Bucks outlast Water Canyon, improve to 3-1

by David Boyle
News Director
The Monticello Buckaroos earned their third win of the season over the Water Canyon Wildcats on September 13. The Buckaroos improved to 3-1 and are looking to build momentum into the middle part of the schedule following their road win on September 13.
The game opened with the Wildcats gaining eight yards on their first three plays with an attempt on fourth down falling a yard short, the Buckaroos began their first possession at the Wildcat 40 yard line. 
Following a penalty and a short loss on first down Carter Rogers pulled down a 15-yard catch from Jackson Keyes to set up a 3rd and short at the 31-yard line. The Buckaroo offensive front opened up a good hole for Tavon Black who made a cut in the open field to lead to a 31-yard touchdown run.
Offensive lineman Jarum Robison shared postgame that the Water Canyon team had great size but that didn’t stop him and his teammates from winning the battle in the trenches. Robison shared praises for teammate Seth Taylor who switched to play center just last year.
“Last year he came in at the beginning of season . . . he came up and has come a long way from there.”
Part of the success the Monticello front found included recording a few ‘pancake’ blocks by pushing a defender flat down.
“I eat pancakes a lot,” Robison joked post-game, “breakfast, lunch, dinner I just eat.”
On the two-point conversion following the touchdown Keyes found Robison in the endzone to make the score 8-0 with 8:20 remaining in the second quarter.
Robison displayed good hands on the spot-on pass from Keyes saying postgame it’s a play the team has worked on.
Water Canyon responded starting at their own 30 yard line and traveling all the way down to the Buckaroo 14 yard line on the backs of a pass-heavy attack with some third down converting penalties by the Buckaroos.
Facing a fourth down, the Monticello defensive front was able to bring pressure with John Leber recording a sack to give the Buckaroos the ball at their own 18 yard line.
Camacho said postgame Leber, Peyton Hatathley, Black and a whole rotating crew of defensive lineman help out the secondary unit.
“It makes my job easier, since the quarterback is already down, I don’t have to worry about much.”
After a four-yard run, Keyes found Jaeden Camacho for a 23-yard gain giving the Bucks the ball at the 45 yard line.
Camacho said his quarterback throws a good ball. “It’s a good ball, man. He’s improved a lot since last year, he throws a good ball, he throws a good spiral, he gets it there.”
A defensive sack, and a penalties pushed the Bucks backwards and Monticello faced a fourth and 14 to start the second quarter.
On fourth down Keyes loaded up a pass that went 26 yards through the air and caught by Carter Rogers who ran the ball into the end zone for a 59-yard score. The Bucks were unable to add an extra-point kick so the score remained 14-0 with 11:50 remaining in the first half.
Water Canyon began their next drive on the 50 yard line. The Wildcats went on an 11-play drive but a fourth-down conversion attempt was once again stopped with Camacho making an open field tackle to stop the Wildcats at the 15 yard line with about seven minutes left in the half.
Camacho shared postgame the defensive backs are told to stay assignment sound. “I make sure I watch the (opponents) hips, is he going inside or outside, make sure I don’t get burnt or anything. Make sure he stays in front of me, wrap up and make the tackle.”
Monticello moved the ball from the 15 yard line to the 45 yard line in three plays off the back of a 20-yard run by Black, but a fumble gave the Wildcats possession at the 45 yard line.
Monticello’s defense forced a three-and-out and once again Monticello started a possession at the 15 yard line. The Bucks moved the ball well down the field but threw an interception at the Wildcat 33 yard line to give Water Canyon possession at the 30 with two minutes remaining in the half.
The Bucks once again bent but didn’t break giving up 30 yards in seven plays but preventing a fourth down conversion with seconds remaining in the half Monticello enjoyed a 14-0 lead at the break.
Turnover woes continued for Monticello with the opening kick of the second half finding an open spot in the field and was recovered by Water Canyon at the Monticello 27 yard line.
The Bucks flipped the script when three plays later Carter Rogers grabbed an interception at the eight yard line. Monticello’s drive stalled out after five plays with an incomplete pass on fourth down to give Water Canyon the ball at the 31 yard line.
On the next play from scrimmage Monticello’s defensive backs recorded a back-to-back interception with Camacho batting a ball up and juggling it in the air before recording the interception at the 15 yard line.
Camacho said postgame he wasn’t sure how many times he touched the ball before he caught it “Maybe like four times, I don’t know how I pulled that thing in man.”
The Bucks continued to deliver explosive plays with Tavon Black taking a run up the left side for an 85-yard score. Keyes threw a pass to Carter Rogers on the two-point conversion to make the score 22-0 with ten minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Monticello’s defense gave up one first down on the next Water Canyon possession but forced a punt with good pressure from the defensive front with Robison and Hatathley both recording tackles for loss.
The Buckaroos received a punt at the Wildcat 35 yard line. After picking up a fourth-down conversion with a 23-yard run by Camacho, on the fifth play of the drive Keyes threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Black to give Monticello a 28-0 lead with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.
Water Canyon recovered an onside attempt at the 50 yard line and drove the field in five plays to score on a six-yard catch to make the score 28-6 with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Monticello responded in kind with the Bucks going 60 yards in five plays capped by a 35-yard touchdown by Keyes to Carter Rogers. Black added the two-point conversion to make the score 36-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Water Canyon and Monticello both had fruitless possessions of the ball to open the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats found the endzone on their second possession of the quarter with a 63-yard touchdown pass to make the score 36-12.
Monticello responded on their next possession with a two-play 50-yard touchdown drive capped by a 40-yard catch by Carter Rogers pulled in from Jackson Keyes. Seth Taylor added the point after kick to make the score 43-12. 
After a great kick return the Wildcats found the endzone again with a 37-yard touchdown pass to make the score 43-20 with six minutes remaining in the game.
Monticello’s final drive began at their own 38 yard line. The Buckaroos drove the ball to the two-yard line where they were able to run out the clock with the final score favoring Monticello 43-20.
Both Robison and Camacho expressed the game was a team win but both highlighted the effort of Carter Rogers.
Robison added he “really pulled it together for us on third and fourth and long plays.”
The Buckaroos put up 518 yards of offense including 313 passing yards and 205 rushing.
Monticello was led on the ground by Tavon Black who finished the game with 230 yards rushing and two touchdowns, averaging 11.5 yards a carry.
Carter Rogers also rushed three times for 42 yards, with Jaeden Camacho rushing once for 23 yards.
Quarterback Jackson Keyes completed was 11 of 21 attempts for 313 yards and four touchdowns.
Carter Rogers pulled in five catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Black pulled down a 42-yard touchdown catch, Camacho pulled in two catches for 33 yards, Tom Morrison had one catch for 18 yards, and Camron Carpenter had one catch for 15 yards.
Defensively Camacho and Carter Rogers each had one interception.
The Buckaroos are on the road again this Friday, September 20 in Norwood, CO. The Mavericks are 1-2 on the season and are hoping to avenge a 22-14 loss they suffered in Monticello last year.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and as always if you can’t make the game you can watch it online at StreamUtah.Live.