Buffaloes season ends with blowout loss to Free State
By Mike Pilosof
Photos courtesy of Shrimplin Photography
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Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com)-In 1991, Garden City won their first 10 games before losing to Lawrence in the state title tilt.
25 years later, the Buffaloes playoff fate once again went through Lawrence; this time it was the newly-formed Free State, but the result was ultimately the same.
Dallas Crittendon threw for 120 yards, Jax Dineen and Zion Bowlin combined for 221 rushing yards, and Lawrence Free State ransacked through Garden City 42-7 in the second round of the 6A playoffs Friday night at Buffalo Stadium.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Buffaloes Head Coach Brian Hill said after the game. “This year was so much more than football. I’ve got outstanding young men. We just ran into a really good football team tonight.”
A really good team is right. And the Firebirds, minus one play in the first quarter, dominated every aspect of this highly-anticipated postseason matchup.
On the first play from scrimmage, Zach Sanders, who entered the contest second in the state in receiving yards, fumbled the ball, and Zeke Herrera recovered for Garden City at the Firebirds 42. But three plays netted minus-three yards, and the Buffaloes were forced to punt.
“We had a chance early on to make a statement, and we didn’t,” Hill said. “It was that type of night.”
Lawrence Free State (8-2, 6-1) made Garden City pay dearly, driving 92 yards in nine plays. The capper was Crittendon’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Bo Miller that gave the Firebirds a 7-0 lead with 7:02 to play in the first.
It only got worse from there.
Garden City went three-and-out on their next drive. In fact, the Buffaloes did that on seven of their 13 possessions on Friday, and were held without a first down until early in the second quarter.
“We couldn’t run the football, Hill said. “You have to give those guys on the other side of the ball a lot of credit.”
While the Garden City (9-1, 4-0) ground game was stuck in neutral, Lawrence Free State’s was in fine form. Dineen found running lanes all night long, and on the Firebirds’ third offensive possession, the sophomore running back slammed into the end zone from four yards out for a 14-0 lead with 5:26 left in the opening frame.
“They softened us up in the middle,” Hill said. “Once they did that, they found room to run.”
The numbers definitely proved that. Lawrence Free State had more rushing yards in the first half (131) than Garden City had total yards (42).
But this game was defined by one specific play midway through the second quarter.
With the Firebirds leading by two scores, veteran coach Bob Lisher put the onus on his stable of running backs to finish the job. And boy did they deliver. On second-and-6 from the Garden City 47, Bowlin took the handoff from Crittendon and immediately was hit there yards behind the line of scrimmage by Buffalo safety Christian Coreas. But the senior tailback bounced off the Buffaloes senior defenseman, spun to the right sideline, and sprinted untouched to the end zone for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
“It was a great season for this group,” Hill said while holding back tears. “I’m going to miss this senior group.”
If the ground game didn’t break Garden City’s back, the Lawrence Free State special teams did before halftime.
Keenan Garber’s 60-yard punt return for a touchdown with one minute to play in the first half was as demoralizing as ever, giving the Firebirds a commanding 28-0 lead going into the break.
“Free State came in with a great game plan,” Hill said.
But even down 28-0, fans inside Buffalo Stadium had to have some belief that Garden City could climb out of the four-touchdown hole; after all, they came back from down 27-0 to beat Wichita Northwest earlier in the season.
And the Buffaloes gave the home faithful some hope late in the third when Jesse Nunez finished off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown on fourth and goal.
“We felt some momentum shifts in that third quarter,” Hill said. “We just couldn’t get stops.”
The Firebirds though squashed any talks of a comeback on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Bowlin ripped through Garden City’s defense for a 57-yard rushing touchdown, putting Lawrence Free State up 35-7. Dineen punctuated the performance with a 22-yard score midway through the fourth, sending the Firebirds off to the state quarterfinals.
“It’s tough to watch the guys that have worked so hard have their season end like that,” Hill said.
Nunez, who did surpass Jared Koster for No. 1 on the school’s all-time rushing list with a four-yard carry early in the second quarter, finished the night with 90 yards on 26 carries while sprinkling in 102 passing. Jason Yi caught three balls for 37, while Peyton Hill snagged two for 52.
Crittendon was 11-of-15 throwing for Free State, who won their seventh straight game. Sanders had five catches for 44 yards, while Kansas-commit Jay Dineen had 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
Notes: Garden City fell to 12-3 all-time in home playoff games…Garden City lost the game despite running 14 more plays than Free State (64-50)…Garden City was just 4-of-17 on third down…With the win; coupled with unbeaten Manhattan’s loss, Lawrence Free State will host Topeka Washburn Rural in the 6A quarterfinals on Friday…The Buffaloes allowed two more 100-yard rushers bringing their season total to eight
