Snow College Athletics

Snow College rushed for 295 yards and controlled the second half to earn a 27-14 victory over No. 6 Navarro College Saturday inside Terry Foote Stadium.
 
The Badgers scored on four of their first seven possessions, held the Bulldogs scoreless in the fourth quarter and forced three turnover-on-downs in the final period. The victory secured the fourth seed in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference Tournament.
 
Snow College moved the ball across midfield on its opening possession but was forced to punt. The defense responded with a three-and-out, giving the Badgers the ball back at their own 27-yard line.
 
Jedi Nelson connected with Makai Peterson for 35 yards before Jadyn Buckner broke a 38-yard touchdown run. The extra-point attempt was blocked, but Snow College took a 6-0 lead with 8:05 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
Navarro answered with a five-play, 74-yard touchdown drive to move ahead 7-6. Snow College reclaimed the lead on the ensuing possession.
 
A pass interference penalty moved the Badgers near midfield before Buckner gained 26 yards, and Nelson added an 11-yard run. The drive stalled at the 14-yard line, but Ian Sanches connected on a 31-yard field goal to give Snow College a 9-7 advantage.
 
Ozzie Williams intercepted a pass on Navarro's next possession, giving the Badgers the ball at their own 14-yard line. Snow College used the takeaway to put together its longest drive of the game.
 
The Badgers ran 16 plays and traveled 86 yards while taking more than 10 minutes off the clock. Snow College converted three third downs and a fourth-and-1 attempt during the possession.
 
Buckner gained 14 yards to move the ball to the Navarro 4-yard line before scoring on the next play. Sanches converted the extra point, and Snow College took a 16-7 lead into halftime.
 
Navarro opened the third quarter with an 11-play drive that reached the Snow College 21-yard line. The Bulldogs missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt, allowing the Badgers to maintain their nine-point advantage.
 
Snow College crossed midfield on its next possession, but a fumble gave the ball back to Navarro at the Bulldogs' 38-yard line. Navarro capitalized on the turnover with a six-play touchdown drive to cut the Snow College lead to 16-14.
 
The Badgers responded with a nine-play, 58-yard drive. Buckner carried five times for 23 yards, while Tala Taulapapa added an 8-yard run. A pair of Navarro penalties helped move the ball to the 22-yard line before Sanches made a 36-yard field goal, extending the lead to 19-14.
 
The Snow College defense forced a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter. Meeks Falatea and Jaden Manwaring combined to stop a fourth-and-5 rushing attempt at the Snow College 43-yard line.
 
Snow College needed seven plays to turn the stop into points. Buckner gained 26 yards on three carries, while Taulapapa added 18 yards on three attempts. Nelson completed the drive by finding Gabe Konfara for a 13-yard touchdown on third and 3.
 
Kade Haroldsen ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Badgers a 27-14 lead with 10:27 remaining.
 
Navarro drove into Snow College territory on its next possession, but penalties pushed the Bulldogs backward. Fale Atuaia recorded a sack before the Badgers forced an incomplete pass on fourth and 30.
 
Snow College used nearly five minutes on its next possession before missing a 44-yard field goal. The defense closed out the victory by recording consecutive sacks and forcing another turnover on downs.
 
Buckner led the offense with 191 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Louie Hamilton added 54 yards on seven attempts, while Taulapapa rushed for 26 yards on four carries.
Nelson went 8-14 for 85 yards and a touchdown. Peterson caught three passes for 44 yards, and Konfara recorded two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
 
Snow College finished with 380 yards of offense and 24 first downs. The Badgers averaged 5.8 yards per rushing attempt and converted five of 11 third downs.
 
The defense held Navarro to 89 rushing yards and recorded four sacks. Atuaia finished with two sacks, while Easton Kojima added one and combined with Angelo Turo and Mote Mounga for another. Warner, Lawrence Taylor V and Caleb Darthard each recorded nine tackles.
 
Snow College improves to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in SWJCFC play. The victory, along with results elsewhere in the conference, secured the fourth and final spot in the SWJCFC tournament.
 
The fourth-seeded Badgers will travel to Athens, Texas, to take on top-seeded Trinity Valley Community College in the opening round Saturday, Oct. 31. The matchup will be a rematch of the teams' Sept. 19 meeting in Ephraim. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.