Buffs open season with comeback win

PUEBLO, Colo. – Defending 8-man state champion Melrose passed its first test on Friday with a remarkable comeback.

Trailing by 18 points in the second quarter, the Buffs scored the final 26 points and held defending Colorado 8-man runnerup Haxtun scoreless for the final two quarters en route to a 44-36 victory in the season opener for both at Colorado State-Pueblo’s football facility.

Melrose put together a 54-yard drive to win it, capped by senior quarterback Josiah Roybal’s 4-yard TD pass to Eldridge with under 1 ½ minutes remaining.

Odom then sealed the deal with a pass interception at the Melrose 40 in the waning moments.

Roybal threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Eldridge on a 4-yard pass in the final two minutes, capping a 54-yard drive.

Eldridge also caught an 11-yard pass from Roybal for the Buffs’ first score, and ran one in from two yards out early in the second frame, Junior Jaxon Odom caught the other TD pass from Roybal, a 48-yarder and also scored on runs of 10 and 80 yards in the fourth quarter, the latter tying the game 36-36 early in the final canto.

The Bulldogs dominated early, building a 22-12 cushion at the quarter as senior Grant Statz scored on runs of 27 and 66 yards and junior Chase Goddard delivered a 73-yard kickoff return for a TD. Senior QB Ryland Wolff tossed a 62-yard scoring strike to junior Zach Statz and ran one in from 4 yards out, and the Bulldogs opened a 36-24 lead at the half.

But there was nothing doing after that. Melrose pulled to within 6 on the Roybal-to-Odom pass after the second half kickoff, and Odom’s long touchdown run early in the fourth quarter tied it.

On Friday, the Buffs take on defending Colorado 8-man champion Mancos in a 4 p.m. neutral-site kickoff at Escalante.

In 6-man play on Friday night:

Grady 53, Mountainair 26 – Tied 26-26 at halftime, the Bronchos posted a second-half shutout and pulled away to beat the Mustangs at Mountainair.

Sophomore quarterback Zander Ciancio threw for four scores, including three in the second half. Two went to sophomore Caden Croy, covering 28 and 15 yards, while others were 9 yards to sophomore Hays Rush and 3 yards to sophomore Gavin West.

Meantime, Rush scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, senior Chevy Dickson added a 4-yard run and senior Deakin Ragland tallied on a 31-yard run. Ciancio converted a 2-point conversion kick in the first quarter while Hays and Ragland had single-point conversion runs and Ciancio threw to sophomore Noah Stanfield for a 1-point conversion.

In another opener on Friday night, Elida posted a 56-6 victory at Carrizozo. The Tigers ended the game on the 50-point mercy rule with a 2-yard run by senior Dylan Dobbins and a 1-point conversion pass from junior T.J. Kennedy to junior Tate Norman on the first possession of the second half.