Lowell relies on run in late comeback win over Hobart

Updated: September 24, 2011 3:02PM

HOBART — Lowell can throw the ball and run as many naked bootlegs as it wants, but when trailing 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, and needing 72 yards for a score, it will do what Lowell always does: Run the ball between the tackles. The Red Devils cracked off a 12-play, nearly six-minute drive — all runs — to squeeze out the road win against Hobart 19-17 on Friday night. The drive was capped with quarterback Bryan Thomas executing a beautiful bootleg off an inside handoff that he took end-around for 12 yards.

“It was perfect,” Lowell quarterback Bryan Thomas said about the scoring drive. “When we’re picking up six at a time, and our line is dominating, we knew there was no way we wouldn’t score.”

Hobart (1-5 overall, 0-4 Northwest Crossroads Conference) had just scored in the early ticks of the quarter when Anthony Burgos reeled in a nifty 20-yard corner fade from quarterback Andrew Barras. The high arcing ball went to Burgos’ inside shoulder as he angled to the front endzone cone; Burgos corrected inside even more to cut in front of the Lowell defender to catch the pass, then sidestepped into the endzone for the go-ahead score.

But Lowell (4-3, 4-0) knew what it needed to do when it came back on the field.

“Sometimes championship teams find ways to win when they’re not playing their best,” Lowell coach Keith Kilmer said. Thomas, too, knew what was in store as the offense came onto the field.

“When we came to the line (Hobart) had their hands on their hips and some had their hands on their knees,” he said. “We knew we could get our six-at-a-time on them then.”

Lowell scored first in the topsy-turvy contest three plays after Hobart fumbled its opening possession deep in its own territory. Lowell took possession at the Hobart 29, and capped the short field with a 22-yard run by Nick Hamilton barely two minutes into the game.

That key mistake early on proved costly for the Brickies who rebounded soundly after a 49-0 whooping by Andrean last week.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our kids tonight,” Hobart coach Ryan Turley said. “This is the kind of effort that it will take for us to get this thing turned around.”

Hamilton led all rushers with 148 yards on 18 carries including a pair of touchdowns.

Thomas finished with 86 yards on the ground and went 3-of-9 in the air for 33 yards including one interception by Hobart’s Brandon Coubal.

Hobart platooned quarterbacks with the sophomore Barras taking the bulk of the snaps, and senior Sam Kosich taking a few others. Together they finished with 147 yards passing on 12-of-23. Burgos caught four passes for 67 yards including the score, while Max Wilson also reeled in four for 39 yards.

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