Haltom offensive line sets table for big rushing night in blowout win over Saginaw

Haltom return man Decorian Mitchell started the season off right at Rough Rider Stadium. Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a score as the Buffalos raced past Saginaw 66-7 in the season opener for both schools.

Game was over when: Haltom receiver Julian Johnson caught his second touchdown pass of the night. The 32-yard strike from Michael Black gave the Buffalos a 52-7 lead with 8:54 left in the third quarter. The Haltom defense also shut out the Rough Riders in the second half.

Play of the game: Haltom quarterback Michael Black took off on a dazzling 55-yard run down to the Saginaw 1-yard-line before running it in himself on the next play. The score gave the Buffalos a 42-7 lead with 2:41 left in the second quarter.

Offensive player of the game: Black rushed for 259 yards on 15 carries with touchdown runs of 90 and 1 yards. The senior also completed 12-of-18 passes for 184 yards. Black had TD passes of 9, 25, 16, and 32 yards.

Defensive player of the game: Haltom defensive back Keyon Shannon picked off a Saginaw pass, but the whole defense played well. The Buffalos allowed 251 total yards. The only blemish was a 23-yard TD pass from Saginaw quarterback Kameron Williams to Blayne Taylor.

Unsung hero of the game: Haltom’s offensive line plowed through the Rough Riders defense for 467 yards on 46 carries.

Moment of the game: Haltom scored on its first five possessions to build a 35-0 lead with 8:39 left in the second quarter. The Buffalos only punt of the game came with 5:20 left in the half.

Stat of the Game: Black’s 259 yards rushing and two scores just out shined his 184 yards and four TDs through the air.

Big picture outlook: Saginaw played well at times, against a foe in a class above theirs, but just didn’t have an answer for Haltom’s Michael Black. The Buffalos picked up right where they left off last year with Black leading the team to a playoff berth.

What’s next? Haltom will host Fort Worth Paschal at Birdville Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Sep. 7. Saginaw travels to Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Wichita Falls Coyotes on Sep. 7.