Mistakes, whether it be penalties or turnovers, have plagued the Dayton High football team in recent weeks.
Rob Turner, Dayton High football coach, said playing mistake-free football will be critical when the Dust Devils travel to Winnemucca to face Lowry in a Division 1A battle tonight at 7.
Dayton enters the game with a 1-2 league and overall record, while Lowry is 2-1 in league and 3-1 overall. With two less teams making the post-season this year, this is a critical contest.
"Turnovers killed us against Truckee and penalties killed us against Fallon," Turner said Wednesday afternoon. "If we can play a clean game like we did against Spring Creek we'll be tough to beat.
"We've ramped things up at practice. We're treating this as the second half of the season. Our goal is still to make the playoffs."
Tonight's game marks the return of quarterback Jake Turner, who missed the Fallon game because of a concussion.
"He's all good to go," said coach Turner. "He had his concussion test on Monday. If anybody had a mild concussion I would do the same thing (hold him out) whether it was my kid or not. We'll put Jack (Phillips) on defense full time."
Once again, the Dust Devils will rely on Taryn Aguilera, Austin Fletcher and Skyler Berntson for a lot of their yards.
The Dayton defense will be severely tested by a Lowry offense that averages 422 yards per game, more than 300 of those on the ground. Jace Billingsley has graduated, but there doesn't seem to be a significant drop-off through the first month of the season.
"They are a little different, but they are still racking up big yards," Turner said. "They had a ton of yards against Battle Mountain. They are reliant on the ground game. Their offensive line gets out and gets after it."
The Buckaroos' four-pronged rushing attack is led by Brandon Okuma (372 yards), quarterback Calvin Connors (314 yards), Beau Billingsley (214 yards) and Michael Billingsley (194 yards), Connors also averages 100 yards per game through the air.
TENNIS
Carson girls lose 11-7
The Senators concluded their home season with an 11-7 loss to Incline on Thursday afternoon at Carson.
Katy Breeding went 2-1, winning 6-1 and 6-4. Krista Stocke and Amanda Breen went 2-0 n doubles, winning 6-2 and 6-0. Greta Sturm was a two-time winner, once with Abigail Hersey and once with Hannah Novak. Tess Corda and Makayla Ragnone also won once.
Carson is now 2-6.
Carson boys win 10-8
INCLINE - Carson's three doubles teams went a combined 9-0 in a 10-8 win over Incline Thursday afternoon.
Jace Zampirro and Trevor Sollberger, Nick Forbes and Spenser Pringle, and Casey Reid and Mathew Boggs all went 3-0. Zampirro and Sollberger outscored their opponents 18-6. Reid and Boggs were 20-11 while Forbes and Pringle were 18-6.
Josh Breen was the only singles winner for Carson, taking his first match 7-5.
CROSS COUNTRY
Brown wins first individual title
LAKE TAHOE - Shelby Brown ran a 17:43 to win her first-ever individual event at the 23rd annual Retro Relays at South Lake Tahoe.
Runners historically show up dressed in costumes, and most run the race in costume.
Lexie Paxton was 27th overall and sixth-place in the girls' division. Jesus Lopez was ninth and Eric Hines 16th for the Senators.
The team of Nick Greene, Chris Merriner, Tony Xie and Tony Cassioppo were sixth, and the Carson B squad of Bryen Holloway, Michael Leiken, Porforio Jauregui and Daniel Jauregui were eighth. The varsity coed quartet of Wyatt Cartier, Cindy Juchtzer, Alex Drozdoff and Tylar Chester were sixth.