Buffaloes defeat Logan

MELROSE - In the first one-third of the game Friday night, Logan's defense had held Melrose, the state's top-ranked team in eight-man football, to one touchdown from scrimmage, stopped two drives in the red zone and forced a fumble.

Then half of the field's lights abruptly went out, leading to a 20-minute stop in play until they flickered back on.

That 20 minutes was all Melrose coach Caleb King needed to make vital adjustments to his team's offense. After that, the Buffaloes (5-0) scored on their next five possessions in a 50-0 district victory stopped late in the third quarter by the mercy rule.

"We made a bunch of adjustments with our blocking schemes," King said. "They were delayed-blitzing us, and we got that adjusted. We struggled in the beginning and we had a couple of times where we should have converted first downs. It was a good learning experience for us."

Melrose quarterback Tristan Sena rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He also completed 10 of 16 passes for 194 yards and four TDs. In all, Melrose racked up more than 400 yards of offense.

Logan, ranked fifth in the state in eight-man football, fell to 2-3.

"It didn't turn out the way we wanted, but the game plan was good," said Logan coach Dwayne Roberts, who in preseason had circled the Melrose game as a key matchup for his team's district hopes. "I still feel good with the way the kids played. I know the score doesn't show it."

The Longhorns used a delayed-snap offense, where they let the play clock run down to under 10 seconds before hiking. Roberts said he did that to keep the ball out of Melrose's hands as long as possible. And it had a secondary effect.

"It made them mad," he said. "It got under their skin. If we'd scored a few times, it would have done what we'd hoped."

"It was a good strategy," King said. "They were trying to extend the game as long as they can. We had to make sure we mentally stayed strong and not do anything bad because they got frustrated."

Logan totaled minus-3 yards rushing, which wasn't a surprise against the Buffaloes' big and athletic defense. But Roberts was frustrated with the poor showing by his passers. Logan's two quarterbacks - Jantzen Paris and Wyatt Wright - combined for 2-for-12 passing for 28 yards with an interception returned for a touchdown.

"We had a lot of missed opportunities on offense," he said. "Our pass game was there; we just couldn't complete. It was wide-open all night."

Three turnovers and a blocked punt also derailed Logan's chances.

Melrose lost a fumble on the second play from scrimmage, but Logan couldn't do anything with it and punted. In the Buffaloes' next possession, 6-foot-5 tight end Devon Bailey took advantage of blown coverage and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass with no defender within 15 yards.

Melrose drove to the 10- and 12-yard lines on its next two possessions, but both stalled when Logan's defense tightened.

The Buffaloes increased their lead to 14-0 when Trace Jackson picked off Paris' pass and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

The field's lights went out with 5:11 left in the quarter. That down time gave King time to make tweaks to his offense. After the lights returned, Sena ran for a 48-yard touchdown for a 20-0 lead.

Melrose partly blocked a punt and recovered it at Logan's 31. The Buffaloes used six plays to score again, on a 12-yard TD pass from Sena to Tate Sorgen for a 28-0 lead with nine seconds left in the half.

Melrose went on a nine-play, 69-yard drive to open the second half, punctuated by Sena's 3-yard touchdown run for a 34-0 lead.

The Buffaloes recovered a Logan fumble on a botched lateral at the Longhorns' 22. On the next play, Sena connected with Sorgen for a touchdown pass for a 42-0 lead.

Seeing an opportunity to end the game, Melrose executed an onside kick and recovered it near midfield. Three plays later, Sena threw to Bailey for a 59-yard score with 56 seconds left in the third quarter. Bailey also caught the two-point conversion to make it a 50-0 game, halting it.

Roberts wasn't entirely disappointed with his team's performance.

"I'm ready to play them again," he said. "We've got to get the offensive things worked out."

Springer/Maxwell 53, San Jon/Grady 0

The San Jon/Grady six-man football team found itself stymied 53-0 in a district game Friday at state-ranked Springer.

The Coyotes trailed 34-0 at halftime.

San Jon/Grady fell to 2-3. The Devils improved to 6-0 and remain ranked No. 2 in the state. Elida (6-0) is ranked No. 1.