It seems like yesterday that the high school sports season started. But the year has come to and end.
I have been doing the sports writing thing now for a little over 13 years and every season seems to go by quicker and everything begins to become a blur.
The Lowry High School football team completed its second consecutive season with 10 wins, which included a victory over Churchill County to end the regular season in Fallon. The Buckaroos earned a bit of revenge in the opening round of the playoffs, beating Elko. Lowry met up with Faith Lutheran in the state semifinals but didn't have enough offensive power to get past the Crusaders, who went on to win the state title.
The girls golf team turned in a third-place performance at the Division I-A state championships, falling short to Faith Lutheran and Clark. The Lady Bucks lose two seniors off the team, but should be a contender for the regional title next year and possibly a shot at finishing in the top two at state.
The soccer teams showed signs of brilliance during the regular season. However, the injury bug hit them as well. The new playoff format hurt the Buckaroos as well this season. The Buckaroo boys looked playoff bound but went 0-3-1 in their last four matches.
The Lady Bucks played great defense for much of the season, but had trouble scoring goals in the last month of the season. However, they ended their season on a high note, beating Spring Creek and tying Elko. The Lady Bucks are young, which should be a good sign for this fall.
After winning just one league match in 2012, the Lowry volleyball team came back with vengeance this past fall and finished fourth in a competitive Division I-A North.
Like with most of the girls programs at Lowry, the Lady Bucks have a bright future in the next few years, with a strong group of players coming through the program and more waiting at the junior high level. With the regional tournament on its home floor this coming up season, Lowry will have a strong chance at reaching the state tournament.
Lowry could not have asked for a better winter season, which included three state academic championships, athletic titles from the wrestling and girls basketball teams and the boys basketball team reached the state semifinals.
If there is a better coaching staff than John Brooks and his crew, go find me one. That group of guys are second to none and the six straight state titles prove that.
They will give a lot of the credit to the wrestlers, which is deserved. I am not sure what it is, but the Buckaroos rise to the top every year. When things looked bad in Primm in February, the Buckaroos dug deep and proved to be the best again.
If you would have told me at the end of November that the Lowry girls basketball team would win the state title, I would have thought you were telling me a joke.
With a new coaching staff and a new system, Lowry struggled at the start of the season, with the low point coming with an overtime loss to South Tahoe after holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
However, when the new year hit, something happened to these young ladies. Who would know that a loss in Elko would be the last one of the season, with the Lady Bucks finishing with 13 straight wins. Lowry beat Spring Creek three times and completed the dream season with wins over Desert Pines and Boulder City.
The Lowry boys basketball team along with Elko could have played in the Division I state tournament this year. If you saw the three games between the Buckaroos and Indians, they were a treat to watch.
Lowry held its own in Las Vegas, won a tournament in Reno in the preseason and were rarely challenged in league play. The Buckaroos met up with Clark in the first round of the state tournament. Lowry needed to play a perfect game to beat the more athletic Chargers. The Buckaroos played strong defense the entire game, but the lack of hitting shots turned into the demise of the Buckaroos.
The McDermitt girls basketball team were just two points away from reaching the state tournament. This a squad to watch in the future if they stay together. The team was made up of all freshmen and sophomores, except for one senior. Head coach Jaimi Wilkinson has something special with this group.
The Lady Bulldogs realized that they could play with anybody and they proved it. If this group continues to mature with age, state tournament berths will be a dime a dozen.
After a three-win season in the 2012-13 season, the McDermitt boys basketball team returned to the playoffs. Led by Tyler Coble, who will play college basketball in Montana, the Bulldogs gave Virginia City a run for its money in the opening round of the playoffs. Virginia City was the state runner-up this season.
The Lowry High School boys golf team was looking to win a third consecutive state championship and fourth in five years. We all know the circumstances of what happened at the state tournament and I will not get back into it.
It seems trivial now compared to the tragic events of last weekend. The Buckaroos are mourning the loss of a teammate in Josh Rose, who was on the Lowry golf team for three years. Those kids could probably care less about the state results right now. They just lost a family member.
For the second year in a row, perhaps the best softball team in Division I-A was not at the state tournament. The Lady Bucks let a 4-0 lead get away from them against Fernley, losing 5-4. It all began when Ere Higbee was called out for missing first base on a home run. The run was disallowed and it all went wrong from there. Lowry beat Churchill County two of three times and the Greenwave won the state title.
With the move to Division I-A, the Lowry swim team has flourished the last two seasons. The Lady Bucks finished fifth as a team this year and were represented in all three relays. With young swimmers in Kelsea Perkinson and Madison Lozano, the future is bright.
The Lowry boys swim team also produced a strong season, but will get hurt my graduation more than the girls. Matthew Jock, Tristen Waller and Christian Gray provided Lowry with good outings at state.
I know it's early but 77 days until Lowry kicks off the football season at North Valleys High School.
Tony Erquiaga can be reached at t.erquiaga@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
