{East Buchanan and Mid-Buchanan have met in district play four years in a row}
For nearly a decade, when it came to the rivalry between East Buchanan and Mid-Buchanan - better known as the “Battle of the Buchanan’s” - it was the East Buchanan Bulldogs who reigned supreme as the alpha dog in this KCI Conference tilt.
That is until 2018, the year the Dragons rose from the ashes and defeated the Bulldogs for the first time since 2009.
After the two teams engaged in an epic overtime thriller during the regular season - won by East Buchanan - they met again in the Missouri Class 1 District 7 semifinals and this time Mid-Buchanan earned their long-awaited victory.
During the 2019 regular season, the Dragons made it two in a row over the Bulldogs and did so in convincing fashion, defeating East Buchanan, 46-6.
After playing out the regular season, destiny brought these two rivals together once again and for the fourth year in a row they were set to meet in District play.
While this is an intense rivalry, one that extends beyond the gridiron, there is a level of respect between the two programs that is hard to replicate.
Heading into their district showdown, East Buchanan head coach Kevin Bryan, in the role of the underdog and well aware of just how good Mid-Buchanan was, knew his team would have to be at their very best if they wanted to pull off the upset.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, in the role of the favorites, Mid-Buchanan head coach Aaron Fritz was nervously optimistic. He knew how hard it is to beat a team twice in a season, especially a team with a pedigree like East Buchanan’s.
In one of the best first halves of football I covered all year, these two rivals went toe-to-toe in what felt like a heavyweight fight. Both crowds were fully invested in this contest, giving the night a big fight feel as neither fan base wanted to end the night on the losing end.
East Buchanan struck first when seniors Darin Griffin and Tucker White connected for a surprise 59-yard halfback pass. The early strike energized the East Buchanan sidelines and made it apparent that this contest was not going to be your run of the mill blowout like their regular-season meeting was.
The Mid-Buchanan special teams set them up for their first score of the night by blocking an East Buchanan punt. Junior quarterback Javan Noyes was quick to take advantage, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run.
After their defense stopped East Buchanan on the following possession, Dragon senior Brayden Burleson extended the Mid-Buchanan lead to 14-6 with an electric 50-yard touchdown run. His score elicited one of the loudest reactions of the night from the Mid-Buchanan faithful.
East Buchanan's special teams returned the favor, providing the Bulldogs with their next scoring opportunity when they recovered a muffed punt deep inside Mid-Buchanan territory. This time it was Darin Griffin catching the 15-yard touchdown pass from Tucker White, tying the game at 14-14.
Mid-Buchanan’s next possession was stopped in East Buchanan territory and the Bulldogs, with momentum on their side, looked to take the lead going into halftime.
However, in a turn of events eerily similar to their district meeting the year before [In 2018 the Dragons intercepted a pass at their own five-yard line and returned it 95 yards to give them the lead right before halftime] the Mid-Buchanan defense caused the biggest turnover of the season, stripping sophomore quarterback Conner Musser and recovering the fumble.
A handful of plays later, Javan Noyes connected with fellow junior Drew Russell for a 19-yard touchdown pass giving Mid-Buchanan a lead they would not surrender on their way to a 49-22 victory.
With as competitive as the rivalry is, and the relationships I have built with both coaching staff’s, the "Battle of the Buchanan’s" is becoming one of my favorite games to cover and this year’s District semifinal showdown was one that left an impact.
Game balls for both teams go to their quarterbacks. Javan Noyes completed three of 12 passes for 55 yards with one touchdown and carried the ball 25 times for 180 yards with four touchdowns.
Tucker White completed six of 21 passes for 92 yards with one touchdown, carried the ball 16 times for 38 yards and had 151 receiving yards on four catches with two touchdowns.
It’s safe to say these two delivered the goods.
{Mid-Buchanan game ball recipient Javan Noyes attempts to throw a pass while East Buchanan game ball recipient Tucker White applies pressure}
My top five games of 2019 countdown continues Monday when I look back at a game where nothing but pride was on the line.
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