GAME NOTES

• The No. 5 Snow College football team will continue Southwest Junior College Football Conference play against Kilgore College Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in Kilgore, Texas.

 

• The Badgers will enter play Saturday off the heels of a 39-10 victory against Cisco College last weekend in their first SWJCFC game in program history. Snow College forced four turnovers and scored 39 straight points to claim the victory.

 

• After surrendering 127 total yards in the first quarter, the Badgers allowed just 78 yards through the final three quarters. Additionally, Snow College limited the Wranglers to just 33 yards of total offense in the second half.

 

• Fale Autuia and Will Warner both returned interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the victory against Cisco. Autuia returned his interception for 32 yards, while Warner ran his back 34 yards for the score.

 

• Jadyn Buckner became the first Badger this season to surpass the century mark in rushing yards in a game. He gained 102 yards on 13 carries. Through two games, he has gained 165 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns – an average of 8.3 yards per rush.

 

• In addition to the two interceptions returned for touchdowns, the Badgers recorded two other interceptions against Cisco. Through the first two games of the season, the Badgers' defense has recorded a total of seven takeaways. The Badgers are 42-11 under Head Coach Zac Erekson when forcing at least one turnover.

 

• Snow College recorded a safety in Saturday's win against Cisco. The Badgers most recently recorded a safety against Community Christian College Nov. 1 last season.

 

• With their win Saturday against Cisco, the Badgers have now won five of their previous seven road games dating back to last season. The Badgers are 23-6 in road games since 2020 under Erekson and have never lost a road game to an unranked NJCAA opponent during that time frame.

 

• The Badgers and the Rangers have met once before. Snow College scored in all four quarters, including 27 second-half points, to earn the 43-21 victory in Kilgore, Texas Oct. 23, 2021.

 

• The Rangers enter Saturday's game with a 1-2 overall record. Their lone victory came in an 87-0 win against CCC earlier this season. They suffered a 22-17 loss to Trinity Valley Community College last weekend.

 
BADGERS ON THE AIR: All Snow College home games this season will be broadcast by SnowTV. They will air on the SnowTV YouTube channel as well as on CentraCom channel 10. Home games will also be simulcast on the radio on KMTI 650 AM.
 
Tanner Wilkinson, who is in his second season as 'Voice of the Badgers,' will be providing the play-by-play for all games broadcast by SnowTV this season. Greg Sterner, who is entering his 6th season on the broadcast, will provide the color commentary for all home games. Snow College. Audio-only broadcasts will be available for select road games throughout the season.
 
All broadcasts will begin with a pregame show approximately 20-30 minutes before kickoff and will include exclusive coverage of the game and an interview with head coach Zac Erekson. Post-game shows will begin immediately following the conclusion of the game and will last approximately 15 minutes.
 
Live stats will be provided for all home games as well as a number of road games during the season. The link to live stats will always be provided at snowbadgers.com.

LAST TIME OUT: Snow College scored 39 unanswered points and forced four turnovers to earn a 39-10 victory over Cisco College in its Southwest Junior College Football Conference debut Saturday in Cisco, Texas.

The Badgers trailed 10-0 late in the first quarter before scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions to take control. Snow College's defense took over from there, holding the Wranglers scoreless over the final three quarters and returning two fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns.

Snow College moved the ball effectively on its opening possession, converting a fourth-and-1 attempt on a 20-yard run by Jadyn Buckner. The Badgers advanced to the Cisco 9-yard line, but the Wranglers stopped Buckner on fourth down to end the 11-play drive.

Cisco capitalized on the stop and used a 71-yard run to move the ball inside the Snow College 15-yard line. Three plays later, the Wranglers found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.

A special teams penalty gave Cisco the ball at the Snow College 38-yard line on its next possession. The Badgers kept the Wranglers out of the end zone, but Cisco connected on a 41-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.

Snow College needed just two plays to respond. Buckner opened the drive with a 50-yard run before Dylan Story found LaDainian Wall for a 25-yard touchdown. Ian Sanches converted the extra point, trimming the deficit to three with 1:58 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Badgers' defense came up with the first of its four interceptions early in the second quarter. Caleb Darthard deflected the Cisco quarterback's pass into the air where Maxx Johnson was waiting, and the Badgers took over at the Cisco 38-yard line, giving Snow College its best starting field position of the game.

