Snow buries conference foe Cisco with 39 unanswered points

CISCO, Texas—Snow College turned a close game into a runaway victory by controlling the line of scrimmage and creating opportunities on the defensive side of the ball.

The Badgers overcame an early 10-0 deficit by scoring 39 unanswered points, rolling past Cisco College 39-10 on Saturday.

Snow finished with 401 yards of total offense, including 229 rushing yards and 172 through the air. The Badgers averaged 5.1 yards per play while running 79 offensive plays compared with 54 for Cisco.

The rushing attack was led by Jadyn Buckner, who carried 12 times for 102 yards, including a 50-yard run. Louie Hamilton added 61 yards on 12 carries, while Tala Taulapapa gained 44 yards on seven attempts.

Aquaylis Jordan provided Snow’s only rushing touchdown, scoring on a 10-yard run early in the second quarter.

Snow also got efficient production from quarterback Dylan Story, who completed 13 of 29 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with LaDainian Wall on a 25-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter before finding Grayden Dumas for a 6-yard score with 13 seconds remaining in the first half.

Lael Rhodes led the Badgers with five receptions for 66 yards. Wall finished with one catch for 25 yards and a touchdown, while Dumas caught two passes for 17 yards and a score.

The Badgers’ offensive balance helped them produce 24 first downs, including 11 on the ground and 10 through the air. Snow also converted three of six fourth-down attempts.

After Cisco scored on its first possession and added a field goal to take a 10-0 lead, Snow’s offense and defense took control.

The Badgers scored 13 points in the second quarter to take a 20-10 halftime lead, then added a safety and a 49-yard field goal from Ian Sanches in the third quarter.

Snow’s defense finished the job in the fourth.

Fale Atuaia returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown with 9:20 remaining, and Will Warner followed with a 34-yard interception return for a score less than two minutes later.

The two defensive touchdowns were part of a four-interception performance by the Badgers. Snow’s defense held Cisco to 205 total yards, including just 80 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

Cisco completed 16 of 29 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, but Snow picked off four passes. Lior Mendji completed 14 of 24 attempts for 112 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Warner recorded six tackles and an interception, while Jaden Manwaring led Snow with eight tackles. John Mancuso and Caleb Darthard each finished with five tackles.

Snow also limited Cisco’s big-play opportunities after the first quarter. Cisco’s Zereian Quarles broke loose for a 71-yard run and finished with 94 yards on 12 carries, but the Badgers held the Cisco offense to 3.2 yards per rushing attempt overall.

Snow controlled possession for 31:58 and limited Cisco to just eight first downs. The Badgers also held advantages in third-down efficiency and fourth-down conversions.

Snow committed no turnovers of its own and finished with four takeaways.

The victory moved the Badgers to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. Cisco dropped to 0-2. Snow will next face Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CST.