Football: Lozowicki looking to lead Marple Newtown to new heights

NEWTOWN SQUARE >> Luke Lozowicki can remember the excitement of his first varsity football game at Marple Newtown.

He was a sophomore, and the Tigers were tasked with facing Academy Park, which had captured the District One Class AAA championship the previous year.

“I feel like I was just out here as a sophomore, getting ready to play against Academy Park,” Lozowicki said after practice Wednesday night. “It didn’t go too well…”

Marple Newtown lost that night, but the game signaled the start of a new era of Tigers football. That Friday night in 2014 was the debut for Lozowicki and then first-year coach Chris Gicking, who returned to his alma mater with soaring expectations. Fast forward two years and the Tigers are still moving in the right direction, coming off a 9-3 season that included the program’s first district playoff victory.

Lozowicki admits that time is flying by fast. For a few minutes, though, he takes it all in. No longer a wide-eyed sophomore looking to make a name for himself, Lozowicki is one of only a few veterans the Tigers have in 2016. A captain alongside Carmen Christiana, Cameron Mathes and Anthony Paoletti, Lozowicki has embraced the role of leader.

“I’ve got to step in more. It’s a lot different than being just your average player,” said Lozowicki, a 6-4, 300-pound mountain at left tackle. “You’ve got to be there to correct guys and all. It’s a tough job, because if they do something wrong, it’s kind of all on you, really, to straighten them out.”

Paoletti, a junior, is one of the most highly-touted quarterbacks in Delco. Mathes and Christiana figure to be two of Paoletti’s top weapons at wide receiver, and Lozowicki’s job is to anchor the new-look offensive and defensive line units.

“Early on it has been difficult, but as we’ve gotten closer to the season, we’ve really been bonding together and we’re doing really well out here,” Lozowicki said. “I think as a team, we’re ready.”

Lozowicki is one of the top returning linemen in the county and is garnering interest from several colleges, including Lehigh, Villanova, Colgate, Delaware and Shippensburg. He posted 18 pancakes and allowed just one sack last fall. On defense, in a part-time role, Lozowicki netted two sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss.

Lozowicki has lost more than 20 pounds in preparation for his senior campaign.’

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