Bucktail Clinches District 4 Playoff Berth
By Jim Morgan
FARWELL – Bucktail (4-5) football is going to the play-offs after last week’s come-from-behind win over Cowanesque Valley by a 26-19 score.
The Bucks are excited about this, especially after the injuries and adjustments that they had to encounter during the season with only 16 players on the roster. For the fans under the impression teams had to have a .500 record in order to qualify for the play-offs, that has changed. Since the PIAA redesigned the classifications of the schools from four to six classes, District IV eliminated that rule for football.
Right now Bucktail is sitting at the #3 seed in District IV and will face the #2 seed Montgomery Raiders (4-5) this Friday night at home starting at 7 p.m. The winner of this game will more than likely be looking to host a play-off game. Also on this night it will be Senior Night for Logan Long, Aaron Lucas, Cody Hand and Billy Yednak. Lucas suffered a shoulder injury a couple of games ago. For the other three seniors all of them were a big factor on defense against CV last week. Hand posted a career high 11 tackles. Long had seven tackles and Yednak had three tackles to go along with two sacks. These boys will be ready to perform in front of the home crowd in their final regular season home game.
Bucktail started out on the wrong foot against CV. With Bucktail receiving the opening kick-off, one of the players misjudged the ball and ended up kicking it to a CV player, the home team scoring on the second play from scrimmage. About a 40-yard run for a touchdown and CV is up 7-0 just under thirty seconds tick off the clock. Bucktail finally settled down into their offense as the game plan was run the ball until they stop us. The work horse on the team Tanner Riggle had a big game as he handle the ball 31 times for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kenny Winkelman, who started on the line at the beginning of the year has now been switched to a back and has done well has he touched the ball 18 times for 51 yards and scored a touchdown.
The Bucks are playing well right now and as long as the players can stay healthy they will be ready for the Red Raiders on Friday. In the past ten years Bucktail has had some big games at home at the end of the season. For the most part the Bucks have shown why they like the home field. A win Friday would likely mean a return to Dwyer Memorial Field the following weekend for a district semifinal against Montgomery; a Raider win Friday likely would mean the two teams will meet the following weekend in Montgomery. Muncy has already clinched the top seed.
District Four Playoff Standings
Team Record Points
- Muncy 7-2 1020
- Montgomery 4-5 590
- Bucktail 4-5 550
- Wyalusing 3-6 380
- Canton 3-6 360
- Sayre 1-8 140
