In the first game of the season, the Ellsworth Bearcats lost to the Republic County Buffaloes 52-6. The Buffs started the game off strong and never let up.

Republic County won the coin toss and elected to receive. Ellsworth would start with possession in the second half. Junior Dayton Davis began the game with a kickoff received to the Buffalo 33 yard line. Just six minutes into the game, Republic County added the first points to the scoreboard with a 17-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion was successful, giving them an early 8-0 lead.

The ‘Cats first possession did not last long, ending with a third down sack and forced punt. Shortly after, following multiple long drives down the field, Republic County scored again with a 14-yard touchdown, giving the Buffs a two touchdown lead.

The second quarter was full of many defensive stops and punts. With two minutes left in the half, the Buffs had a long 45-yard run for a touchdown. No more points were scored to end the quarter, making the score 20-0 to go into halftime.

Ellsworth began with the ball to begin the second half. The ‘Cats possession was shortly stopped. The Buffs came out strong with a massive 74-yard run, breaking many tackles on the way. Following the touchdown, the Buffs intercepted senior Trey Anderson’s pass for a pick six. Both 2-point conversions were successful, making the score 36-0. After another Buffalo touchdown and 2-point conversion, the Bearcats finally added their first points to the board with an exploding 7-yard touchdown run by senior running back Luke Sharp. The extra point pass was no good.

To finish out the game, the Buffs added one more touchdown and 2-point conversion, making the final score 52-6. Republic County improved to 2-0 on the season. The loss gave the ‘Cats their first loss of the season and a starting record of 0-1. Ellsworth travels to Southeast of Saline to play the Trojans Friday night. Southeast is 2-0 on the season.