Buchholz’s Big Guns Blast Gainesville High

Buchholz running back Quinton Cutler found the end zone four times and wide receiver Justin Williams also caught a score in the Bobcats’ 35-7 victory Thursday over Gainesville High at Citizens Field.

It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball for Buchholz (6-0), as it continued its dominance in Alachua County, where they haven’t lost a game since 2019.

Gainesville (1-6) had difficulties on both sides of the ball it could not overcome. The Hurricanes showed flashes, but were not consistently threatening to the Bobcats, who cruised into an early lead and coasted home for the win.

Cutler leads Bobcats’ hot start

Buchholz came out of the gate on fire, with return man Jordan Richardson taking the opening kickoff to the Gainesville 21-yard line. Four plays later, Cutler hit pay dirt from five yards out to score the first of his four touchdowns. Kicker Jay Giunta converted the extra point to put the Bobcats up 7-0.

After a quick three-and-out by the Gainesville offense, Buchholz got back to work. Taking advantage of good field position, Cutler and Bobcats quarterback Trace Johnson picked apart the Hurricanes defense with a run-pass balance. Johnson found Williams in the back of the end zone from six yards away to cap off a 54-yard drive and put the score at 14-0.

Another Gainesville three-and-out put the ball right at midfield, and Cutler made sure to make his mark. He punished the Hurricanes with his elusiveness and physicality, and he finished the drive with another short rushing score to make it 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.

“Our scheme and the offensive line really came together,” Cutler said. “They played fast, physical and together.”

Two more touchdowns from Cutler, including a beautiful over-the-shoulder 26-yard reception on a dime from Johnson, sent the Bobcats into halftime up 35-0 over the Hurricanes.

Graham, Jackson wreck Hurricanes’ game plan

Florida commits Myles Graham and Kendall Jackson proved to be too much to handle for Gainesville. They overwhelmed the Hurricanes up front.

After a penalty on Graham gave Gainesville a chance to extend its first drive of the second quarter, the linebacker wasted no time making up for his mistake. On the next play, he recovered a Hurricanes fumble.

On Gainesville’s next drive, Graham and Jackson each recorded a sack, leading to an eventual Gainesville punt.

“We came out here with high energy and executed our jobs,” Jackson said.

Buchholz Backups Seal the Deal

Going into the second half up 35-0, the Bobcats pulled their starters from the game and put trust in their backups to finish the job. And although Buchholz surrendered a touchdown on a 63-yard touchdown strike to make it 35-7 in the fourth quarter, it was too little and too late for Gainesville.

The Hurricanes struggled to move the ball late in the game.

The ability of even the backup offensive and defensive lines for Buchholz caused problems for Gainesville. Bobcats coach Chuck Bell took pride in his program’s strength in the trenches.

“With our combination of speed and athleticism, honing in on the weight room a little bit has paid dividends for us,” Bell said. “And it obviously did tonight.”

Up Next

Buchholz (1-0 in 4S District 3) jumps back in district play at Oakleaf (2-3, 1-1) next Friday, while Gainesville (0-1 in district) will try to bounce back on the road against Matanzas (4-2, 0-1) in a 3S District 4 game.