Buckaroos suffer 15-6 road loss to Rich Rebels

The Monticello Buckaroo football team fell to the Rich Rebels on Friday, August 25 in an early season matchup between two of the top eight-player football teams in the State of Utah.
In a close and well-played game, Rich scored in the fourth quarter to secure a 15-6 victory over the Monticello in Randolph, UT.
The game may have been just the first of two games between the teams, who seem to be on a collision course to meet again in the state playoffs later in the season.
Last season in the first eight-player game in Utah history the Rebels scored late in the fourth quarter to overcome a Buckaroo lead and take the win.
The teams met again in a memorable semifinal game at Southern Utah University with the Buckaroos scoring late in the game to take a narrow win in a snow storm.
On Friday after a scoreless first quarter, Rich quarterback Carter Hoffman punched the ball into the endzone from one yard out on the first play of the second quarter. The extra point was good and the Rebels took an early 7-0 lead.
The Buckaroos responded with their longest sustained drive of the game, covering 80 yards with a mixture of running and passing plays. Quarterback JD McDonald scored from three yards out to make the score 7-6. The extra point failed and Rich took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
Rich transitioned to an option offense in the second half, which was successful in moving the ball. However, again and again when the Rebels moved into scoring position, the Monticello defense managed to tighten up and stop the drive.
The same was true for the Buckaroo offense which was unable to sustain a drive deep into Rich territory.
Five times in the second half both schools went for it in fourth-and-short-yardage situations. All five times the defensive team stopped the first down attempt.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but early in the fourth Rich running back Noah Parry ran the ball up the middle of the field for 60 yards.
It looked like Parry would score, but Buckaroo linebacker Tavon Black pulled him down inside the ten yard line to stop a touchdown.
On three successive plays, the Monticello defense stiffened and kept the Rebels out of the endzone. Finally, for the sixth time in the second half the Rebels were forced to go for it on fourth down, facing fourth and goal from the 16 yard line.
This time, Hoffman spread four receivers wide, dropped back to pass, and scrambled up the middle of the field and into the endzone.
His two-point conversion run gave the Rebels a two-score lead at 15-6, effectively securing the Rebel victory.
The Buckaroos are in Monticello for their home opener this Friday, September 2 with the tough Mancos Bluejays in town. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with the pregame beginning at 6:30 on streamutah.live and pictureitpalmer.com.