Buckaroo football kicks off 2019 with a home win against Monument Valley

THE BIRD SCOOP
The Monticello football team kicked off their 2019  season on Friday, August 16. They hosted the Monument Valley Cougars in a non-region contest and came away with their first win of the season 41-6.  
The Bucks moved the ball well early, ripping off huge chunks of yards on carries by junior running back Brevin Olsen.
But the passing game struggled. After throwing three first-quarter interceptions, it seemed sophomore QB Devin Hatch just needed to burn some adrenaline and settle down.
In fact, the Bucks didn’t get on the scoreboard until nearly seven minutes into the game. Brevin Olsen snagged an errant Cougar pass and returned it to the house for a 10-yard pick-six. 
Junior Cedar English’s first PAT of the season found its mark, and Monticello seized a 7-0 lead.
Following the slow start, Hatch and the Buckaroos got in gear and scored four straight times in the second quarter. The first offensive TD of the year came on a 27-yard Brevin Olsen run. That was followed by a 76-yard strike through the air from Hatch to senior Carson King, a 56-yard pass from Hatch to Cedar English, and another 10-yard toss from Hatch to King.
After Monument Valley added a 36-yard passing TD of their own but failed on the PAT, the Bucks took a  34-6 into the half.
Monticello scored the lone touchdown of the second half when Brevin Olsen pounded in a four-yard carry with 7:18 to go in the third quarter. With the running clock in effect, neither team scored in the fourth quarter and the Bucks walked off with a 41-6 win. 
Offensively, the Bucks had a good game. Devin Hatch connected on 11 of 25 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns. Carson King had the lions share of the catches, grabbing eight for 197 yards and three scores. Six other Bucks had one catch. 
Brevin Olsen rushed for 94 yards on 11 carries and a TD. Robert Musselman had a nice game, carrying the ball three times for 19 yards.
Defensively, Zach Cecil and Tuff Adair led the team in solo tackles with five and four respectfully. Tuff Adair also had three sacks in the game. 
As a team, Monticello recorded nine sacks in the game at the hands of six other Bucks. Dylan Bird and Brevin Olsen also had interceptions in the game, with Olsen taking his in for a score. Bird caused and recovered a fumble in the game as well.
This week the Buckaroos (1-0) hit the road for another non-region game. It’s a short trip to Montezuma Creek for a matchup with the Whitehorse Raiders (0-0). Kickoff’s set for 7 p.m. on Friday, August 23, and you can hear all the action live on 103.9 KAAJ-LP.
Monticello Golf
With the change of classification from 1A to 2A, no team has more of an adjustment than the Buckaroo boys golf team, who not only have to deal with new opponents and courses, but a completely new season as well. 
In 2A golf, Monticello will play fall golf instead of 1A spring golf. This change has some obvious advantages – the course is highly unlikely to be snow-covered and the boys can play all summer in preparation for the season.
This year, Region 16 teams will earn points to qualify for the state tournament based on the placings at each region event. 
The first-place team will receive six points, the second-place team five points, third place four points, etc. Also, the top 12 individuals can qualify as an individual if their team doesn’t qualify. 
Coach Chamberlain’s squad is young with just one senior – Kyle Leavitt; two juniors – Collin Herrod and Cory Bunker; three sophomores – Breckyn Hoggard, Boston Freestone, and Bailey Walker; and one freshman – Easton Young. Chamberlain believes that “with some putting practice, we should be able to compete with other teams.”
The golf team didn’t even wait for classes to start as they traveled to Roosevelt on Wednesday, August 14 to play the Roosevelt Golf Course for their first Region 16 match against Altamont, Duchesne, Gunnison, North Sevier, and North Summit. 
The Bucks faired well, placing third after shooting a team score of 431 – earning four region points. 
Gunnison was the low team with a 368. North Summit shot a 405. Altamont finished one shot behind the Buckaroos with a 432, and North Sevier fired a 453. Duchesne didn’t have enough players for a team score.
On the day, the Bucks recorded cards from Breckyn Hoggard (99), Boston Freestone (101), Bailey Walker (104), Easton Young (127), Cory Bunker (127), Collin Herrod (132), and Kyle Leavitt (136).  
On Tuesday, August 20, the boys played another region match at Palisade State Park in Sterling.
Volleyball & XC
Check the San Juan Record next week for MHS volleyball and cross country season previews.
The volleyball season starts in Blanding on Thursday, August 22 at 6 p.m. The cross country teams will start the year hosting the Loyds Lake Classic on August 30.

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