especially outside of NWI.

[NWI10]

A question I would be curious about is "what do teams think about playing Lowell"

The perception region wide was how hard it was to play @ the Inferno. The Inferno does not pack it in like it used too. How you knew that you were going to get 48 minutes of hell regardless of what the scoreboard said.