By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
The 2023 football season couldn’t possibly have started any better for the Hilton Cadets than it did on Friday night.
One play, one handoff to Robert Lowry, one 80-yard touchdown scamper.
As it turned out, the electrifying run by the senior running back was merely a sign of things to come.
Lowry rushed 12 times for 208 yards and three touchdowns and the Hilton defense refused to allow big plays as the Cadets opened their quest for a Section V Class AA title with a 21-6 victory at LeBeau Field.
“Robert Lowry’s game-breaking ability is just fantastic,” said Hilton coach Rich Lipani, whose team won the Class A sectional title a year ago and advanced to the state semifinals. “You just call a play and the kid does it on his own.”
The play-call on the game’s first snap from scrimmage was a run for Lowry pretty much up the middle. A modest, safe play to let the opening-night emotions settle and allow the offense to start to build a rhythm.
Except center Anthony Letta powered open a hole, Lowry darted through and then he was off to the races – a race that can only have one winner.
When Mauro Tarantello kicked the extra point, the Cadets led 7-0 after just 12 seconds.
“That first play really set the tone for us,” senior quarterback Colton Thorp said.
The score, however, didn’t change until Hilton’s first possession of the second half. This time, the Cadets needed two plays to score. Lowry ran for three yards on first down from the Hilton 19. Then on second down, he used blocks by junior tackle Hunter Tracy, senior guard Giovanni Mattioli and junior guard Jake McMahon to sprint free down the left sideline for a 78-yard touchdown jaunt.
Once in the clear, the thought process is pretty simple for Lowry.
“I just think about the end zone and make sure nobody catches me,” he said.
Considering he was a member of Hilton’s 4-x-100 relay team that broke a school track and field record last spring, who’s possibly going to catch him?
“Nobody,” Lowry said with a smile.
Pittsford had every intention of catching Hilton on the scoreboard, though. On the ensuing possession, the Panthers drove 62 yards in 10 plays over the final 5:37 of the third quarter to score. Sophomore running back Jaxon Bernas headed off tackle, then cut outside and sprinted to the corner of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown run and 14-6 deficit.
But the Cadets didn’t allow another first down to Pittsford in the fourth quarter and scored the clinching touchdown with 3:59 remaining when Lowry scampered 14 yards up the middle for his third score of the game.
“It’s just great to have that to rely on,” Thorp said. “If the passing game’s not working, you know you always have his running.”
While the score indicates a comfortable margin of victory, Lipani had a checklist of deficiencies to correct next week in practice.
“We have a lot of work to do on Monday,” he said. “Our defense kept us in the game.”
There was no one hero, either. Senior defensive back Luke Lockhart helped end Pittsford’s first drive of the night with a perfect read and then tackle for loss on second down that created a third-and-17. Midway through the second quarter, senior defensive back Brady Quill’s tackle for a two-yard loss forced a Pittsford punt from the Panthers 38.
There were also big plays by the Pittsford defense. Hilton appeared ready to score just before halftime but senior Luke Fliss intercepted Thorp in the end zone.
“I thought we were in trouble at that point,” Lipani said. “We could have folded a few times but we didn’t.”
Hilton finished with 324 total yards of offense and limited Pittsford to 167 yards.
JJ DiBattisto and Brady had nine tackles apiece. Luke Lockhart, Mason Nolan, Anthony Letta each made eight tackles.
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