Prep football: Bullard mounts big lead before escaping at Buchanan

Early, it was Bullard 21, Buchanan 0 and surely the rout was on in a nonleague football game matching Central Section top-10 teams Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

In the end, it was Buchanan wide receiver Isaiah Tigler streaking deep and wide open down the right sideline, only to be overthrown for what could have been a game-winning touchdown in the final minute.

Fourth-ranked Bullard saw its special teams collapse and its offense stuffed in the second half by a Bears defense led by linemen Bryson Young, Ben Parker and Ryan Bacon.

But the 2-0 Knights escaped against No. 7 Buchanan 21-16 behind a Charles Williams-led offense and an exceptional defense of their own, featuring linebackers Cameron Lamanuzzi and Ben Baker and safety Nick Cole, setting up a showdown with the state’s ninth-ranked Grant-Sacramento next Friday at McLane Stadium.

“I’ve coached long enough to know the W’s all that matters,” Bullard 16-year coach Donnie Arax said. “But we’re not going to (continue) winning these big games with special teams like that.”

Like what?

▪ Buchanan was outgained 192-34 in the first half, but was given life when quarterback Josh Friesen and wide receiver Ezra Owens connected for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 2 seconds remaining in the half. That came immediately following a Bullard fumbled punt and cut the lead to 21-7.

▪ The Knights, in punt formation, snapped the ball out of the end zone for a safety, making it 21-9 with 8 minutes and 24 seconds remaining in the game.

▪ Following the safety, the Bears’ Trevon Cummings returned the kick 60 yards to the Bullard 3. On the next play, Friesen and Owens played catch again for a score that hacked the gap to 21-16.

It was the same combination that delivered an 11-yard TD on the game’s final play to stun section defending Division I champion Edison 16-14 last week at Sunnyside Stadium.

“When you live on the edge, it’s not always going to go your way,” Buchanan coach Mike Jacot said. “But I’m proud the way we came back in the second half. The kids could have folded up shop and let it get real ugly.”

The Knights played the second half without top running back Chuby Dunu (shoulder) and center Ardie Burton (knee). Jacot didn’t know the severity of their injuries.

Bullard, following the second Owens score, would miss a field goal, but it did burn more than 5 minutes off the clock with a 12-play march kept alive by third-down conversions by quarterback Jay Taylor (7-yard pass to Cvaughn Stewart) and Williams (3-yard run), and a 24-yard run by Markelle Raymond out of the team’s new wing-T.

Williams, a week after rushing for 249 yards and scoring five touchdowns in a 55-6 rout of Hoover, experienced a grind this time, carrying 26 times for 100 yards. And his 36-yard scoring reception from Taylor gave the Knights a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Taylor, a two-year starter as a junior, then found Raymond for a 23-yard score, making it 21-0 with 7:16 remaining in the second quarter.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 2:54 AM with the headline "Prep football: Bullard mounts big lead before escaping at Buchanan."