Thunder-ing ahead: Buhach pulls away in rout of Bethel

ATWATER -- Buhach Colony found itself in unfamiliar territory with just over seven minutes to play at Falcon Field on Friday night.

A scrappy Bethel team kept itself in the game with the Thunder's trademark -- hitting the big play.

Meanwhile, a frustrated Buhach Colony offense had been forced to grind it out for just over 40 minutes.

Bethel's game plan of stacking the box and forcing the Thunder to drive elicited a 28-28 game almost halfway through the fourth quarter.

Utilizing good team speed and outstanding tackling, it appeared it was going to take a tremendous individual effort to break one against the Jaguars' defense.

Corey Chapman provided just that.

The senior sprinted left on a toss, spun out of a would-be tackle and exploded 61 yards to put BC up for good with 6:08 to play. It was the Thunder's first run over 12 yards in the game.

The big run seemed to deflate Bethel as BC tacked on two more scores in a 49-28 victory in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

BC will host No. 9 Rosemont next week.

"They were doing a good job," said Chapman, who rushed for 189 yards and four TDs on 29 carries. "We just couldn't get that big play going. Everybody stuck with it, though. We knew one was coming, and I saw daylight after I bounced off of that guy."

Even with the big play, BC didn't dare breath a sigh of relief until Jarrell Davis pounced on a fumbled exchange on the Jaguars' ensuing possession.

Davis put the game away four plays later, breaking a sweep for a 31-yard score.

"They were a pretty good team," BC head coach Kevin Swartwood said. "They certainly were better than a 16 seed.

"I was proud of the guys, though. We made some mistakes, but you never heard anyone say 'Oh no,' and you never got the sense of panic from the coaches or the players.

"We kept fighting through."

While the Thunder sideline may have remained composed, there were more than a few tense moments for the BC faithful.

Buhach uncharacteristically turned the ball over three times.

The BC defense had its share of issues, too, getting gashed for a 63-yard TD pass and a 70-yard touchdown run in consecutive third-quarter possessions.

BC answered with a Chapman 2-yard TD run and an outstanding play by Jordy Kaiser to recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

Chapman scored two plays later to give BC its first lead at 28-21.

"We had to take what they gave us," said Kaiser, who recovered two fumbles and had an interception. "They shut some things down, and so guys had to step up and make plays in other areas."

The Thunder did that with its special teams taking a pair of fumbled pooch kicks and an onside kick away from the Jaguars in the second half.

BC scored three times in the last six minutes to put its first-ever playoff win away.

Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Playoffs

At Falcon Field

Bethel 0 7 14 7 -- 28

Buhach Colony 0 7 14 28 -- 49

Second Quarter

B -- Deaundray Taylor 8 run (Julius Garcia kick)

BC -- Dallon Muse 7 run (Tanner Gleason kick)

Third Quarter

B -- Estes Cutrer 63 pass from Rodney Cook (Garcia kick)

BC -- Jarrell Davis 4 run (Gleason kick)

B -- K'lan Anderson 70 run (Garcia kick)

BC -- Corey Chapman 2 run (Gleason kick)

Fourth Quarter

BC -- Chapman 7 run (Gleason kick)

B -- Taylor 51 run (Garcia kick)

BC -- Chapman 61 run (Gleason kick)

BC -- Davis 31 run (Gleason kick)

BC -- Chapman 5 run (Gleason kick)

Records: Bethel 6-5; Buhach Colony 11-0.