JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Jackson Broncs begin post season play Friday as a team on a mission. The ‘to do’ list reads as follows: Beat Buffalo. Stay home. Get to Laramie.
First things first, don’t expect Broncs players to be focusing anywhere but on the Bison.
Jackson won’t be looking back. The heartbreaking loss to Cody is over. Time for redemption later (perhaps on November 12). No need to get ahead of this Friday, either, though Powell at home would be better than Douglas on the road.
“We aren’t worrying about Cody,” head coach David Joyce assured. “We got Buffalo this week. First round of the playoffs. Taking care of business this Friday and moving on is all that matters because it’s a win or go home situation now.”
Size matters
Jackson will have the considerable size advantage going in. Buffalo has just three players weighing more than 200 pounds. The Broncs should dominate the line of scrimmage for a change. The past two weeks, Jackson has been up against teams—Powell and Cody—that were bigger in the trenches.
“Cody’s defensive line and their linebackers had a distinct size advantage. Henry Berezay was outweighed by about a hundred pounds [last week]. It’s kind of hard to run the ball when you can’t block them,” Joyce said.
The Broncs would love to get the running game back on track and keep the defense off the field if they can, though Joyce is not one to subscribe to time-of-possession as a meaningful stat.
“We are going to operate as we always do—use tempo, run as fast as we can, take what they give us,” Joyce said. “The whole adage of controlling the clock and time of possession—that has been proven to not have one lick of bearing on the outcome of the game. It’s points that matter.”
Buffalo (5-3, 3-2) ranks middle of the road in most defensive statistics.
Buffalo shuffle
Jackson has been stingy against the run all season. The Broncs boast a 3rd-ranked rushing defense, allowing just 101.5 yards per game.
Buffalo will try the ground game but they are a fairly balanced team. Ben Camino is the Bison workhorse. The halfback has decent open field speed. He’ll get a majority of the carries though Buffalo can mix it up with fullback Charles Wonka (5’10” 205 lbs).
The Bison’s star player is quarterback Jackson Moon. The senior matches up favorably to another senior signal-caller Jackson fans have come to know and love: Sadler Smith. Both QBs have size at 6’2” 200 lbs. Both tossed 13 touchdown passes in the regular season. Both have a high completion percentage—Smith (67%), Moon (63%).
The difference is mobility. Sadler Smith uses his legs on designed keepers or to escape the rush. Moon, a true pocket passer, is far less mobile.
“We know we have to stop the run, and get after the quarterback. He’s not real mobile and he kind of sits in the pocket. So, we’ll be able to kind of pin our ears back [on the pass rush],” Joyce said.
Bison history
Buffalo brings an unknown factor to Friday’s game. The smaller school has a history of punching above their weight and surprising some teams. Jackson has not played Buffalo since beating them 10-6 in the state championship game in 2007—the last time Jackson won a state title. Prior to that, the two teams met in 1976 and again in 1977, with Buffalo winning both.
The Bison have been hard to figure out this season. They barely got past Green River (20-19) early in the season, and are coming off two straight losses to Douglas and Lander Valley. Yet, this is the same Buffalo team that easily handled Worland—a team that gave top-ranked teams Cody and Douglas all they wanted in close losses during the regular season.
“They are kind of up and down. They looked against Worland. By the same token Lander beat them [24-17],” Joyce noted. “So, which team is going to show up for Buffalo? We’re preparing for them like it will be the Buffalo that beat Worland.”
Playoff picture
“I would rather see Powell. We’re Powell’s biggest fans this week,” Joyce said of the playoff picture. “Nobody wants to go on the road for seven hours, an overnight trip. It’s just a lot of logistics. If we get Powell back here they have to deal with all that.”
Powell (#4 in the 3A West) matches up against Douglas (#1 in the 3A East) in Douglas this Friday. Powell has already beaten the Bearcats once during the regular season—a 17-0 victory on November 17, but Douglas was missing a few key starters for that game.
Jackson will play the winner of the Powell-Douglas game. If the Panthers win, they will travel to Jackson next Friday. If the Bearcats win, Jackson will have to travel there next week.
Buffalo Bison vs. Jackson Broncs at William T. McIntosh Stadium. Kickoff at 3pm. Love coverage on KZ95 and SVI Sports Network.
