Lowell senior Joe Bell's acting career doesn't bring back many good memories.

When Bell was a member of Lowell's scout-team offense during his sophomore year, he helped the Red Devils' varsity players prepare for a game against Hobart by posing as former Brickies standout receiver Bobby James in practices. Bell wore a purple jersey, ran Hobart's signature plays and took the hardest hit of his life.

"I'm pretty tall, so I was playing Bobby James," said the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Bell, who also plays forward for Lowell's basketball team. "(Lowell grad) Justin Juarez was playing middle linebacker. I'm just running across the middle. The quarterback wasn't even looking at me. I had my head turned the other way, and he just blindsided me. He knocked the wind out of me so bad. I was able to get up, but I was like, 'Coach, you better give me a minute.'"

Bell now laughs about taking the punishing blow from Juarez because he's the one dishing out devastating tackles nowadays. Bell, a two-way starter as a defensive end and tight end, harassed South Bend Washington quarterbacks Pat Borlik and Nolan Dieter last week in Lowell's 24-7 Class 4A Sectional 10 semifinal win at The Inferno.

"He was putting the heat on the Washington quarterbacks pretty consistently all night," Lowell coach Kirk Kennedy said of Bell. "When you defend the pass, it all starts with pressuring the quarterbacks. That's a very important role."

Bell leads the Red Devils with six sacks to go along with nine tackles for loss. He also has 31 solo tackles, 19 assists and three fumble recoveries this season.

The Red Devils (10-1) will need Bell to continue his stellar defensive production, especially in his role as a pass rusher, in their sectional title showdown against Concord (8-3) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at The Inferno. Concord's offense features a spread formation, and junior quarterback Anthony Yoder is a proven passing and rushing threat.

"Like last week, the key is gonna be putting pressure on the quarterback and just forcing them out of what they like to do," Bell said. "If he gets time to sit back there, their wide receivers are just going to pick apart our defense. We need to make him uncomfortable back there and make him throw before he wants to."

Bell acknowledges he's been playing better the past couple weeks since the postseason began. The thought of his prep football career ending has been difficult for him to come to terms with. He wants the Red Devils' playoff run to continue, and helping Lowell win its seventh consecutive sectional title is his top priority.

"The big thing they preach at Lowell is leave it better than you found it," Bell said. "You just don't want to be that class that ruins the streak and have to be remembered for that. We just want to try to leave it better than we found it and get another sectional title."

PREP FOOTBALL

Class 4A

Sectional 10

Championship

Concord (8-3) at Lowell (10-1), 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Talking prep pigskin at nwi.com

Join Times sportswriters Jim Peters and Nate Ulrich tonight at 7 on nwi.com for a one-hour chat on this week's prep football sectional finals.

More inside

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