The Lowry High School football team traveled to Truckee this past Saturday to see if it could continue its surprising season.
Standing in the way of Lowry was perennial power Truckee. The Wolverines finished second in the Northern 3A and already owned a 27-10 over the Buckaroos.
The storybook season ended for the Buckaroos in the second round of the 3A Northern playoffs with a 42-6 loss to the Wolverines in California.
Truckee won the coin toss and almost everything else went its way the rest of the day as well
Truckee did its homework and foiled Winnemucca’s plans to move on in the playoffs on their home field last weekend.
“We played against a good team today,” said Lowry coach Taua Cabatbat. “They were very physical and very fast. There is no doubt in my mind that either Truckee or Fallon will be bringing the state championship back to the north this year.”
The Wolverines put up 14 unanswered points in the first quarter.
Marcus Bellon gave Truckee a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game on a 2-yard quarterback sneak.
After a three-and-out by Lowry, Truckee kept its next drive alive on a third and long play and moments later scored again when Bellon connected with Kevin Mallo on a 41-yard touchdown pass.
After creating a interception, Truckee struck again on the first play of the second quarter to take a 21-0 lead on a 24-yard pass from Bellon to Drek Laferriere.
“We had a game plan, but needless to say, they put a ‘kibosh’ on that," Cabatbat said. "When we got down early, it was hard to fight back and make up that big deficit. Our kids played until the end though, and that is all you can expect.”
A 60-yard touchdown run by Bellon less than two minutes later made it 28-0.
After several changes of possession Lowry finally got on the board when Anthony Peterson scored its only points of the contest, but the extra point attempt was missed for a 28-6 score.
An unsuccessful onside kick by Lowry gave the Wolverines good field position, but the Bucks held them off on this drive.
A quick three-and-out by Lowry set up another Truckee touchdown pass from Bellon to Malo, to bring the halftime tally to 35-6.
“The senior group that I had this year has never been successful in any sport," Cabatbat said. "This year they really bought in to making a change in the Lowry athletics program and they did a great job. Although this is not the outcome that we wanted by any means, these kids made a big change by making the playoffs for the first time since 2013. We have been looked at as a doormat for the past few years. I think we changed that this year; we are going to be something to be reckoned with next year. We have a good core group coming back; this is great experience for them. They understand what it takes to be at this level now and continue on.”
Truckee scored on its first drive of the third quarter on a pass from Bellon to Marus Trotter. Both teams stiffened up their defense after that and final was 42-6.
Lowry’s final record was 4-5 in league play, and 6-6 overall.
Truckee will take on Moapa Valley in the next round of the playoffs on Saturday at 10 p.m. in Overton.
Churchill County (Fallon) crushed Fernley 54-13 last weekend at home and will host Pahrump Valley on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Lowry beat Pahrump Valley in the opening game of the season.
“It is a team game," Cabatbat said. "When you get this deep, it is eleven on the field every time, both in practice and games, they always work hard. ‘Lights out’.”
