Redskins' Lowe can gash opponents with speed, power

Some don’t think of speed as intimidating. It is.

You wouldn’t think Port Clinton junior Emerson Lowe would strike fear into others at 5-foot-9. He should.

Lowe can outrun defenders with 4.55 40-speed. Then, he can run defenders over, often after seemingly seeking them out rather than utilizing the burners.

“His lower-body strength is incredible,” Redskins coach Beau Carmon said. “He can dead lift almost 600, squat 500 and bench 285. He’s got long arms for a kid his size. He has tremendous leaping ability too with a 35-inch vertical.”

If his stature doesn’t jump out at you immediately, his production does. Emerson is a great name for the Redskins’ running back as — like the brand — he vacuums up yards.

Lowe, the News Herald’s offensive player of the year, rushed 165 times for 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns without losing a fumble.

He delivered several spine-rattling hits on defense, but he consistently delivers punishment with the ball in his hands as well. He enjoys the physical aspect of football.

“I don’t know why,” he said. “When you break a big tackle or you know somebody can’t tackle you, you get an adrenaline rush. I don’t know how to explain it.”

When you have the tools to be explosive, you want to use them every snap.

“Emerson is the total package at running back,” Carmon said. “He has power. He can cut on a dime. Change speed. He’s at full speed in about four steps. He has the quickest burst on the team for the first 10 yards.

“We can go empty and throw it to him or he can come out of the backfield. His pass blocking was a weakness but he’s gotten better. We all wish he was two or three inches taller, but he’s a great player.”

Lowe is mentally and physically ahead of most juniors because he started on a terrible team as a freshman. He uses the confidence, knowledge and experience to lead in his own way.

“He made plays,” Carmon said. “He’s not the most vocal. He leads by example. I’d prefer that over a guy who talks. He practices hard and he’s a gamer. He’s matured.”

Lowe had a 60-yard touchdown as Port Clinton beat Perkins for the second straight season and ended the Pirates’ 22-game home win streak.

Lowe, who is on track to surpass the Redskins’ career mark for rushing yards, had four touchdowns on the ground against Margaretta.

He helped lead the Redskins to the postseason for the first time in program history as a sophomore and the team returned his junior year. Port Clinton won three games and finished tied for second in the Sandusky Bay Conference last season.

“We want to win,” Lowe said. “We want to win the league. We want the SBC title next year.”

Lowe, who was first-team all-Northwest District and all-SBC at running back and safety, caught four touchdown passes. With his head up or his head down, defenses must account for Lowe.

“You wouldn’t think he’s as strong as he is until he hits you or you see him in the weight room,” classmate Russell DeMarco said of Lowe. “He’s a full-grown man running the ball. It’s so hard to tackle that boy.

“He’s a truck with legs.”

That’s scary at any size.

mhorn@gannett.com

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Twitter:@MatthewHornNH