If it were allowed, the mercy rule would have been in effect after the first quarter. As it was, Boyd-Buchanan was as impressive as its ranking would indicate, while Notre Dame looked every bit like a team missing nine starters.

That's how many the Irish didn't have available because of injuries and team discipline.

The Buccaneers, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 2A, raced out of the starting block for 35 first-quarter points on their way to a 62-6 pounding of the Fighting Irish, with the clock running continuously in the second half.

Senior running back Ben Beasley had gained more than 100 yards after the first quarter and finished with 163 yards on just 13 carries, with four touchdowns.

"I have to give the credit to my offensive line again," Beasley said. "They made my job really easy. We came out strong in the first quarter and starting making cuts off the line's blocks and had a lot of room to run.

"We wanted to jump on them early because we knew that would mean we would have a really good game."

Since narrowly losing to Class 4A's top-ranked Red Bank, Boyd-Buchanan has demolished four straight opponents by a combined 208-34. In each of their five wins, the Bucs have invoked the state's 35-point continuous-clock rule, winning those by an average of 54-8.

Beasley broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run on the Bucs' second play from scrimmage and added scoring runs of 15 and 19 yards in the first quarter, capping his night later with a 1-yard TD.

"Ben is a good, hard runner that just keeps getting better every week," Bucs coach Grant Reynolds said. "He's starting to see it on his own and make good cuts. He's a good leader for us.

"I was really pleased with our execution offensively. We did what we needed to do to get on top of them early, and then our younger kids kept things rolling in the second half, which was a great sign."

By halftime, Boyd-Buchanan had outrushed the Irish 191-18. The Bucs finished with 381 total yards and also got a 61-yard punt return for a TD from Trey Ferguson. Chase Reed added 66 yards on just three carries, including a 59-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.