Downey overcomes slow start in 20-point win over Buhach Colony
Struggling in the first half against winless Buhach Colony on Thursday night, Downey was in search of a lift.
The Knights had just given up a touchdown and fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving the Thunder good field position as they looked to take the lead.
Pressed to turn things around, Downey’s defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs. Conner Stoddard then threw two touchdown passes in the final seven minutes of the second quarter to give the Knights a 14-point lead en route to a 41-21 home victory.
The win improves Downey’s record to 3-1 as the team heads into next week’s game against Lincoln of Stockton before starting Central California Athletic League play on Oct. 1 against Modesto.
“They came out and played a little different than we expected them to,” Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said of his team’s slow start. “There was an adjustment period, but our kids played well.”
Both teams came into the game with a few days to prepare after Downey’s original opponent, Chavez High, was forced to cancel because of COVID-19 protocols. Buhach Colony was also looking for a team to play after Golden Valley backed out for the same reason.
After the two touchdowns to close out the first half – Stoddard hit Gabe Hernandez on a 4-yard TD and Fayzon Allen on a 20-yarder – the Knights broke open the game with two more, taking a 34-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We were looking for little holes in the defense, and staying disciplined,” Stoddard said on how his team extended the lead. “Trust in what the coaches told us to do and not making it over complicated.”
Stoddard completed 11 of 30 passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns.
Trailing 41-7 in the fourth quarter, the Thunder finally found life when Peyton Johnson (117 yards rushing) broke off a 40-yard TD run and the defense turned a fumble recovery into an eventual 1-yard TD run by Jonathan Silva to close out the scoring.
“We always want to compete, first whistle to the last whistle,” Buhach Colony head coach Jerry Dietz said. “Compete the whole game.”
Dietz knows that though a 20-point loss doesn’t look great on paper, this game serves a bigger purpose for the Thunder.
“Downey is a spread team, we are going to see spread teams in our league, so that helps us prepare for our league opponents.” said Deitz, whose team starts league play next week at Golden Valley.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 12:23 PM.
