Explosive Buffaloes hold off Heavener

By CRAIG HALL

HUGO—For Heavener, it would be easy to throw in the towel to this game and possibly the season.

After the disappointing loss at Charleston, Arkansas last week, Hugo scored on its first two cross-country plays and eventually built a 35-14 lead late in the second quarter.

But in what is believed to be the first Saturday night football game at in the regular season for history, the Wolves were far from ready to call it a night.

Heavener got a 33-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter and the Wolves rallied to eventually narrow the margin to 35-32 in the first District 2A-3 game for both teams.

Plus, the Wolves got a defensive stop and the ball back with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter with the chance to take the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. Heavener was close to the biggest comeback in school history, however, a Hugo defense that had just been shredded on a 94-yard scoring drive, rose up and forced Heavener to punt.

Hugo, which had not scored in the second half, abandoned its conservative attack and started utilizing its passing game again. The Buffaloes got a questionable interference penalty and got a 61-yard touchdown run from freshman D’airreon Jeffries to finally put the game away for a 43-32 win. It was Jeffries third touchdown on the night and helped the Buffaloes avenge a 36-27 loss to Heavener on the same field last year.

Hugo is now 3-1 overall, 1-0 in district play and travels to Bethel next week. Heavener drops to 2-2 and 0-1. The Wolves return home next week for only the second time this season when they host Prague, also 0-1 in the district after losing to Bethel Friday, in another district contest.

While Hugo used big plays through the air and on the ground to stagger Heavener’s defense, the Wolves pounded back all night on offense and it came close to pulling off what would be a massive win.

After Hugo scored a touchdown on its first play, Hagen Ritter, pictured above, answered for the Wolves and the PAT game Heavener a 7-6 lead, the Wolves’ only lead on the night.

Carson Payne scored the Wolves’ second touchdown of the first half and added two more in the second half, even after having a disclocated finger popped back into place, and returning to the game.

But in the end, Hugo used its speed and explosive offense and although the Buffaloes’ defense was pounded all night, they made their biggest stop of the game to preserve the win.

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