Lowry's Joesph Vankuiken avoids the tackle of a Fernley defender
The Lowry High School football team was looking to improve a possible playoff spot with a road trip to Fernley on Friday night.
Both teams came into the contest with one win in the Northern 3A in a battle for the fifth spot in the postseason.
The Vaqueros got the best of the Buckaroos with a 21-14, as Lowry dropped to 1-4 in league play and 2-5 overall.
After forcing Fernley to punt on the initial drive of the game, Lowry moved the ball into Fernley territory after a run by Anthony Monroy but a play later the Buckaroos turned the ball over.
Following a Lowry penalty and a long run, Fernley found the end zone a 2-yard run to lead 7-0. The advantage did not last long, as the Buckaroos came right back down the field and tied the game at 7-7 with a minute left in the opening quarter after a 6-yard run by Jesse Jeronimo and the extra point by Monroy. That would be the only points of the first half for the Buckaroos.
Fernley used another big play on offense with a 44-yard run to move inside the Lowry 20-yard line and on the first play of the second quarter the Vaqueros were back in the end zone to lead 14-7. With four minutes left in the first half, Fernley added to its lead to go in front 21-7 at halftime.
Lowry kept itself in the game with a long drive at the end of the third quarter, capped off by a 4-yard run by Jeronimo. Monroy added the extra point to close the gap to 21-14 with 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
That is where the score would stand, as Lowry could not find the end zone in the final 12 minutes.
The Buckaroos close out the home schedule with homecoming on Friday night against South Tahoe at 7 p.m.