Second half proves undoing

LA CYGNE - "We improved this week but couldn't pull through at the end," noted Prairie View Buffalos' coach Murray Zogg after the Buffalos' 40-15 loss to Towanda-Circle in a rare Saturday afternoon game. "They wore us down in the fourth quarter and took advantage of their size in the throwing game."

The Thunderbirds opened with an 18-yard scoring pass from QB Alex Gardinier in the first quarter after pushing the Buffalos' defense down the field.

The Buffalos got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when senior running back Estevan Davis turned a 34-yard scamper into the Buffalos' first TD of the game.

A Keaton Hines pass to Dakota Danner on the two-point P.A.T. conversion gave the Buffalos an 8-7 lead.

It would be a short lead.

Thunderbird QB Gardinier broke for a 30-yard TD to give Circle a 13-8 lead into the second half.

That's when the Thunderbird passing game took hold.

The Buffalos had handled the Thunderbird passing attack in the first quarter, as many Circle passes went incomplete or were batted away by the Buffalos' defense.

Circle opened the third quarter on a 45-yard pass play.

The Buffalos picked up their second and final score of the game on a Devin Greiner 84-yard breakout run in the third.

The Jordan Halaquist P.A.T. was good and the Buffs trailed by just sixpoints, 15-21.

But then Circle went to the air with a vengeance.

They completed another scoring pass play in the third, a 13-yarder to 6' 5", 304 lb. junior, Jordan Phillips.

They then added scoring pass plays of 28 and 22-yards in the fourth.

The Thunderbirds completed 15 of 34 passing attempts for 236-yards in the game.

The Buffalos did win the running game, racking up 191 yards on the ground to 131 yards for the Thunderbirds.

"We took a step back on offense," noted Zogg. "We need to improve our consistency in blocking and we must improve our passing game if we're to get back on the winning track."

The Buffalos completed just two of 11 passing attempts for three yards and one interception.

Greiner led the Buffalos' rushing attack with 97 yards on five carries - his longest was the 84-yard TD run.

Davis ended the day with 90 yards from the backfield. He rushed 13 times, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Davis' longest run was the 34-yard TD.

Tyler Stillians got plenty of work in the punter's slot. The Buffalos were forced to punt seven times. Stillians averaged 28.9 yards per punt, his longest, 37 yards.

Dalton Stockton, E. Davis and Stefan Davis had two kickoff returns each. Stockton averaged 28.5 yards per reception; E. Davis, 17 yards; S. Davis, 19 yards.

Greiner led the defense with 12 tackles; Stillians recorded seven; Matt Ferguson and Billy Teters were credited with six tackles each.

"I know that we are a good football team, we just have to keep working hard to find that team within us by improving each week of the season," Zogg concluded. "Our goal of repeating as Pioneer League Champions and making the playoffs are still obtainable. We must cut down on the mental mistakes."

The 0-2 Buffalos get their first taste of league play this Friday night at Anderson County [Garnett].

The Bulldogs are 0-1 in league play, 1-1 overall. They beat Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail, 41-14, last week.