Buffalo defense shuts down Castle View

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Garden City, KS-Through eight quarters, the Buffalo defense has been as good as advertised, having not surrendered a single point in two games. Head Coach Brian Hill now waits patiently for the offense to come around. Once they do, look out.

Garret Doll and Quinton Lapointe combined for 215 yards rushing and two scores, Garden City’s defense produced four sacks, and the Buffaloes improved to 2-0 with a 16-7 victory over Castle View, CO Friday night at Buffalo Stadium.

“Our defense has been terrific,” Hill said after the game. They still have some areas to grow in, but they haven’t given up a point yet.”

Indeed, Garden City’s defense has shutout its first two opponents. In week two, they were once again relentless, holding the Saber Cats to just 34 total yards over the first 12 minutes of the contest and 104 for the game.

“I’ve said it before: this is the most talented defensive line in my eight years,” Hill said. “We have so many Energizer bunnies on that side of the ball.”

Meantime, for the second straight week, it took the Buffaloes a couple of quarters to gain traction.

On their first drive, they moved the ball from the Castle View (1-1) 40 down to the 9. But on third and goal, a wide-open Lane Durst was unable to haul in Doll’s pass. Instead, Garden City settled for a 26-yard field goal by Anthony Flores, giving them a 3-0 advantage with 8:02 left in the first.

“We have to be more consistent when we get into the scoring zone,” Hill said.

The eighth-year coach also knew that with his lockdown defense coupled with an anemic Saber Cats’ offense, three points seemed like more than enough.

While the defense yielded just three first downs in the first half, Garden City extended their lead late in the second quarter, driving 95 yards in five plays, highlighted by Doll’s 60-yards pass to Andrew Kreutzer. On the very next play, Doll called his own number and scampered into the end zone. The Buffaloes failed on the two-point conversion but led 9-0 with 53 seconds left.

“Andrew has been fantastic over the first two games,” Hill said. “He doesn’t seem like an imposing person, but he will burn you. He has grown so much since last season.”

The Buffaloes had another scoring opportunity before the break when Morgan Gaffin fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Ethan Crone recovered it, and Garden City was in business at the Saber Cats 35. But after the brown and white reached the 24, Hill’s squad was called for holding before Doll’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired, keeping it a nine-point game.

“I have to do a better job of calling plays,” Hill said. “But the players have to execute the game plan.”

Leading 9-0 on their first possession of the third quarter, Doll tried to setup a screen from his own 31. But linebacker Cole Oster timed it perfectly, jumping up near the line of scrimmage, intercepting the line-drive pass, and returning it 25 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, cutting the Buffaloes lead to 9-7 just one minute into the period.

“Garret played well again, minus that throw,” Hill said. “We kind of expected that last week; not this time. But he will only get better.”

Garden City responded the next they had the ball, driving 73 yards in nine plays. The workhorse: Lapointe, who carried six times for 38 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run that extended the Buffaloes’ lead to 16-7 at the 8:16 mark of the third.

“Our offensive line played much better this week,” Hill explained. “But they still have work to do.”

Castle View had two chances to get back in the game in the third and fourth quarters. On the first of those series, the Saber Cats marched 49 yards in eight plays to the Garden City 19. But running back Avery Jackson was stuffed by David Sandoval for a one-yard loss. Going into the wind, Castle View Coach Dustin Pfeifer rolled the dice and went for the field goal. But Jonathan Terry’s 37-yard field goal never had a chance.

Then in the fourth, Castle View once again penetrated deep into Buffalo territory. On fourth-and-8 from the Garden City 31, Pfeifer called a fake field goal; a play that play never had a chance, and the Buffaloes took over and ran out the clock.

“I can’t say enough about what our defense and what Coach (Dominick) Dingle did,” Hill added.

Doll finished the night 10-of-19 for 133 yards and an interception for Garden City, who improved to 2-0 for the third straight year. It’s the first time since 1989, 1990 and 1991 that a Buffalo team has started 2-0 in three straight season. Lapointe ran for a career best 170 yards and a touchdown and Kreutzer caught six balls for a career-high 110 yards.

For Castle View, Jaylen Jackson was 5-of-7 for 50 yards. But the Saber Cats produced only 30 rushing yards, averaging just 0.9 yards per carry.

Next up: Garden City vs. Wichita South-Friday, September 15-6: 30 p.m. pregame; 7 p.m. kick on 99.9 FM; westernkansasnews.com/kwkr and KWKR mobile.