Buffalos Advance to Semifinals with Dominant 40
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Mountain View Buffalos powered through a challenging afternoon, overcoming multiple injuries to key players, and rolled to a commanding 40-0 victory over the Wheatland Bulldogs in the 2A quarterfinals Friday. The win secured the Buffalos' place in the semifinals, where they will host Cokeville next week.
Mountain View took control early, setting the tone on their opening drive. After Wheatland won the toss and deferred, Kolby Roitz's strong kick return set the Buffalos up on the Bulldogs' 35-yard line. Starting quarterback Justus Platts drove the Buffalos deep into Wheatland territory with two big gains totaling 31 yards. However, Platts suffered an apparent knee injury and was forced to leave the game, handing the reins to sophomore quarterback Brendon Walker.
Walker wasted no time adjusting, leading the offense with poise. Shortly after, Levi Jones punched in a one-yard touchdown, putting Mountain View up 6-0, although the point-after attempt missed in the frigid, foggy conditions. The score remained 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Buffalos found their rhythm in the second quarter. Running back J.J. Sawyer capped a drive with a seven-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 13-0 after a successful PAT. The defense immediately followed suit, pinning the Bulldogs deep before recovering a Wheatland fumble on the two-yard line. Brendon Walker took advantage of the short field, powering into the end zone himself to make it 20-0.
Despite leading by three scores, Mountain View faced further adversity late in the second quarter. Running back Levi Jones exited with an injury, and backup quarterback Walker was briefly sidelined as well. Forced to adapt, the Buffalos inserted Race Carr at quarterback and shifted Roper Buckley, typically an offensive lineman, into the backfield. The adjustment worked seamlessly, with Carr executing an 18-yard speed option and pitching to Sawyer, who scored his second touchdown of the day. The Buffalos went into halftime leading 27-0.
The Bulldogs struggled against the Buffalos' tenacious defense, managing only 16 rushing yards and 15 passing yards in the first half while accumulating 30 penalty yards. Meanwhile, Mountain View's ground game racked up 156 rushing yards before the break, with Walker, Jones, Brockton Walker, and Sawyer all making significant contributions.
At the start of the second half, Brendon Walker and Levi Jones were back on the field but the score held at 27-0 through the third quarter. With just over seven minutes left in the game, Jones broke free on a fourth-and-one, sprinting 31 yards for his second touchdown, pushing the lead to 33-0.
Walker rounded out the scoring late in the game, dashing 29 yards for his second touchdown to bring his total to 97 yards on the day, narrowly missing the 100-yard mark after taking a couple of kneel-downs. The final PAT brought the score to 40-0, securing Mountain View's quarterfinal shutout victory.
Wheatland mustered 111 total yards on the game, including just 31 on the ground and 80 through the air. Mountain View's run-heavy offense piled up 272 rushing yards, bringing their total yardage to 284, with 12 yards through the air.
Walker, the game's standout, led the Buffalos with 97 rushing yards and two touchdowns, earning TRN Media's Player of the Game. Jones added 47 yards and two scores on five carries, while Sawyer contributed 25 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries. Brockton Walker also impressed with 62 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Mountain View will host Cokeville in the semifinals after the Panthers edged out Newcastle 28-20. Another win will send the Buffalos to the state championship.
