Tonkawa’s fast-charging Bucs turned back the Hinton Comets in more ways than one with a 27-0 blanking Friday night.

It was a pivotal win for the Bucs, who go to topranked unbeaten Cashion this Friday in a game that could decide the District A-3 championship.

The win assured Tonkawa of a first round home playoff game Nov. 12 with the new OSSAA playoff scenario that puts all teams in a first round “play-in” game. The top four teams in each district will host. Winners of the

“play-in” game will then enter the regular fivegame state championship bracket.

The halftime highlight was the crowning of the 2020 Homecoming Queen Jayden Ott by Captain Carson Robinson.

Besides outscoring the Comets Friday night, the Buc defense set up two of the four touchdowns with fumble recoveries and turned back scoring threats by Hinton in each half.

The Bucs’ senior tailback, Tristan Burdick, scored three of the four Buc touchdowns with runs of 39, 5 and 5 yards. He finished the evening with 158 yards on 19 carries.

Wide receiver Jake Randall scored the other on a 10 yard end-around.

Freshman quarterback Ryan Morgan was 2-3 passing for 48 yards, both to Randall, one setting up the final touchdown drive.

After falling to a 14-0 first quarter deficit, the Comets drove from their own 28 and had a first down at the Tonkawa 24. On third and three from the Buc 17, junior linebacker Noah Campbell dropped the Comet ball-carrier for a one yard loss.Then on fourth and four, Nathan Anderson caught the Hinton runner for a two yard loss.

Tonkawa took over and drove all the way to the Comet 17 before fumbling the ball away.

Late in the second quarter, the Bucs went up 21-0 on a 39-yard, 3 play drive with a five yard scoring run by Burdick set up by a 25 yard pass from Morgan to Randall.

As time was about to expire, Hinton tried a 47 yard field goal, but it was short. Burdick picked the ball up at the 8 and had an open path to the other end, only to have the play whistled dead at midfield.

Both teams traded punts early in the third quarter until Clay Massey and Jake Randall swiped the ball out of a Hinton runner’s hand and Ryan Morgan picked it up, advancing it to the Comet 40.

Five plays later, Burdick scored for the last time to give Tonkawa its final 27-0 margin of victory.

The Comets got as close as the Buc 25 in the fourth quarter, but they were turned back with tackles by Dante Mendoza, Jaidyn Guzman, Randall, Campbell, Jake Morgan, Gabe Summers, Clay Massey and Fireshaker Davis. Massey interrupted a lateral, knocking it to the ground and Davis was there to cover it.

Dante Mendoza covered a fumble in the first quarter, caused by Jake Morgan to set up the drive leading to the Randall TD run.

Campbell led defenders with 16 tackles. Davis had 13 and Guzman 10.

Tackles behind the line of scrimmage were made by Campbell, Anderson, Mendoza, Guzman, Jake Morgan, Gabe Summers and Massey.