One streak came to an end on Friday night in Winnemucca, while another one will continue.
Lowry High School used three touchdowns from Jacob Hernandez to beat Dayton 40-0, as the Buckaroos celebrated Homecoming by picking up their first win of the season. Meanwhile, Dayton remained scoreless on the season and now have been outscored 298-0 in six games.
Lowry scored less than three minutes into the contest, when Darrin Nelson picked up a loose ball after Dayton quarterback Blake Fletcher fumbled the snap and scampered 32 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
“We came out and set the tone early,” said LHS coach Taua Cabatbat. “That defensive touchdown got us on the right track. We haven’t been able to get big plays like that this year. The defense came out and played well.”
After an unsuccessful fake punt, the Buckaroos needed to drive just 37 yards to tack on to the advantage. They did so, on a 4-yard run by Hernandez with 4:57 left in the first quarter to go in front 14-0.
Dayton went three-and-out on its next two possessions. Lowry increased the lead to 21-0 with just two minutes gone in the second quarter on a 1-yard by Alan Mayorga. A long pass play from Brady Lange to Nate Nelson was a major part of the drive.
“The offense did what it needed to do,” Cabatbat said. “We ran the ball well with all our running backs. The offensive line did their job tonight. They opened up some holes.”
Lowry had an opportunity to increase the advantage midway through the second quarter, after two long punt returns by Nelson. The first was called back by offsetting penalties, while the second put the Buckaroos at the Dust Devil 26-yard line. But, on the first play of the drive, Lowry fumbled the ball.
Aided by two personal foul penalties, the Dust Devils moved the ball down the field and picked up their initial first down of the contest, with six minutes left in the first half. Fletcher continued to move Dayton down the field, but the drive stalled on downs inside the 10-yard line.
Lowry took a 28-0 lead in the early minutes of the third quarter on a 7-yard run by Hernandez. Dayton had its best chance to score on its next possession. The Dust Devils (0-6 overall, 0-5 Division I-A North) drove back down the field, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, on fourth-and goal from the 3-yard line, Fletcher was intercepted in the end zone.
The Buckaroos (1-4 overall, 1-4 Division I-A North) used a 93-yard drive to tack on their next score. Lowry used a 26-yard pass from Lange to Salvador Perez to get into decent field position. Runs by Lange and Mayorga put Lowry on the Dayton side of the field and Hernandez did the rest, scoring on a 37-yard run.
The last Buckaroo score came on a 7-yard run by Victor Rosas, after an unsuccessful fake punt by the Dust Devils.
Lowry hits the road for two straight weeks, beginning on Friday with as trip to Elko and a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Indians are tied for fourth in the Division I-A North at 3-2.
“Overall, it was a good night and the boys deserved it,” Cabatbat said. When we do things the right way, we can be a good team. We are still looking to get better. We need to get better with Elko coming up. All we (coaches) are asking the kids to do is improve.”
