Buffs fall to Burns, still hunting offense

The Burns Highlanders, the No. 1-ranked 3A team heading into the game, controlled the White Buffalos in Madras Thursday, Sept. 12 39-0.

The Buffalo defense had some success against the Burns' high-octane offense, but couldn't sustain any offense, getting but one first down without the aid of a penalty.

The biggest threat to score for Madras came on the kickoff after Burns made it 27-0, in the final moments of the first half, when junior Gavin Williams broke the return up the home sideline and made it inside the Highlander 20 before he got tripped up. But Madras only had time for one play, and Burns sacked quarterback Bentley Stockton, ending the half.

The Buffs got their lone first down in the third quarter, when they went for it on fourth down near midfield. Needing two yards, they got two yards and a couple inches on an Orion Reynoso run, who at 140 pounds was a workhorse running back all night.

The Buffs — very young up front, starting two freshmen on the offensive line — again struggled to block. Offensively, the Buffs kept it to the run game, mostly inside the tackles. The very few pass attempts and other slower-developing plays were regularly broken up by a Burns rush.

Offensively, Burns was multi-dimensional, running wide and inside, throwing short and long, and even showing option looks that were effective.

Burns kicked off to start the game then first got the ball after an interception near midfield. But the Buffs defense came in ready to play. Doug Super and Matthew Suppah-Scott both stuffed runs, Super's for a four-yard loss. Burns went deep during the drive but Jeremy Cabral covered the receiver well and it was incomplete. Burns tried nearly the exact same play, and again it was well defended, but Cabral was flagged for interference, which put the ball on the 13.

From there, the Highlanders' Easton Kemper ran it in and the extra point gave Burns a 7-0 lead at the 7:51 mark.

After three Reynoso short runs, Nakomis Rivera booted the first of many Madras punts on the night. Outside of one punt that shanked to the left without crossing the line of scrimmage, the junior had a very good night punting, often under duress.

The Buffalos held on fourth down but again couldn't get any offensive movement and Rivera booted a 47-yarder. The first quarter ended when Buff defensive back Danny Jackson made a great tackle on a Highlander swing pass, stuffing the play for one yard.

But to start the second, Burns unleashed an option attack. Quarterback Jack Wright kept it for 12, then pitched to Tommy Winn, who broke tackles at the line of scrimmage then ran 43 yards for touchdown.

Reynoso got a good return on the ensuring kick, and a facemask was tacked on to put the ball near midfield. But in three plays, Madras was looking at a fourth-and-18 when Stockton was sacked on third-and-12.

The lone poor punt of Rivera's night gave Burns the ball at the Madras 43. A swing pass to the left got the ball to the 23, but there Madras held, holding on third-and-eight then fourth-and-eight. But after another three-and-out, Burns was back into the Buff side of the field.

Just inside the four-minute mark, Winn scored again, on a swing pass to the right flank. Burns would pound in another touchdown in the final minute.

Williams gave the home crowd something to cheer about in the final seconds of the half with his kickoff return, but he came one Highlander tackler from scoring six.

Burns got three of their six touchdowns in that second quarter. Otherwise, the Buffalos played generally well on defense for nearly entire game, until tiring some in the fourth.

The Buffs held Burns on their first possession of the half, with Suppah-Scott applying strong pressure on third down. Reynoso picked up the Buffs' lone first down from an offensive play on the Buffs' first series of third, but Madras would be looking at a fourh-and-15 three plays later. With Rivera back to punt, the snap sailed over his head. Burns took over on the 24.

Again, the Buff defense didn't quit. Dasen Rodriguez made a good hit to highlight the stand. Burns went for it on fourth again, and Madras held. With the ball back, Madras went backward against the Burns pressure. But the quarter ended without any more Burns damage, at 27-0 all.

Rivera busted a 52-yard punt to get the Buffs out of a hole. On the Burns possession, freshman linebacker Manny Barajas got inside for a sack, but then Wright hooked up with Coltin Miller on a post pattern, hitting him on stride. Miller would go 74 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked and Burns led 33-0.

Burns would punch in one more score when Winn ran it in from 18 out, against a defense that didn't quit all night but finally tired in the fourth.

Next up for Madras is a game at La Pine on Thursday, Sept. 19, the first Special District 3 matchup. While the Buffs' offensive woes have to concern them, the competition in the new league should give them some confidence that they can win some games this fall. In their first games of the season, District 3 teams Harrisburg lost 41-0, Pleasant Hill 52-6, Elmira 34-12 and Creswell lost 49-0, and all games were against 3A opponents.