Horsemen dominate in 51-8 win over Victor

Not even a column of smoke from a nearby wildfire could deter the Plains Horsemen from the mission they were on.

Victory over Victor High would be the perfect way for the resurgent Horsemen, who went from two winless seasons to three last year. 

Winning, they say, is contagious. Plains has Horsemen fever. 

The result of their season opening football trip to Victor Saturday afternoon was a 51-8 win. It started from the opening coin flip and rolled on from there. 

Cody West got Plains on the scoreboard in the first quarter when he scored on a 47-yard touchdown run. Horsemen senior quarterback Darren Standeford’s after touchdown pass to Matthew Thurston was no, but Plains was up 6-0. 

Before the end of the first quarter, West scored again, this time on a six-yard TD run. West ran the PAT try for two points, boosting Plains' lead to 14-0 as the first period came to an end. 

Foreign exchange student Jamie Martinez, here from Spain, added to the Horsemen lead with a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, Standeford hooked up with Zayden Allen on a 24-yard TD toss. The PAT try failed, but at that point Plains was leading 23-0. 

Standeford threw his second TD pass of the first half a short time later, boosting the Horsemen’s lead to 29-0. 

Before the first half ended, Standeford scored on a five-yard run.  The senior QB then completed a two-point PAT toss to Wyatt Butcher, sending Plains into halftime with a commanding 37-0 advantage. 

In the third quarter, Allen scooped up a fumble and ran to pay dirt from six yards out. Thurston ran for a two-point PAT, upping the Plains lead to 45-0 with one quarter to play. 

Victor finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter when Johnny Lewis scored from 10 yards out via a rushing play. The Pirates converted a two-point PAT, putting the score at 45-8 in favor of Plains. 

With time running out in the final quarter, Jacob Lulack scored on a 15-yard QB scramble.  Time ran out before the PAT attempt as Plains had win number one on the year. 

Horsemen head coach Mike Tatum, who has been a catalyst at the helm of the Plains team, had high praise for the home team Pirates despite the lopsided score. 

“Despite Victor not having very many players on their team, they came to play by putting relentless pressure on our offense every single snap,” Tatum said. "We were able to spread the ball around to multiple receivers and runners to create a balanced attack and alleviate their pressure to an extent.”

West finished with 48 yards and a pair of TDs, while Allen had 39 yards receiving and two offensive TDs to go with his fumble recovery touchdown. 

On defense, Allen and Butcher led the Horsemen with five tackles each, while linebacker Beau Crabb and Aiden Silva had one sack each.  Freshmen Tristan Allen had an interception to aid the Plains defensive effort. 

“It was truly a team effort, and we were really proud of how the team competed,” Allen added. 

Next on the schedule for Plains is a home game with the Darby Tigers this Friday (Sept 6) at Plains High, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.