Scott, Buena Open Season in Style, 17-14

Rick Scott and his coaching staff at Buena High arrived at Larrabee Stadium on Friday night in a stretch limousine. Scott, he of the cowboy boots and down-home manner, seemed strangely out of place. A 1969 Ford pickup is more his style.

But, by game’s end, Scott was back in his comfort zone. The Bulldogs, in their first game under Scott, defeated Westlake, 17-14, in the nonleague opener for both teams.

“We figured if we lost, we’d come in next week in a garbage truck,” Scott joked. “Someone else suggested a cement mixer.”

As it had for four seasons at Hart, where Scott built a record of 41-9-2, Scott’s passing attack made the defense look like it was stuck in quick-drying cement. Junior quarterback Jason Isaacs completed 16 of 31 passes for 215 yards. Richard Harris scored on runs of one and two yards to give Scott a quick start in his new job.

“I’m happy,” Scott said. “I’m happy for my kids.”

And then in jest, he added: “We got to keep the fans coming back. We didn’t want to blow them out.”

Westlake made it close after trailing, 10-0, and again, 17-6.

Buena led, 10-0, at halftime. Ty Hewitt kicked a 37-yard field goal with 4:45 left in the first quarter and Richard Harris scored from the two with one minute left in the half.

Harris’ run came one play after Westlake punter Chris Edwards’ knee touched while trying to field center Mike Monroe’s bounced snap.

The Warriors came back when quarterback Todd Preston hit tight end Tom Bloss over the middle for a 23-yard score with 5:09 left in the third quarter. Luke Crawford’s point-after attempt struck the crossbar, leaving the score 10-6.

Buena answered with a touchdown 1:40 into the fourth quarter, five plays after Danny White intercepted a pass by Preston. Harris rammed in from the one to finish a 42-yard drive.

“Our defense could not stop the third-down situations,” Westlake Coach George Contreras said. Buena converted 4 of 11 third-down situations.

Keith Burke, who rushed for a game-high 101 yards in 18 carries, including 76 in the second half, ran three yards for the game’s final touchdown with 6:13 remaining. His two-point conversion run made the score 17-14.

Edwards, who alternated series with Preston at quarterback, led the drive. Edwards then drove the Warriors 39 yards to the Bulldog 37 but his pass with 10 seconds left was intercepted by George Kienle.

Westlake’s platoon at quarterback produced 131 yards and 4 interceptions. The Warriors outgained the Bulldogs, 292-259.