- Tooele Buffaloes defeated Deseret Peak Golden Eagles 28-6 in their first matchup.
- Tooele's defense excelled with 16 tackles for loss including nine sacks.
- Deseret Peak remains winless this season; Tooele improves to 2-2 and faces Ridgeline next week.
TOOELE — It was a tightly contested Thursday night showdown between two crosstown schools.
In the end, it was the Tooele Buffaloes who prevailed, defeating the Deseret Peak Golden Eagles 28-6 in the first-ever matchup between the two schools.
Deseret Peak, searching for its first win of the season, got off to a good start and scored an opening drive touchdown after quarterback Karter Stroyek called his own number, rushing for a 23-yard touchdown.
After failing to convert the point after, the Buffaloes drove down the field and answered right back with a score of their own after Gus Pater found Kayden Schutz for a receiving touchdown to make the score 7-6.
"I haven't gotten much of the opportunity, but I know I can trust my quarterback and he'll give me the ball," wide receiver Kayden Schutz said on his touchdown catch.
From there on out it felt like Tooele had control of the game despite three first-half turnovers. A 2-yard rushing touchdown by Kami Vaenuku extended the lead to 14-6 just before halftime.
Tooele dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, limiting the Golden Eagles and forcing them to play one dimensional. Deseret Peak then struggled to throw the ball for the duration of the game after the score on the first drive of the game. The Golden Eagles offense was lifeless.
The Buffaloes totaled 16 tackles for a loss in the game, including nine sacks.
"I gotta give big props for our defensive coaches; they made the adjustments that they need to make," said Tooele head coach Tuli Wily-Matagi. "Deseret Peak came out firing and they were ready to go."
Tooele tacked on two more touchdowns in the second half to pad their lead, including a crowd silencing strike from backup quarterback Erick Rojas to Mavrik Chlarson.
"When we take our shots, our expectation's that we're going to go up and get and come down with it," Wily-Matagi said. "So that's just the attitude that we try to have with these kids."
The Buffaloes bounced back from a disappointing loss to Cyprus last week, while Deseret Peak (0-4) is still searching for their first win in school history.
"As far as our guys, I'm just happy with how we played up front," Wily-Matagi said. "For us, that's where it starts. We don't move the ball, we don't do much without our big guys on the offensive line — and likewise on defense. So just happy with their performance, happy with how we did overall. I'm just excited for the boys."
Tooele will be back on the field when they take on Ridgeline at home next week, while the Golden Eagles will look to secure their first win when they face Green Canyon next Friday.
