Blazers roll past Bison

Erick Starkey
Posted 10/4/17

Nathan Stitt got things going early with two touchdowns in the first quarter and Torrington went on to pick up the Homecoming win Friday over Buffalo, 34-6.

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Blazers roll past Bison

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TORRINGTON – Nathan Stitt got things going early with two touchdowns in the first quarter and Torrington went on to pick up the Homecoming win Friday over Buffalo, 34-6.

“We got shut out last year at home for Homecoming, but we pulled off a big win tonight,” Torrington tailback Bryan Lemmon said. “Homecoming always gets everyone excited, but we just had to play one game at a time.”

Stitt was active in the first quarter, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Breyden Bivens. He also came up with an interception in the frame, which he took back 25 yards to the house to put the Blazers up 14-0.

“We all got real excited and real hyper,” Lemmon said about the early lead. “We got the edge there so we just kept pushing through.”

Buffalo got on the board in the second quarter via two field goals by Luke Glassock, one from 36 yards and the other from 34. Late in the second quarter, Torrington capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive with an 11-yard hook-up from Bivens to Josh Posten, putting the Blazers up 20-6.

After a scoreless third quarter, Bryan Lemmon got into the scoring action, reaching the end zone on a seven-yard run to end a nine-play, 75-yard drive. After a failed fake punt attempt by the Bison in their own territory, the Blazers took over possession and three plays later Lemmon scored again on a 19-yard run, upping the score to 34-6.

“We flew around on defense,” coach Mark Lenhardt said of keeping the Bison out of the end zone. “We were physical for a full 48 minutes on defense and I was very pleased with that.”

The Blazers racked up 185 yards on the ground, with 128 coming on 21 carries from Lemmon. Bivens accounted for 27 yards on eight carries, while Posten chipped in 18 yards.

“The o-line is a big deal. If they get a big push and give me a hole, then I got to do my work,” Lemmon said of his big rushing night.

In the passing attack, Bivens completed 10-of-15 for 135 yards and two scores. He found Stitt and Bo Moorehouse four times apiece. Stitt tallied 80 receiving yards, while Moorehouse kicked in 39.

“We like to stay as balanced as we can and I think that is a big key to our success,” Lenhardt said. “Anytime you can do both (run and pass), it’s a deadly combination.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Lemmon had another solid night, accounting for nine solo tackles, two tackles for loss and two assisted tackles, giving him 22 defensive points on the night. Stitt, with four solo tackles and a pick, and Posten, with four solo tackles, a tackle for loss and two assisted tackles, each had 13 defensive points in the win. Wamboldt was a big presence in the backfield, recording three tackles for loss, a solo tackle and an assisted tackle.

“I thought the key for us was our effort on third downs,” Lenhardt said. “We converted ours and we stopped them on theirs.”

The Blazers now sit at 4-1 on the season with a 2-0 record in the conference. They return to action on the road Friday to take on undefeated Douglas, who sits at 5-0. The game that will give one team a blemish on their conference record is set to kickoff at 7 p.m.

“I think Torrington/Douglas always has a special feel to it,” Lenhardt said. “I think it’s a big game for our players. But, regardless of who our opponent is, you have to play your best game or you could lose.”