Winters’ Lowrie explodes for five touchdowns in nailbiter win over Bradshaw Christian
It was a happy homecoming for Winters High School as the Warriors football team knocked off Bradshaw Christian in a 37-30 thriller Friday night.
It wasn’t all roses from Winters, though, as a fumbled snap on the opening drive of the game set Bradshaw Christian up to take the lead with a 21-yard touchdown run from Noah Darchuk.
Winters coach Daniel Ward said his teams in previous years may not have been able to recover from such a mistake that early on.
“I liked the fortitude, the toughness of our guys,” he said. “To fumble the very first play from scrimmage, and then they score two plays later? I’ve had teams in the past that kind of fold from there. We didn’t play perfect but our kids kept fighting back and they never gave up.”
It didn’t take long for Winters to respond as senior Carson Lowrie ran for a 40-yard touchdown just under one minute later.
It was the start of a big night for Lowrie as he racked up 193 yards on 18 carries, 53 yards from four catches, five total touchdowns and a two-point conversion. But he was quick to make sure that his offensive line also got credit for his performance.
“I have to give all the thanks to my linemen,” he said. “They were perfect, the play calling was perfect. It just fit my scheme and what we had to do to win. And I give all credit to my linemen.”
Lowrie wasn’t always a star running back. Last season he played primarily at quarterback before making the switch this season. But he seems to have adapted to the role well and described getting the won on homecoming night as “the best feeling in the world.”
“My main position last year was quarterback,” he said. “And then making the transition to running back to help make the team better. It was amazing because all I want to do is win, and it was fun.”
The name of the game was draw plays, screen passes and finding ways to get open as Bradshaw looked to keep the defense guessing by lining up huddled close behind the center, making it harder to decipher what play they were going to run. It worked early on as Anthony Tornatore rushed for a touchdown and Jaylen Patterson took advantage of a quick throw from quarterback Jonathan Wiser to score from 79 yards out.
Winters quarterback Matt More connected with Lowrie to keep the Warriors within striking distance heading into the halftime break.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Eagles struggled to move the ball downfield and ate up over half of the quarter before turning the ball over on downs. Lowrie promptly scored on the second play of the ensuing drive, tying the game and swinging the momentum toward the host team.
From there, Lowrie found the end zone twice in the final quarter while the Eagles stayed in the game thanks to a 79-yard touchdown pass from Wiser to Darchuk.
Ward said his defense showed up and had a strong game, despite the scoreboard potentially saying otherwise.
“That was the amazing thing. Every time we had the momentum and had a chance to kind of end the game, they would have a big play,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like it when they score 30 points, but our defense actually played really well besides some big plays.”
But for a school like Winters, being able to get a big win over a school like Bradshaw Christian makes the win even sweeter.
“We’re one of those teams where we’ve kind of been stuck in a rut. We beat all the teams we’re supposed to beat, we lose to the teams we’re supposed to lose to, and, we knew Bradshaw is a really quality opponent. (coach Drew Rickert) does an amazing job. He’s one of the best coaches around. And to just get a quality win against a quality opponent like that? That’s special.
“We’re different than a lot of schools. We don’t have scholarship kids. We don’t have anything like that. We have kids that are just playing literally for the love of the game. They got four games left and they’re gonna get the most out of every one of them. So for us, its not even about momentum, it’s just love of the game.”
Friday’s games
Monterey Trail 57, Cosumnes Oaks 21
Folsom 40, Whitney 7
Rocklin 17, Granite Bay 14
Oak Ridge 35, Del Oro 14
Oakmont 16, Antelope 14
Inderkum 14, Woodcreek 13
Davis 14, Sheldon 0
Lincoln Zebras 48 Rio Linda 0
Vista del Lago 44, Ponderosa 7
Winters 37, Bradshaw Christian 30
Roseville 42, River Valley 21
Dixon 38, Florin 0
Yuba City 14, Peasant Valley 7
El Dorado 20, Union Mine 16
Christian Brothers 76, El Camino 14
De La Salle 42, Jesuit 7
Natomas 47, Valley 8
Woodland 18, River City 15
Turlock 44, Enochs 6
Pitman 26, Modesto 12
Stagg 34, Franklin-Stockton 0
Rodriguez 64, Vallejo 20
South Tahoe 20, Amador 18
Gustone 32, El Capitan 6
Waterford 46, Orestimba 37
Calaveras 20, Argonaut 14