VERO BEACH — Buchholz scored 21 unanswered points in the final seven minutes of the game, including a pair of touchdown runs by Jasiah Powell, to knock off Vero Beach 38-23 on Friday night.
With the win, Buchholz improves to 2-0 while Vero Beach falls to 0-2 for the first time since 1980.
“Obviously, we’ve got some pretty talented kids, but they showed a lot of character,” Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore said. “They’re willingness to go to toe-to-toe with these guys. It was a heavyweight fight up in there.”
Bobcats quarterback Trace Johnson threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns and Powell rushed for a game-best 126 yards in the win.
Buchholz’ defense had five takeaways, including pair of interceptions by RJ Livingston.
“It was a team effort,” said Buchholz edge rusher Nicolas Clayton, who had a strip sack and also recovered a fumble. “We went around and balled out. That’s all we need. We knew what we needed all night was to ball out so the offense could get back on the field and ball out.
“Coach (Chuck) Bell has always told us, ‘Be relentless.’ That’s how we are. That’ s our name. We go around talking about how we’re gritty and not pretty.”’
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Vero Beach freshman quarterback Champ Monds threw for 170 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for a score.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Vero Beach coach Lenny Jankowski said. “Obviously, we turned it over a few too many times. We had opportunities with field position that we didn’t capitalize. But they’re a great team. I thought it was a really hard-fought game. If we handle it the right way, we could surely be a better team because of going through a very competitive game like this.”
Four takeaways from Friday’s game.
Buchholz’ lines deserve a game ball
The Bobcats offense and defensive lines made a big difference in the second half. The offensive line paved the way for three rushing touchdowns in the second half and consistently was driving Vero Beach defenders backwards. The defensive line, led by Clayton (Wisconsin commit), was relentless in its pass rush and either got to Monds or forced him to rush.
Turnovers, special teams hurt Vero Beach
It’s an old cliché, but it’s true: it’s hard to win when you lose the turnover battle. Five turnovers – including a key interception when Vero Beach had a chance to take a two-score lead late in the first half – were too much to overcome. Vero Beach also missed an extra point and had a very short punt in the fourth quarter while clinging to a one-point lead.
Bobcats proving themselves on the road
Including the Kickoff Classic, Buchholz now has three road wins against 2023 playoff teams (Spruce Creek, Vanguard and Vero Beach). It’s a good sign for a team that has its sights set on another long playoff run. Buchholz has one more road game (Eastside) before finally playing its home opener against Manatee on Sept. 13.
Vero Beach fans shouldn’t be panicking
Considering Jimmy Carter was the president and Blondie’s “Call Me” was the No. 1 song that last time Vero Beach started a season, 0-2, it’s uncharted territory for sure. But this is a talented team that is playing a tough schedule. Vero Beach led a perennial power for most of the game and potentially was a shoestring tackle away from a very different outcome after Mike Bell’s fourth quarter interception.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: High school football: Buchholz scored 21 points in fourth quarter to beat Vero Beach 38-23
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