Buffaloes Football Searches for Second Straight Victory Against Wichita West
Garden City High School sophomore, Elvis Orteaga (#28), carries for the Buffaloes. Photo credits; Adam Shrimplin, Garden City Athletics
GARDEN CITY, KS. – Head coach Brian Hill said that the best high school football teams make their best jump from week one to week two.
The second half of week one, Garden City was shut out at Wichita Heights. The first half of week two, the Buffaloes scored 49 points against Wichita North. Safe to say there was an improvement, but this week brings in a much tougher test.
The Garden City Buffaloes host the Wichita West Pioneers this Friday, in a battle between two 1-1 teams, at Buffalo Stadium. The Buffaloes won this game 48-0 last season, but will get a much different WWHS team from years prior.
Garden City recorded the perfect bounce back from their 20-19 defeat at Heights last Friday, scoring 70 in their home opener. Hill was satisfied with the offense, which scored on its first seven possessions against the RedHawks.
“Week one, there was a lot of disappointment,” Hill said. “I really think that it took a little bit for us to get over the way we gave it away. They came back in week two, now we have to learn how to handle success.”
One man who had a big success in his home opener was junior quarterback Ethan Gomez. Gomez finished 3-for-4 with 125 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, also rushing in another score.
Gomez took it to the RedHawks offense from the first play from scrimmage, finding Ethen Allen for a 66-yard touchdown. Gomez could hardly keep a smile on his face when he trotted back into the huddle.
“I knew right when [Coach Hill] called that,” Gomez said. “I knew Ethen Allen was going to make a play. We’ve been working all summer, I know what he’s thinking, he knows what I’m thinking.”
Defensively, the Buffaloes dominated. GCHS forced three turnovers and had a couple of third down stops. Brothers David and Dio Holguin were lethal on the defensive line, but Coach Hill knows this team can do more.
The defensive line will need to be strong against West’s starting quarterback, Colby Eck-Watkins. The sophomore has already thrown for over 130 yards against another WAC defense in Dodge City, and GCHS has to control his athleticism.
“Defensively, we can pressure him into some mistakes,” Hill said. “But he’s a gutty kid. You can tell, he runs around to get the ball to the athletes to make plays.”
Wichita West is coming off a 27-8 win over Wichita Southeast, the first win in the tenure of new Pioneers’ head coach, Jeremy Moss.
Coverage begins on KWKR 99.9 ‘The Rock’ at 5:30 P.M. with Buffs Game Day with Aaron Elam. The American Implement Pregame Show goes live at 6:30 at Buffalo Stadium, kickoff between the Pioneers and Buffaloes is set for 7:00.
