Week #8 Recap: Buffalo

The Prior Lake Lakers scored 25 points in the second quarter as they defeated the Buffalo Bison 39-6 on October 19 at Buffalo High School.

The Lakers (4-4 Overall, 1-4 Metro West) closed the regular season winning their final three games while the Bison (5-3 Overall, 5-0 Metro Maroon) dropped their final two regular season contests.

The teams went scoreless in the first quarter, thanks in part to safety/running back Hunter MacGillivray, who intercepted a pass near the goal line late in the first quarter to keep the Bison out of the end zone.

MacGillivray got the Lakers on the board on the offensive side a few plays into the second quarter when he took a handoff on a trap play and sprinted through the middle of the Bison defense 62 yards for the Prior Lake touchdown. Mason Storlie’s extra point was good to make the score 7-0 Lakers with 10:07 left in the half.

Prior Lake’s defense got a big stop on the next possession, highlighted by a sack by lineman Javin Johnson to end the Buffalo drive and force a punt.

Three plays into the next drive, the Lakers scored again on the exact same trap run play by MacGillivray, this time from 46 yards away. The extra point was missed and Prior Lake led 13-0 with 5:26 left in the half.

Buffalo answered back fast on the first offensive play of the ensuing drive with an 83-yard touchdown pass. The Bison went for two but didn’t convert so the score stayed 13-6 Lakers.

A few plays into the next Laker possession, quarterback Caden Wick dropped back and threw to receiver/running back Jaxson Barrett on a sail route near the Bison 30-yard line; Barrett caught the ball, turned up field and sprinted down the sideline and into the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Lakers led 19-6 with 3:40 left until halftime.

A strange bounce and scramble for the ball on the ensuing kickoff backed the Bison up near their own goal line on their next possession. Then on third-and-3, linebacker Sean Nadeau jumped in front of a Buffalo receiver and intercepted a pass, setting the Prior Lake offense up inside the Bison 10-yard line.

Two plays later, running back Levi Eiter took a handoff and rumbled into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. Wick’s scramble for the 2-point conversion fell short and the Lakers led 25-6 with 2:02 left in the half.

Buffalo had an opportunity to score on a Hail Mary pass as time expired in the first half but the ball went through a receiver’s hands and fell incomplete.

Prior Lake scored on the third play of the second half, a crazy screen pass where Wick threw to his left to Barrett, who caught the ball near the line of scrimmage, broke multiple tackle attempts and broke free into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown. Kicker Daniel Vannett knocked through the extra point to extend the Prior Lake lead to 32-6 with 10:30 left in the third quarter.

Buffalo moved the ball into Laker territory on the next drive but a huge hit by MacGillivray on a quarterback scramble forced a fumble, which was recovered by lineman Jide Abasiri.

The Laker offense then put together a 9-play 60-yard touchdown drive to effectively put the game away, capped off by a 15-yard touchdown run by Barrett on a reverse play. Vannett’s extra point made the score 39-6 Lakers with 4:45 left in the third quarter.

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter to reach the 39-6 final score.

Statistically, Wick completed 5 of 9 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

MacGillivray had 10 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Eiter had six carries for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Barrett had three catches for 117 yards and two receiving touchdowns as well as a running touchdown.

Linebacker Drew Hendrickson was the leading tackler with eight tackles. Nadeau had seven tackles and linebacker Dylan Hawley had six tackles.

Section Playoffs Preview: Mounds View

The Lakers earned the #5 seed and will travel to #4 seed Mounds View to begin the playoffs on October 27 at 7pm at Mounds View High School.

The matchup is the first-ever meeting between the Lakers and the Mustangs on the gridiron.

The winner of Friday’s game will play the winner of the Centennial/Burnsville game on Friday November 3 at 7pm at the high seed.

While the Lakers have had playoff success over the past decade or so, Prior Lake hasn’t won a road playoff game since they defeated Orono in 2000. Prior Lake will look to change that statistic at Mounds View on Friday night.

The Mustangs (4-4 Overall, 2-3 Metro East), led by longtime coach Aaron Moberg, finished fourth in the Metro East District.

 The Lakers and Mustangs have two common opponents: Forest Lake and Woodbury. Mounds View lost to Forest Lake 24-8 in Week 3 and defeated Woodbury 15-14 in Week 5. Prior Lake defeated Forest Lake 7-6 in Week 1 and Woodbury 39-13 in Week 7.

Quarterback Jacob Sampson leads Mounds View’s offense, completing 86 of 148 passes for 813 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Receiver Tyler Nystrom is Sampson’s top target through the air. Nystrom has 34 catches for 390 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Nystrom has multiple high-level college offers.

Running back Jack Bongard is the Mustangs’ lead back with 92 carries for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

Linebacker Evan Hatton leads the Mustangs defense. He is getting looks by many colleges and is an All-Metro candidate.

Notes

Kickoff at Mounds View High School on Friday is scheduled for 7pm.

The game is KARE 11’s “Spotlight Game” so be sure to tune in or set your DVRs for the 10pm news. Highlights of the game will air at approximately 10:15pm.

Also, Brad Bulver, a longtime PLSAS teacher, coach and football filmer was recently diagnosed with ALS. The Bulver family now lives in Edina and needs your help as they transition their home and lives to support Brad. Please donate as you are able in support of a longtime Laker! You can donate at the following link: https://t.co/kd3RZQZws4

PL Lakers Live won’t be streaming the game this week but NSPN will be streaming this week’s game at the following link (Note: Viewers will need to subscribe NSPN in order to watch): https://t.co/p5VDxknCiz

Follow @plhsfootball, @pllakers, @PLHSLakers, @PLLakersLive on Twitter for updates and links to the streams throughout the season.

Be sure to check back next week for a recap of the Mounds View game if the Lakers win and a preview of the second-round playoff matchup.

Taylor Smith can be reached at tay1@me.com or on Twitter at @taysmith2013.