On Friday, November 7th, the Lowell Red Devil football team fell short in the sectional championship with a score of 35-15 to Hobart. Although it may seem disappointing to look at the final score, we have to step back and review the entire year. At this point last year, Lowell was sitting on the couch after getting first-rounded in sectionals, watching the championship, after a pretty uninspiring 4-6 record. But this year, they had a chance to compete in the sectional championship, coming into the game with a 9-2 record. The culture change was apparent from last year to this year. The Red Devils had an amazing season and exceeded the expectations of many.
It starts with Coach McKim. The previous Coach Kilmer had a successful run as head coach, but like all good things, it came to an end. This past season brought a needed culture change to Lowell, and the results were apparent. They played this season with a different intensity and hunger than in the past few years. It was one of the most successful seasons in the last 5 or so years. The new coaching staff had an instant impact on the Red Devils’ squad.
Now, we can take a look at individual performers. First of all, we take a look at senior quarterback Brody Kalwinski. Brody had an outstanding season, capping his career with 1008 rushing yards and 1317 passing yards, becoming the first player in Lowell football history to accumulate over 1,000 yards in both rushing and passing yards in the same season. He also ended the season with 27 touchdowns, which came from mostly passing and rushing, but he caught one touchdown pass this year on a trick play. He and Tymothy James led the way for the Devils on offense, with Timmy, the team’s running back, gaining 1303 rushing yards throughout the season, posting one of the more impressive numbers around the region.
To go along with that, he added on 19 rushing touchdowns, largely in part to not one, but TWO four-touchdown performances. Only being a sophomore, Timmy has even more room to grow and potentially make some Lowell history in the future. Continuing with offensive standouts, we look into the receiver group. The Red Devils’ leading receiver was senior tight end Zak Scharnke. He posted impressive numbers, totaling 394 receiving yards, along with 5 touchdowns. Zak also played linebacker on defense and impacted every game on both sides of the ball. Senior wide receiver/ cornerback Max Arredondo was the best two-way player for the Devils this year, recording 255 receiving yards on 14 receptions to go along with 2 touchdowns. He was also a lockdown cornerback on the other side of the ball, and played close to every snap in every game. The down-the-field threat for QB Brody Kalwinski this year was junior Gavin Gutierrez, who really hit his stride at the end of the year. While missing a couple of games due to injury, Gavin showed up in a big way at the end of the season and caught three bomb touchdowns in October. He also flashed his speed on a kick return touchdown against KV. We cannot go without mentioning any offensive linemen, and the real standout this year is Chris Tully, who got a 1st team all-conference nod and had a great year. The team’s senior center, Dylan Sinde, also got an honorable mention for all-conference and ended his career with a bang.
The Red Devils also have many outstanding performers this season on defense. The heart of the defense was senior captain Lincoln Schneider. Lincoln played linebacker and was one of the top tacklers in the region, finishing the season with 130 total tackles. He also served as the goal-line back for Lowell, and he had five rushing touchdowns on the season. Lincoln capped off a spectacular year by winning the NCC Defensive Player of the Year. Senior Matt Gangswisch was the game wrecker this season, leading the team in sacks (3) and TFLs (14). On the other side of the defensive line, you could find senior Gavin Gudgel, who chipped in on offense and defense. Gudgel accumulated two sacks and eight TFLs in his senior year while also serving as a tight end on the offensive side of the ball and catching some passes. Another senior, Roan Vasko, was also a key part of the defense, finishing only behind Lincoln with 84 tackles. He, as well, also chipped in on offense, having the third most receiving yards on the team with 195. For a special teams shoutout, it goes right to junior kicker Dylan Bisacchi. Dylan won the first Hobart game in the regular season with his leg, hitting a field goal as time expired. The Devils had many players on the All-Conference teams this year, with most of the players discussed here receiving a nod.
Overall, the Devils’ ultimate failure to reach their postseason goals should not be what we think about when we think about 2025 Lowell football. We should look back on this year for the football program as a stepping stone towards future success and a path for the incoming high schoolers. They finished second in conference, but had a chance to win first against Andrean. They had a chance to win a sectional, but fell just short to Hobart. The fact that we had the chance to do these things is something to be proud of. We can look at this season as a failure, but we should be looking forward to next season based on the season the Red Devils had.
