Bisacchi keeps Lowell undefeated in NCC with last-second FG

Bisacchi keeps Lowell undefeated in NCC with last-second FG

Indiana Preps NWI No. 7 Lowell 20, 4A AP No. 14 and Indiana Preps NWI No. 5 Hobart 17

By Paul Honeycutt

HOBART – If the kicker on a high school football team only plays on special teams but plays multiple sports, you’d assume that player is in soccer, too, right?

Wrong!

“Dylan’s unbelievable, he’s a dual-sport athlete,” Lowell coach Casey McKim said. He’s in tennis, and he’s a stud doubles tennis player, and we don’t get him all the time. In fact, (Thursday) we didn’t think we were gonna have him in practice because of his matches and that’s our heavy special teams day, but for him to come out with such a limited amount of time and he just has a bunch of natural talent and work ethic.”

Lowell kicker Dylan Bisacchi is a man of many talents, or so it seems.

Bisacchi did clarify one thing, though.

“I used to play soccer until eighth grade,” he said. “My mom is an assistant coach and I played tennis since middle school, so the schedules worked out better.”

One of them is kicking under the pressure of a ferocious Hobart defense giving all its might to block a kick.

However, much to the delight of RDP, the junior nailed two key fourth-quarter field goals, including a 22-yarder as time expired to send Indiana Preps NWI No. 7 Lowell (5-1, 3-0 Northwest Crossroads Conference) to its fifth straight win in a 20-17 thriller over Hobart.

“I am just telling myself it’s just another kick and I’ve made this kick hundreds of times,” said Bisacchi. “Just treat it like any other kick and make it.”

The Brickies (4-2, 2-2) had won eight of their last 10 over Lowell, including four straight before Friday night. Lowell also got one win closer in the all-time series, which has been played since 1939, as Hobart now holds the edge 24-23-1.

“The kids should be excited, like I said, the mental toughness that they showed, and we weren’t happy with the way we played, but the character, the way they kept battling, I’m just so proud of the kids because they’re the ones that put the time in year after year,” said McKim.

Hobart struck right away on the second play from scrimmage after Lowell senior QB Brody Kalwinski tried throwing a pass out in the flat to RB Tymothy James, and with it just out of James’ reach, Brickies junior safety Nathan Sobczynski picked it off and went in untouched for a 45-yard interception return.

Lowell responded when Kalwinski, who rushed for 72 yards on 18 carries, took one in from 30 yards out on a third-and-2, which was set up by a couple big first-down conversions earlier in the drive.

With 7:30 left in the first half, things went from bad to worse for the Brickies, as they had a 93-yard punt return called back.

A couple plays later, the Brickies fumbled the ball deep in their own territory.

Then two plays later, James, who rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries, took one in from two yards out, putting Lowell up 14-7 with 5:44 left in the first half.

Both Kalwinski and Tatum, who rushed for 59 yards on 14 carries, exchanged interceptions late in the first half, with them being picked off by Hobart junior CB Bryce Tolliver and Lowell senior LB Malachi Goodall, respectively.

The Brickies, who were without leading rusher Max Pickett, couldn’t get much going offensively in the first half, netting 85 total yards while Lowell was also limited to 113 first-half yards. Aiden Kasch ran for 54 yards on 20 carries, including the game’s lone third-quarter score on a 1-yarder.

Both defenses showed out with masterful performances, as Hobart picked off three Kalwinski passes while the Red Devils intercepted Tatum twice and recovered a Hobart fumble, with Lowell getting the total yardage advantage by just one yard at 218-217.

Bisacchi knocked in a 27-yarder to start the fourth quarter to put Lowell up 17-14.

Sobczynski nearly picked off Kalwinski a second time at the 3:54 mark of the fourth, but after he bobbled it, the ball fell into the waiting arms of sophomore DB Terry Earvin, who took it to the Lowell 7.

Hobart junior kicker Peter Janda tied at 17 with a 25-yarder a couple plays later.

Kalwinski passed for 75 yards, but 33 of them came on a connection with senior tight end Zak Scharnke on a fourth-and-5.

Tolliver added six catches for 49 yards to pace Hobart in the loss.



Lowell 20, Hobart 17

Lowell; 7 7 0 6 – 20

Hobart; 7 0 7 3 – 17

H – Nathan Sobczynski 45 int return (Peter Janda kick), 11:08 1st

L – Brody Kalwinski 30 run (Dylan Bisacchi kick), 5:44 1st

L – Tymothy James 2 run (Bisacchi kick), 5:44 2nd

H – Aiden Kasch 1 run (Janda kick), 3:30 3rd

L – Bisacchi 27 FG, 11:56 4th

H – Janda 25 FG, 3:27 4th

L – Bisacchi 22 FG, 0:00 4th

Lowell;Hobart

First Downs;10;15

Total Yards;218;217

Rushes-Yards;35-143;37-129

Passing;75;88

Comp.-Att.-Int.;4-15-3;11-18-2

Penalties-Yards;3-35;2-11

Fumbles-Lost;3-0;2-1



INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – LOWELL, Brody Kalwinski 18-72, TymothyJames 17-71. HOBART, Aleks Tatum 14-59, Aiden Kasch 20-54, Nathan Sobczynski 1-11, Edward Fontanez 2-3, Miles White 1-2.

PASSING – LOWELL, Brody Kalwinski 4-15-75-0-3. HOBART, Aleks Tatum 11-18-88-0-2.

RECEIVING – LOWELL, Zak Sharnke 1-33, Max Arredondo 1-18, Tymothy James 1-16, Gavin Gudgel 1-8. HOBART, Bryce Tolliver 6-49, Stephen Miller 3-31, Aiden Kasch 1-7, Logan Peters 1-1.