WHEATLAND — Last week the MVHS Buffalos kicked off their game play of the 2022 football season by notching a win over the Wheatland Bulldogs.

The game last Friday was on the Bulldog turf, but the Bulldogs weren’t able to take to capitalize on their home team advantage, and the Buffalos rolled over the Bulldogs 26-7.

Prior to their win over Wheatland, the MVHS Buffalos hadn’t received a nod in the WyoPreps Coaches and Media poll. Following their romp over Wheatland, the Buffalos received the nod and debuted as the #5 team in the rankings.

Mountain View is coming off of a losing season as they only scored one win and suffered seven losses last year. That was the Buff's first losing season since 2011. Not a team to take a loss easily, the Buffs look to be scrappier and more intense this year, and with their win last week, it looks like they are on the right track. Last year’s losses were part of the changing of the guard as many of the main players were gone because of graduation the year before.

Mountain View will attempt to move on its 1-0 season record when they host Rich County today in a non-conference game. The Buffs also had some experience on the turf at Rawlins in Rawlins jamboree a two weeks ago in which different teams face each other in a game-type situation and play for the experience. No game, no score, but it gives all of the teams a chance to test their football legs.

In last week’s game with Wheatland, both teams scored in the first quarter. The Buffalos defense made a statement in the first quarter thanks to a 75-yard pick-six from Carson Eardley so Mountain View assumed a 6-0 lead. Wheatland answered with a touchdown with the Bulldogs taking the lead by one as they added the extra point to their touchdown as Ryland Petroski got into the end zone from the 2 so the Bulldogs led 7-6, but that was their only lead of the game.

Things turned around in the second quarter as the MVHS Buffalos stomped and pawed their way to a second touch down. In this quarter, Eardley recorded an offensive touchdown on a 1-yard plunge so the Buffs lead 12-6 at the half.

Following the half time break the Buffalos were energized as they returned to the field. Later in the 3rd quarter, Isaac Linford scampered in from the 12-yard line for a touchdown, and with the successful 2-point, that bumped the Buffalo advantage to 26-7.

Although the Buffs didn’t put points on the board in the fourth, they held the Wheatland Bulldogs scoreless in the last three quarters of the game, taking the win by 19 points.