Monitor Photo/Carla Gray
Eustace running back Mason Patek dashes through the Buffalo defense Sept. 6.

Monitor Photo/Carla Gray
Talyn Smith of Eustace is swarmed by teammates after scoring a Bulldog touchdown.

Monitor Photo/Carla Gray
Eustace quarterback Rhett Dyer has little pressure to find an open Bulldog receiver.

EUSTACE–The Eustace Bulldogs fell to 0-2 on the season with a 50-42 home loss to the Buffalo Bison Sept. 6.
Eustace scored first on a 47-yard double-reverse by Mason Patek, who weaved his way through the Bison defense. Down 12-7, Eustace’s Patek faked a punt and ran 25 yards for a first down. After that, Bulldog quarterback Rhett Dyer threw an 11-yard pass to Donnie Bevis. Dyer then looped a 30-yard touchdown pass to Talyn Smith to give the Bulldogs a 14-12 advantage. Buffalo took a 28-14 halftime lead.
During the second half, Patek ran 23 yards, then Dyer threw a swing pass to Jeremy Rummel, who ran 53 yards for a Eustace third-quarter touchdown, which reduced the Buffalo lead to 28-21. In the fourth quarter, on fourth-and-goal from the Buffalo 33 following a series of miscues and with the Bulldogs behind 36-21, Dyer threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Rummel, which got Eustace closer at 36-28.
After Buffalo took a 42-28 lead, Smith had a 5-yard Eustace touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to get the Bulldogs within 42-34. Still later, Patek scored a rushing touchdown and Dyer ran for the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 42. The Bison added their own touchdown and 2-point conversion to seal the win late.
On defense, Nick McKee led the Bulldogs with 8.5 tackles, followed by Ethan Marquez, who had four tackles, half of which went for losses. Landon Cerillo also was credited with 4.5 tackles. Eustace racked up 476 yards on offense, with 250 of those through the air and 226 more on the ground.