SPRINGDALE — Reed Lowe recognized the play as quickly as it developed.
When Harrison tried to run a trick fourth down pass early in the first quarter on Oct. 18, the Shiloh Christian defensive back sniffed out the play when he saw the Goblins’ quarterback go out for a pass.
“He ran a wheel route and I saw the ball was under thrown,” Lowe said, “so I just jumped it.”
Lowe’s interception was a huge swing in the Saints’ 70-35 win after Harrison had started its opening drive inside the Shiloh Christian 35-yard line following a short punt. The Saints marched 81 yards after the pick and never looked back in winning their third straight 5A-West Conference game.
Friday’s game was played in a steady rain, which Lowe said affected both teams.
“We just knew it was going to be hard to score in those conditions,” he said. “So we knew we had to get a stop. We were put in a tough situation.”
Lowe (6-foot-2, 145 pounds) has been a two-year starter as a defensive back for the Saints. But when senior wide receiver Kyle Plunkett when down with a knee injury a few weeks, ago, coach Josh Floyd tapped Lowe to plug the gap.
The move has worked as Lowe, a junior, caught four passes for 118 yards against Harrison, including several big plays on screens that he turned into big gainers.
“Reed is a really good football player, and we knew that coming into the season,” Floyd said. “He’s probably our best receiver when the ball is in the air as far as going to get the ball.
“He’s proving he can do it both ways right now.”
Lowe’s play on both sides of the ball was huge against Harrison with his big interception, and the four pass receptions. He almost had another interception later in the game.
On the season Lowe has 12 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints (4-2-1, 3-1 5A-West) are currently tied for second place in the conference standings, one game behind Alma. The Saints host Greenbrier this week.
Lowe admitted moving over to replace Plunkett was a challenge.
“Those were big shoes to fill,” he said. “I just want to help anyway I can, help the team win any way I can.”
Floyd said he is hopeful Plunkett will be able to return by the end of the season.
In the meantime, Lowe will continue to play both ways as the Saints try to nail down a playoff berth in their final season in Class 5A before moving back to Class 4A next season.
“I like defense and it’s a lot of fun to hit someone,” Lowe said. “But there is nothing like scoring a touchdown or making a big play.”
As he proved last week, a big play can come on either side of the ball, and sometimes both in the same game.