Buchholz Wins 11th Straight Over Eastside

Buchholz inches closer to yet another city championship after their 35-7 win over Eastside Friday night.

The Bobcats have now won 11 straight games over their cross-town rival. This time, Buchholz was able to spoil their foes' debut of a new uniform. Eastside dawned a fresh all-black uniform with orange helmets courtesy of Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Anthony Richardson, alumni class of 2020.

A Tight Three Quarters

Buchholz came out fast. On their first drive of the game, they used a solid rushing attack to move down the field. A 14-yard run by Jasiah Powell capped it off. Bobcats lead 7-0.

For the remainder of the half, neither team scored. Eastside seemed to be their own worst enemy as they struggled to gain first downs due to a mix of errant passes, botched snaps and penalties. Buchholz gambled a few times, going for it on fourth down. Unfortunately, they were stuffed each time, turning the ball over on downs. The Bobcats also missed a field goal at the end of the second quarter.

On Buchholz’s first possession of the third quarter, they drove down the field yet again. This time, it ended with a 5-yard pass from quarterback Trace Johnson to receiver Justin Williams. Bobcats lead 14-0.

The Rams needed to score quickly. While there were still over seven minutes left in the third, they couldn’t afford to go down three scores. On their next possession, they would go three-and-out, punting on fourth. However, Buchholz’s Daionte Hicks muffed the punt, and after a scrum for the ball, Eastside recovered. The momentum was shifting.

Eastside once again got in their own way. Even after stealing possession from the Bobcats, holding calls on back-to-back plays left the Rams with a first and 30 at midfield. Freshman quarterback Andrew Sutherland was not fazed. While often seen running for his life, he connected with receiver Daijon Johnson for a 50-yard touchdown pass. The Rams would not be shut out this year (last year Buchholz won 35-0).

Buchholz Runs Away

Entering the fourth quarter, Buchholz led 14-7. The game had proved closer than expected. Eastside looked like they would have a chance to pull off the upset. This did not last long.

Early in the fourth, Hicks redeemed himself and ran six yards for a Bobcats touchdown. He wasn’t done. He would score again on Buchholz's next possession with a two-yard scamper to put his team up 28-7.

Eastside spent much of the fourth moving backward due to many penalties. It seemed like every time they made a positive play, it was called back.

Buchholz would tack on another touchdown in the game's final three minutes. The Bobcats scored on every possession they had in the second half.

Looking Ahead

Bobcats Head Coach Mark Whittemore encouraged his team to appreciate wins like this.

“It’s hard to win a lot,” he said postgame.

Buchholz has played in three straight state semifinal games. Whittemore called games like this the “first step” to achieving their goals.

Defensive Coordinator Chuck Bell, Buchholz's head coach last year, reminded the team that the game is four quarters. He acknowledged that the team did not play well in the first half.

“When you play us, you have to play well for four quarters,” he said.