BATTLE MOUNTAIN - If you are a fan of shootouts, Battle Mountain was the place to be Friday night. After a slow start, the points started adding up quickly, as the Lowry High School varsity football team overcame a two-point deficit in the second half to beat Battle Mountain 69-38.
The Buckaroos had outscored the Longhorns 132-6 in the last two meetings between the schools but this matchup was much different. Battle Mountain scored two quick touchdowns early in the third quarter to lead 30-28, only to see Lowry score 34 unanswered points, including 20 in a three-minute span of the third quarter to win 69-38.
"We got off to a rough start and they were a much better team than we expected," said LHS head coach Tim Billingsley. "(Daniel) Itza is a nice quarterback for them and they have some good players. We may have overlooked them coming in. When we were down in the second half, we were able to get it done."
The fireworks began early in the third quarter, with Lowry taking a 14-point lead at 28-14 on an 11-yard touchdown run by Brandon Okuma, with 9:38 left to play. Despite a penalty on the drive, the Buckaroos moved the ball down the field on the running of Calvin Connors, Beau Billingsley and Michal Arenas.
It did not take long for Battle Mountain to respond as Itza connected with David DeAndreis on a 32-yard pass for a score. The Longhorns were aided by two Buckaroo penalties on the drive.
"I thought we did a pretty good job tonight," said BMHS head coach Tim Knight. "Daniel threw the ball well and was able to find his receivers. We took advantage of a couple of Lowry turnovers and were able to take the lead."
It went from bad to worse for Lowry, as Connors lost control of the ball on the Buckaroos' next offensive play and Battle Mountain recovered. Following a 42-yard pass to Dillon Annis, Itza did the rest himself with a 1-yard run and Battle Mountain led 30-28 after the 2-point conversion.
Lowry (1-0) put a stop to the Battle Mountain momentum and took control of the game with three touchdowns in the next three minutes. The Buckaroos drove down the field in just 75 seconds, behind two long runs by Okuma. The junior shined on the night, as he ran for 203 yards on 21 carries. Billingsley finished the drive off with a 21-yard touchdown run.
Battle Mountain fumbled on the first play of its next possession, leading to an 8-yard scoring run by Michael Billingsley with 3:40 to play in the third.
Turnovers plagued the Longhorns once again, as Itza was stripped of the ball on the first play when they were back on the field. Two plays later, Connors scrambled for a 27-yard touchdown, after fumbling on the first play, giving the Buckaroos a 48-30 lead.
In all 43 points (27 by Lowry) were scored in the period that lasted over an hour.
"The turnovers just killed us," said Knight. "We were getting a little tired in the second half and Lowry took advantage of every mistake we made. You can't turn the ball over against good teams. They have a big offensive line and have some kids that can run the ball."
Lowry put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter, following two more Battle Mountain turnovers. On fourth down, Itza threw an interception on a fake punt, which turned into a 4-yard touchdown run by Okuma just a few plays later for the Buckaroos.
The Longhorns fumbled the ensuing kickoff and one play later, Connors connected with wide receiver Jesse Studebaker from 32 yards out for 14 points in a 14-second span and a 62-30 advantage.
"We were able to get some lucky breaks and started to run the ball a little better," Billingsley said. "After a while, we figured out how to get some points on the board."
Battle Mountain ended the run of 34 consecutive points on its next drive on a 10-yard run by Annis, but that was as close as the Longhorns got the rest of the night. Lowry scored 67 seconds later on a 22-yard run by Arenas, for the final points of the night.
"If we don't have those turnovers, it is a different game," Knight said. "We were moving the ball on them. A couple mistakes and a few dropped balls just killed us."
Each team traded scores in the first quarter, with Battle Mountain striking first on a 1-yard run by DeAndreis. Lowry responded with a 45-yard run by Connors but still trailed 8-7. Connors put the Buckaroos up for the first time at 14-8, with 4:32 left in the first half on a 10-yard run.
The Longhorns quickly responded as Itza found DeAndreis for a 42-yard touchdown pass two minutes later to tie the game at 14-14. The Buckaroos put its two-minute offense two work and drove 65 yards, aided by a Battle Mountain pass interference penalty. Following the flag, Connors and Studebaker hooked up for a 19-yard pass play and on third down Connors found tight end Robert Steppper for an 11-yard touchdown a 21-14 halftime lead for the Buckaroos.
Lowry showed it can still run the ball with 51 carries for 500 yards, including the 203 from Okuma. Connors ran for 125 yards on 13 carries, while Beau Billingsley and Michael Billingsley, ran for 66 and 56, respectively. Arenas added 50 yards on five carries.
"It is always a good day when you run for 500 yards," Billingsley said. "We have a good complement of backs. Hopefully we can keep it up."
In his first game at quarterback for Lowry, Connors was 6-for-12, passing for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Studebaker caught two balls for 41 yards, while Josh Shaver, Michael Billingsley, Stepper and Okuma each had one catch.
Itza was 14-for-29 passing for 271 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. DeAndreis ran for 61 yards and Annis had 15 yards on the ground for Battle Mountain.
One of the top games in the Division I-A North takes place next Saturday as Lowry travels to Truckee for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The Wolverines are the three-time defending state champions and have won 36 games in a row.
"It is a big test for us right off the bat," Billingsley said. "We have to be ready to play. It is a game that we always look forward to playing."
Battle Mountain is back at home for a second consecutive week and plays Rite of Passage Friday at 5 p.m.
"We will see where we are at next week," Knight said. "I am interested in seeing what Lowry does against Truckee. If they stay close with them that will give me some added confidence about my team."
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