By DAVID COOK
The Lowell football team has been one of the most successful high school football programs in the state for years. A strong commitment in the weight room and outstanding coaching have been a big reason for Lowell’s success.
While Lowell football players spend plenty of time in the weight room, they are far from just football players concentrating on football year. Far from it.
Instead, Red Arrows coach Noel Dean stresses that his players compete in more than one sport and become all-around athletes. This year’s team is a perfect example of that philosophy. The roster is peppered with wrestlers, baseball players, basketball players, and lacrosse players.
“We stress the importance of being well-rounded athletes,” Dean said. “I’m proud of the fact that our kids play other sports.”
Not only do the Red Arrows play other sports, but they also play them well. “Last year we had 19 kids that made first-team, all-league in a different sport,” Dean said.
The success of Lowell football players is not limited to athletics, either.
“In our senior class, seven of the top 14 kids in the class are football players,” Dean said. “We have 20 kids who are in the top 50 of their class. To me, that is pretty impressive. It shows that our kids are successful beyond football. On our starting offensive line, we have kids who have grade-point averages of 3.8, 3.5, 3.43, and 3.3. We’re excited about what our kids accomplish academically and in community service. We want to have kids who are successful in the classroom and in the community as well.”
On the football field, the Red Arrows are continuing their success. They clinched a share of the OK White Conference title when they knocked off long-time rival East Grand Rapids, 35-13, in week eight. With the win, the Red Arrows improved to 7-1 for the season and are ranked third in the state in Division 2. Lowell has won seven straight games since dropping a 42-40 barn-burner in week one against Walled Lake Western. Since then, Lowell has outscored its opponents 314-62.