The Mountain View High School football team could be playing for a state championship today.
But the Buffalos would prepare for a game of that magnitude the same way they have all season.
Mountain View (5-1, 4-0 2A West) is taking that same approach when they host Kemmerer (1-5, 0-4 2A West) at 3 p.m. today.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Mountain View High School football team could be playing for a state championship today.
But the Buffalos would prepare for a game of that magnitude the same way they have all season.
Mountain View (5-1, 4-0 2A West) is taking that same approach when they host Kemmerer (1-5, 0-4 2A West) at 3 p.m. today.
“We focus on Mountain View,” head coach Brent Walk said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, we’re just taking care of business. I’m not going to lie to you, we’re telling our kids this is a must-win game. This is a huge.”
It’s huge because a win would make the Buffalos conference champions and guarantee them the No. 1 seed for the state playoffs.
Mountain View is coming off a 42-0 win over Lyman. In their last four games, the Buffalos have outscored opponents 153-6.
“We’re getting better and we’ve continued to get better,” Briggin Bluemel said. “Everybody just has to keep meshing and working together.”
Kemmerer won its Week 1 game, 34-0, against Saratoga but the Rangers are riding a five-game losing streak.
That doesn’t mean anything to Mountain View.
“We don’t overlook our opponents — especially since it’s Kemmerer,” Colby Rees said. “Don’t overlook them. They’re going to come to play.”
The Rangers are ranked ninth in Class 2A in team offense at 252 yards per game. They are fifth in team defense at 244.5 yards. Mountain View is fourth in team offense (325.3 yards) and first in team defense (179 yards).
The Rangers are led by running back Aq Martinez, who has run for 465 yards on 110 carries with two touchdowns. Anthony Tibbetts has 321 yards rushing on the season on 60 carries and a score.
Quarterback Josh Thatcher is 31 of 59 on the year for 409 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
“No matter who the team is we are going to prepare the same and work as hard as we do every week in practice,” Jason Stoddard said.
During warmups at Friday’s practice, Walk told his team, “You act like a champion before you become a champion. We’re going to come out here and take care of Mountain View.”
NOTE: Visit the Uinta County Facebook page -- https://www.facebook.com/UintaCountyHerald/ -- to view photo's from Mountain View's practice on Tuesday.
