Lakewood Ranch player shows strength on the field

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lakewood Ranch High Daron Lowery is a prototypical power back. 

He likes to run. 

And, more importantly, he likes to run hard. 

The combination of the two, along with his ability to maneuver in between the tackles and keep plays alive, has proven to be Lowery’s greatest strength. 

“He has incredible balance at running back,” coach Mick Koczersut says. 

But the 5-foot-7, 200-pound Lowery’s strength isn’t limited to the football field. 

During the offseason, Lowery benched 300 pounds and then recorded a 300-pound clean and jerk. Lowery completed four lifts of at least 300 pounds to earn Iron Mustang status. 

In addition to spending the offseason in the weight room, Lowery also did pushups to build muscle mass and ran to stay in shape. 

“He’s the strongest kid we have,” Koczersut says. “His biggest strength is his work ethic. He works very hard.” 

Lowery learned the value of hard work early on from his older brother, Josh Hicks, a former standout running back at Palmetto, who now plays for Rutgers. 

“I always looked up to my brother,” says Lowery, who began playing football when he was 4 years old. “I would watch him play and see him do well. I just wanted to follow in his footsteps.” 

Lowery spent two years playing linebacker alongside his brother at Palmetto before transferring to last season to Lakewood, where his grandfather has been the head custodian since the school opened.

Lowery found a sense of familiarity in his first season with the Mustangs in the form of Koczersut, who coached Lowery’s father, Daron Lowery Sr., at Palmetto. 

“It’s a good feeling for me to be coached by the same person as my dad,” Lowery says. “I feel like it’s an honor to have coach K as a head coach. I’m always excited to be out there.” 

“It’s pretty neat other than the fact it means that I’m old,” Koczersut says with a laugh. 

Lowery switched to running back last season, helping lead the Mustangs to a 6-3 record. 

Lowery returned to the field Aug. 21 for Lakewood’s Kickoff Classic at Riverview. Lowery scored a 29-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to pull the Mustangs within a touchdown.

After narrowly missing the playoffs a season ago, Lowery is looking to help Lakewood return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. 

“I just want us to show heart, play hard for all four quarters and never give up,” Lowery says. “I always want to do well, but at the end of the day, it’s all about my team. I don’t care about myself. As long as the team is satisfied, then I’m happy.” 

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected]. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Who is your favorite player?

(Minnesota Vikings running back) Adrian Peterson. He’s a hard running back like me, and he has a really good work ethic. 

Who is the one player on this team that may not get all of the notoriety, but is instrumental to the team’s success?

Alex Gold. He’s a center and without the center, plays can’t be run. He does a fine job blocking. A lot of people think he’s small, but he actually can block. 

Do you have any pregame rituals? 

I listen to music. It puts you in the zone. 

If you weren’t a running back, which position would you want to play?

Linebacker. That’s the position I played at Palmetto, so I’m pretty much used to it. 

What’s one thing other people may not know about you?

I’m very quiet and independent. I like to keep a lot of stuff to myself. 

Does your number have any significance?

My brother, Josh Hicks, had No. 9 in high school.