Gardner – Rain can signal the end of droughts and the storm that blew through Gardner Friday ended one of 15 years.
Class AAA No. 17 PikeView piled up 447 yards rushing in the elements, plowing through Class AA No. 16 Buffalo 56-48 and seemingly into the Class AAA playoffs.
Official payoff ratings will be revealed Saturday but the Panthers are projected to make the 16-team field following a victory and a loss suffered by No. 16 John Marshall.
Leading the charge for the Panthers were a trio of seniors who suffered through a combined 2-18 record over the last two seasons including a winless campaign in 2023.
Running backs Braydon Mullins and Peyton Mounts each broke 1,000 yards rushing on the season in the victory while Logan Cook notched a pair of sacks – one on third and one that led to a fumble recovery.
Mounts in particular had a career night, rolling up 286 yards rushing while scoring on runs of 45, 25 and 50 yards. The rushing total is believed to be the third most in a single game in program history behind running back Evan Rose (361, 2017) and quarterback Hunter Mitchelson (293, 2017).
“Coming in I told everybody it was going to be a close game because Buffalo, they were in the double-A state playoffs,” Mounts said. “This was a battle for the playoffs and no-matter where you’re seeded that’s a hug milestone especially for a team like us and I know everybody in that locker room wanted it. We just came out here, worked together and we got it done.”
In a high stakes game the Bison, sitting on the Class AA playoff bubble, struck first with their prolific passing attack when QB Hunter Rutan connected with Caleb Cales on a 29-yard scoring strike.
That did little to shake the duo of Mounts and Mullins who answered back on the following drive. Mounts found pay dirt for his first score from 45 yards out, deferring to Mullins who converted on the two-point try.
On their next drive it was the other way around with Mullins punching it in from a yard out before Mounts added the conversion.
Buffalo responded with a rushing touchdown but the hosts took firm control when Cook and Mounts scored on runs of 10 and 25 yards, respectively, to put them up 32-13.
Buffalo followed with three of the next four touchdowns scored, cutting the Panthers’ lead to seven points at 40-33 with 2:07 to play in the third quarter but a pair of Mullins touchdowns in the first minute of the fourth quarter created the necessary distance to close the game out.
“When I got here I told everybody to give me a year and they looked at me like I was stupid,” PikeView head coach Jack Turner said. “Guess what happened in a year.”
The Panther defense struggled throughout the night with Buffalo’s pass-heavy attack that saw Rutan complete 30 of 52 passes for 400 yards and five touchdown passes but a timely interception by Braiden Huggins and a strip sack in the fourth quarter by Cook gave the Panthers the edge the required.
“They are outstanding at what they do,” Turner said. “It worried me to death. They scored 60-something points last week. I was concerned as you can tell and they’re very prolific. We’re giving up stuff we shouldn’t have and that’s disappointing. We’ve got to make plays and that bothered me.”
The 7-3 finish is the program’s best since 2017 and should the Panthers make the postseason it’ll be their first trip since 2010 when they finished the regular season with an 8-2 record before falling to Chapmanville in the opening round of the playoffs at Hunnciutt Stadium.
“I honestly would’ve never told you that we’d be here,” Mounts said. “We had a coaching situation where we swapped coaches for a month or two and we found a gym and I think if youn ask anybody on this team or that’s part of this program – the staff and coaches and players and trainers – we really do owe it all to coach Turner. That’s the truth and he’s a hell of a coach and he pushes us day in and day out. It’s hard but it’s definitely 100 percent worth it when you can stand and say you’ve won and you’re going to the playoffs.”
Should PikeView earn a playoff berth, it will be as the No. 16 seed, entailing a first round date with defending Class AAA state champion Bridgeport.
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