The quarterfinal round of the 3A football playoffs saw some lopsided scores but none more so than Jackson’s win over Buffalo. After an early scare, the Broncs managed to put away the Bison 75-27 in a game that featured plenty of offense.
Buffalo got off the bus ready to play. The Bison scored on the game’s second play from scrimmage—a 61-yard strike from Jackson Moon to Blake Bell to put Buffalo up 6-0 before the game was a minute old.
Jackson responded with an 80-yard drive of their own capped by a Brody Hasenack 3-yard scamper around the right end.
Back and forth the two teams would go in the opening frame as Buffalo also got a 90-yard touchdown kick return from Bell. The first quarter ended with Buffalo dangerous close, trailing 20-13.
But Jackson would score every time they touched the football in the first half, building a 34-13 lead late in the 2nd quarter. But Buffalo wasn’t done yet, and neither was Bell.
Backed up by penalties to their own 15-yard line, Moon again found Bell over the middle. The Bison wideout beat triple-coverage, shook a tackle or two and again went to the house—an 85-yard touchdown catch—for his third score of the day.
Jackson would take a 41-20 lead into the half. They stretched that to 69-20 after three thanks to a Hasenack pick-6 on a Moon pass intended for Blake, and a 10-yard run from Sadler Smith.
With a running clock and mostly underclassmen in the game for the final 12 minutes, Jack Joyce popped loose for a 43-yard touchdown run after initially being stopped at the line of scrimmage. That gave Jackson its final score and a 75-27 win over Buffalo.
With the win, the Broncs remain unbeaten at home in 2021. They end the season at 6-0 at William T. McIntosh Stadium.
Around the conference
Elsewhere in the 3A quarterfinal playoff round, it was Powell that didn’t do its part in Douglas. Despite beating the Bearcats early in the regular season, Powell could get nothing going offensively until late in the game.
The Panthers loss to Douglas, 14-10, means Jackson will have to travel to Converse County next Friday to take on the Bearcats in the semifinal round—same as they did in 2020. That game is scheduled for a 1pm start.
Cody beat Worland 40-7. Star Valley trounced Lander Valley 50-20. Defending state champs Cody will host Star Valley at home next Friday at 6pm. The winner of that game will meet the winner of Jackson-Douglas for the state title. The championship game will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie on November 12.
