A Quick Look at the Colts and Buzzards

The Buzzards hope to make this a familiar sight, Saturday

The Buzzards go on the road for what is an important early season test against the South King County Colts. It will be interesting to see how SKC responds to adversity, getting blown out on the road just a week ago 27-3 to the Yakima Mavericks. On the other hand, the Buzzards rolled over Grey's Harbor 36-0 and are flying high after a rough start to the season.

Having not seen the Colts play, I simply have to go off of statistics which I can see, and since they haven't uploaded anything from the Yakima game, that makes it a little more challenging. However, there are two things which stood out to me at a glance. Colts QB Cody Oakes went 6 of 17 for 155 yards and two scores, being intercepted once. What that tells me is that with a 25.8 average yards per completion, the Colts love to sling the rock. This bodes well for the Buzzards as their secondary has proven to be stout time and time again. While Oakes does enjoy throwing the ball down the field, he does so inefficiently. With only a 35% completion percentage,  Buzzard DB's will have plenty of opportunities to wreak havoc and force some turnovers.

With again, admittedly limited statistics I took a look at the Colt defense. In the game against the Monarchs, the Colts were able to jump out to an early lead as they put up 17 points on their first three possessions. They were able to hold that lead with a defense which allowed less than 200 yards on the day and flummoxed the defending champions. Benzo Scalan recorded a pair of sacks for the Colts to lead the D. The Buzzards multifaceted run game may be a problem for the Colts as they have the ability to go inside or out. The most important factor will be whether they can hold onto the ball and get positive yardage on first down. If they do that, they will stand a solid chance of gaining the yards they need to put points on the board. This defense can give up yards and points, as was evidenced last week against Yakima. What it comes down to is execution for the Buzzards.

A combined team effort is what it is going to take to come out of Sunset Chevrolet Stadium with a win, but the defense is capable and the offense is ready. It looks to be quite a game.

Buzzards Bounce Back, Blank Bearcats 36-0

The Buzzards used a stifling defense and a timely rushing attack to get back to their winning ways, Saturday night. Richie Vedder accounted for two scores, one on the ground and one through the air, while the defense forced a combined 6 turnovers of the over matched Grey's Harbor squad. "We came out ready to play football. The last two games we've been a little flat. We weren't flat tonight...the defense was amazing. Our defense just doesn't give up touchdowns." said coach Wyatt Leadbetter after the game.

The offense got out to an inauspicious start, being forced to punt the ball away but after a tough defensive stand, the offense finally got cooking near the end of the first quarter when Omar Jackson got free and sprinted away from the Bearcat defense for a 24 yard touch down run on fourth down. The score set the tone the rest of the way.

South Lane would go into the second quarter and take control, blowing what was a close game wide open. Following Travis Warren's touch down, the Buzzards' special team ripped the ball free to set the Buzzards up deep in Grey's Harbor territory. With a situational QB change, Richie Vedder came in and found Kevin Pardy wide open in the seam for the score. After a chip shot field goal, the Buzzards would take a 23-0 lead into the break after leading by only a single score in the opening frame.

Cries of "Thirty more minutes. Finish! Let's go!" filled the home sideline as the second half kickoff occured, and the Buzzards backed up their words with action. In the second half the defense would take over, tallying sack after sack and forcing Bearcat QB Jack Traxtle out of his comfort zone. Jon Leisenring commented after the game, "We feel our front seven is as dominant as any front seven in the league. We've got a huge defensive backfield ready to play great pass coverage and you feel free to run around and make plays."

The Buzzard defense was stingy, not allowing the Bearcats to get inside their 30 yard line and really put the cap on the game when the Buzzards D put the final points on the board, returning an interception for 65 yards and the score. On GH's final possession, Traxtle would throw another pick and Eric Rich came on to kneel out the clock.

"It was important for our team to come out and keep playing because it means the world. This was the first we've scored in the [regular] season. It was awesome." Richie Vedder said after the game. "I'd say the whole defense was the player of the game." The Buzzards must now go on the road up to Seattle and face the South King County Colts. The Colts will likely be buzzing after dropping a 27-3 loss on their home turf against Yakima. Like the Buzzards, the Colts have been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team, scoring 30 points in their victory compared to only 3 in defeat.