Last Friday, October 14, 2011, couldn’t have been a better night for QB Brian Buell ’12 to play his best game of his career at Jesuit.
Almost unbelievably, Buell threw 8 touchdown passes on a 23-32, 427 yard night.
Coming off a terrible loss against Skyline, it was “now-or-never” time for the Rangers in the 9-5A standings. With a 62-30 win against the Richardson Eagles, the Rangers move to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in district play, placing them at second place in the district. With three games (Lake Highlands, Samuell, and Sunset) left in the regular season, the Rangers have basically secured a playoff slot in the Division 2 playoffs.
On the opening possession of the 1st quarter, the Rangers forced the Eagles into a three-and-out and quickly scored first with WR Austin Lock ’12 catching a 7-yard touchdown, his seventh of the season.
Six minutes later, Buell found WR John Berend ’13 wide-open for a 55-yard touchdown. The 1st quarter ended 14-0 with Jesuit ahead.
The 2nd quarter opened with Richardson scoring on the first play on a 13-yard rush by QB Parker Smith. However, the PAT kick was blocked and Jesuit’s offense was just getting started.
Jesuit’s leading scorer, WR Jake Oliver ’13, is statistically the best receiver in the state (72 catches for 1,072 yards and 13 touchdowns). He caught a 66-yard touchdown, his first since the game against Berkner. The Eagles responded with a 70-yard drive, capped by Smith’s second rushing touchdown of the game. Oliver dominated the next Rangers drive, finishing with a 36-yard touchdown reception. Jesuit got the ball back nearly immediately and marched down the field, ending with Oliver’s third touchdown catch of the game, this one from 11 yards out.
The Rangers defense then forced a fumble on the first snap of the next Richardson drive. This turnover gave the Rangers phenomenal field positioning and set them up for Berend’s second touchdown snag of the game from 17 yards out.
When Richardson received the ensuing kickoff, their offense fired back with a 67-yard touchdown by WR Cameron Booty. Yet, the ever-dominant Oliver scored a 70-yard touchdown three plays later. At the end of the half, K Andrew Buckmeier split the uprights on a 44-yard field goal to make the score 48-23 with Jesuit on top.
This ended a wild 2nd quarter in which Buell threw five touchdown passes and Oliver caught four.
Going into the halftime break, the Rangers, and their high-flying offensive attack, were not feeling content and wanted to come out and put some more points on the board.
The 3rd quarter was not as crazy as the 2nd, but it was still dominated by Jesuit. Richardson got the kickoff and returned it to about midfield. It only took the Eagles four plays to gallop into the end zone with WR Devonte Branch’s first touchdown catch of the game.
On the next Jesuit possession, standout receiver Lock caught his second touchdown of the game.
This touchdown put Jesuit in the record books. Brian Buell threw his eighth touchdown pass of the competition, tying the Texas State High School Football record held by Kirk Saul of Turkey Valley since 1986.
Sadly, though, the record was broken just minutes later by Fort Worth Southwest’s Wesley Harris, who threw nine touchdown passes against Arlington Heights.
At the end of the 3rd, the score was Jesuit 55 – Richardson 30.
The 4th quarter consisted of Jesuit mainly trying to run out the clock and not run up the score. RB Christian Franz ’12 scored his first rushing touchdown of the year on a 6-yard carry.
The game ended with a final score of Jesuit 62 – Richardson 30.
For Jesuit, Buell finished with 427 yards and those 8 touchdowns with 1 interception and a 72% completion percentage. RB Will Brown ’13, Buell, WR Marty Murad ’12, RB Garrett Van de Ven ’13, and Franz combined for 156 rushing yards on 27 carries. The receiving corps did an absolutely wonderful job, powered by Oliver, Lock, and Berend. This was the second-straight game in which the Rangers have only had four penalties as a team.
Richardson’s QB Parker Smith posted 234 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception as well. Their rushing attack was solid, accounting for 216 yards. 10 penalties for 111 yards plagued the Eagles.
Senior Captain Marty Murad said that the win this week after the devastating loss to Skyline “helps boost the team’s confidence, especially to know that the offense is firing on all cylinders again.”
Murad simply remarked that his quarterback Brian performed “flawlessly.”
Going back to Buell matching the old touchdown record, it is very possible that he breaks the new record in one of the three games to come. Look for Buell to put up huge numbers in the final two games of the season against Samuell and Sunset, the two last-place teams in 9-5A. Both of these teams lack good defenses, and with an offense like the one head coach Brandon Hickman has assembled, the Rangers will drop huge numbers on these two district opponents.
On another note, Jake Oliver is quickly approaching Jordan Shipley’s career receptions record of 264 catches. Oliver has 179 through only two and half years. Remember, the chemistry between Oliver and Brezette when he returns next season will bode well for Jesuit and for Oliver’s numbers. Oliver will likely catch over 100 passes next year if he keeps up this pace.
This week, the Rangers (5-2; 3-1) take on the Lake Highlands Wildcats (4-3; 3-1) in their first away game of the season at Ram-Wildcat Stadium at 7:30. Come support your Rangers as they continue their efforts to win out the last few games of District play.
