Bucs halt Cascade

Boyd-Buchanan coach Grant Reynolds said during the week that staying on the positive side in turnovers would be paramount in Friday’s Class 2A high school football quarterfinal against Cascade. His team overdid it.

The spread offense the visiting Champions changed to midway through the season was rendered ineffective by the Buccaneers, who forced seven turnovers and cruised to a 21-0 victory.

Reynolds had laid the burden on his secondary this week, knowing the Bucs would be facing a team that used the pass more than any other they’d seen this year. Cascade (8-4) had not lost since switching from a wing-T offense to a spread.

Champions quarterback Jared Carkuff entered the game having thrown eight interceptions all season in 179 passes. Friday, the Bucs intercepted him six times.

“We just looked at their route combinations and made sure our linebackers and defensive backs were sound,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got experienced kids back there. They’ve seen those sort of things time and time again.”

Clint Babb did not have an interception until 7:31 remained, but he ended up leading Boyd-Buchanan (11-1) with three. Fellow cornerback Taylor Shull added two and also downed a punt on the 2-yard line.

“We just played our regular thing,” Shull said. “We knew our defensive line and linebackers would shut down the run. Then it was going to come down to us.

“With me and Clint having five picks between us, I think we did the job.”

Only one turnover occurred in the first two quarters, and Boyd-Buchanan converted it into the only points of the half.

Linebacker Ross Keasler, who had a fumble recovery in the third quarter, made a diving interception at Cascade’s 26 with 7:09 to go until halftime. Afterward it took the Bucs five plays to get it across the goal line. Fullback Hayden Meadows plowed the center of the line for a 1-yard touchdown at the 4:30 mark on fourth-and-goal. Joey Glisson made the first of his three extra points.

Boyd-Buchanan’s Chase Reed returned the second-half kickoff 35 yards to the Bucs’ 44. From there they got behind their big offensive line and gave the Champions a big dose of tailback Ben Beasley. He had eight of the 11 running plays in a scoring drive that quarterback Andrew Crowe capped with a 3-yard scramble through the middle.

Beasley finished with 184 rushing yards and provided the final TD on the last of his 28 carries. It came from the 16 with 8:16 to play.

“That was a tough effort from Ben,” Reynolds said. “It wasn’t very fancy.”

Cascade’s best possession started on its 23 and lasted until a fourth-and-3 at the Bucs’ 17 late in the first quarter. Josh Molder’s 34-yard field goal was blocked. The Champions never threatened again.

“We couldn’t run the football so we had to throw the ball,” said Cascade coach Kenny Parker, whose team’s 18 rushes against the Bucs went for 47 yards. “They’re good at what they do, which is running the football and playing great defense. They don’t beat themselves and we turned the ball over way too many times. I very well expect to see them playing in the state championship.”

Cascade had averaged 37 points while winning its previous seven games.

“A shutout is the ultimate for our defense,” Reynolds said. “It’s what they set out to do every week. They take pride in keeping points off the board.”