Snow College turned the takeaway into points. Story connected with Lael Rhodes for 25 yards before Aquaylis Jordan scored on a 10-yard run on third and 7. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, but the Badgers had their first lead of the game at 13-10.

Cisco threatened to regain the momentum midway through the second quarter when it moved the ball to midfield. Mote Mounga and Kolter Stuart combined for a 9-yard sack on third down, forcing the Wranglers to punt.

An interception stymied the drive, but the Badgers got the ball back at their own 42-yard line with 1:15 remaining in the half. Story completed passes to Rockwell Magleby, Rhodes and Kade Haroldsen as Snow College moved into the red zone. A pass interference penalty placed the ball at the 6-yard line before Story connected with Grayden Dumas for a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining.

Sanches made the PAT, and Snow College carried a 20-10 lead into halftime.

Cisco crossed midfield on its opening possession of the second half, but Meeks Falatea recorded the second interception of the game for the Badgers and returned the ball 17 yards to the Snow College 44-yard line.

The Badgers drove to the Cisco 24-yard line before giving the ball back on an interception at the 2-yard line. Snow College's defense turned the setback into points as Kaleb Miller and Stuart stopped the Cisco ball carrier in the end zone for a safety, extending the lead to 22-10.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, allowing the Badgers to begin their next possession at midfield. Story completed passes to Dumas and Rhodes to move Snow College into Cisco territory. The drive stalled at the 32-yard line, but Sanches connected on a 49-yard field goal to give the Badgers a 25-10 advantage.

Cisco remained within two scores until the Snow College defense put the game away with a pair of pick-sixes in the fourth quarter.

The Wranglers took over at their own 36-yard line following a Snow College interception, but Fale Atuaia intercepted the ball on the second play of the possession and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. Sanches' extra point stretched the lead to 32-10 with 9:20 remaining.

Will Warner delivered another defensive score just 92 seconds later. Warner jumped a slant route, intercepted and returned the ball 34 yards for a touchdown, giving Snow College a 39-10 lead and completing a run of 39 unanswered points.

Snow College outgained Cisco 401-205 and held a 24-8 advantage in first downs. The Badgers rushed for 229 yards on 46 carries while limiting the Wranglers to 80 yards on the ground.

Buckner led the rushing attack with 102 yards on 13 carries, including runs of 50 and 20 yards. Louie Hamilton added 61 yards on 12 attempts, and Tala Taulapapa rushed for 44 yards on seven carries.

Story completed 13 of 29 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Rhodes caught five passes for 66 yards, while Wall and Dumas each hauled in a touchdown.

The Snow College defense intercepted four passes and recorded 11 tackles for loss. Johnson, Falatea, Atuaia and Warner each recorded an interception. Warner also finished with six tackles and a tackle for loss, while Jaden Manwaring led the Badgers with eight tackles.

CHASING A RECORD: Zac Erekson owns a 49-15 overall record and sits just six wins behind Bob Stoddard for the all-time wins record at Snow College.
 
Stoddard coached the Badgers for 15 seasons between 1954 and 1968. He accumulated 54 victories during his time on the sideline. Only two other head coaches have surpassed the 50-win mark with the Badgers. Steve Coburn went 53-7 between 2006-10, while Paul Tidwell compiled a 51-26-3 mark from 1987-94.
 
UP NEXT: Snow College will return home for a pair of matches beginning with TVCC Saturday, Sept. 19. This will be the first time the Badgers and Cardinals have met since the first game of the 2023 season.
 
The Cardinals are currently 1-1 overall and earned a 22-17 victory against Kilgore to start conference play. They suffered a 49-10 loss to Georgia Military College in their season opener. TVCC will host No. 3 Tyler Junior College this weekend in Athens, Texas.
 
Snow College is 2-1 all time against the Cardinals, with the loss coming in that 2023 matchup. The Badgers won their lone home game with TVCC – a 36-14 victory Aug. 25, 2022. Kickoff for Saturday's homecoming game is slated for 7:00 p.m. inside Terry Foote Stadium. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.