The high school football team wrapped up district play with a road trip to McLouth on a cold, rainy night last Friday. Shorthanded due to multiple injuries, the Buffaloes played a hard-fought game but would end up coming up short in the contest.
The first quarter came and went scoreless, as neither team could get rolling offensively. The weather and wet field conditions played a part in that, as players slipped and slid throughout the contest. But the defenses also were getting after it, including the Onaga boys who were stingy all night outside of a couple of plays that would decide the game.
The second quarter saw the first points of the game, but it didn’t come until the final minute of the first half. The Bulldogs started off the quarter with the ball but would eventually turn it over on downs at the Onaga 32 yard line. The Buffaloes couldn’t capitalize though, as a false start on fourth-and-short forced a punt. Back-to-back runs by McLouth that totaled 32 yards set them up with first-and-goal from the 2 yard line, then one play later the Bulldogs were in the endzone. The 2-point conversion failed, but McLouth led 6-0 with 55 seconds remaining in the half.
The second half began with Onaga on the offensive, but they would eventually turn the ball over on downs at the McLouth 37. It took the Bulldogs 9 plays to go 63 yards, aided by a 15-yard run and a 27-yard pass which was the scoring play. This time they were able to convert the 2-point conversion to take a 14-0 lead with 3:55 to go in the third quarter.
The Buffaloes looked like they may be putting together a scoring drive on the ensuing possession, but a fumbled snap ended it at the McLouth 36 yard line as time expired in the third period.
The Bulldogs would convert that turnover into points, thanks again to a couple of big plays. A 29-yard run, followed by a 25-yarder that would put them in the endzone would make the score 20-0 with 9:22 remaining. Onaga would go 44 yards in 8 plays, but with time expiring were playing with urgency and ended up throwing an interception that would essentially end the game.
Though the offense struggled on the night, the Buffalo defense played with fire throughout the game against a much bigger, and athletic McLouth team. Linebackers Keagan Venneberg and Xavier Berges led the team with 11 tackles, with the senior Venneberg recording a team-leading 2 for loss. Berges leads the team this season with 63 tackles, while Venneberg is third with 52. Right behind them was freshman safety Ryder Kolterman who finished with 9 tackles on the night, bringing his season total to 58.
The loss dropped the Buffaloes to 4th in the 6-team District #3 standings, but by placing in the top 4 they will get a chance to be in the playoffs. They will take on Centralia, champion of District #4, this week. The game will be played in Centralia and will be on Thursday night to avoid Halloween festivities on Friday. Kickoff is set for 6:00pm.
For a look at the stats from any game, highlights, season totals, and everything else Onaga football related, head over to the district website (usd322.org) and go to the team’s page under the “Athletics” tab.