Middleton, Fla. — The most efficient offensive performance to date kept The Villages High School football team's playoff hopes alive Friday night in Middleton.

The Buffalo scored on five of their six first-half possessions en route to a runaway 42-20 win over Umatilla at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium, picking up a much-needed victory to remain in a race for the final postseason bid in Class 2S-Region 3.

While VHS didn't get the help it needed to force a tiebreaker atop the Class 2S-District 10 standings — Eustis defeated Mount Dora to claim the district title — the victory for the runner-up Buffalo keeps them mathematically eligible for a potential at-large playoff berth with a win next Friday at Wiregrass Ranch.

But before The Villages looked ahead, it wholeheartedly celebrated a Senior Night win that saw quarterback Patrick Harding complete 13-of-21 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, while his older brother Jonathan Harding hauled in eight catches for 100 yards and scored two touchdowns.

"We moved the ball really well tonight," said VHS head coach Richard Pettus. "We were able to throw it better than we have most of the year, and we were able to finish some drives with points."

VHS (4-5 overall, 2-1 district) went up 13-0 before Umatilla (1-8, 0-3) even possessed the football, marching forth with an opening nine-play scoring drive and gaining an added possession through its special teams unit.

Cayden Russ came down with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Harding for the early 7-0 lead, before the Buffalo recovered the ensuing kickoff at the Umatilla 43-yard line. VHS needed just three plays to go up a pair of scores, as Harding hit Ryan Wilkins for a 19-yard touchdown and a 13-0 advantage less than five minutes in.

A blocked punt that was deflected and recovered by Payson Davis gave the Buffalo another possession deep inside Bulldog territory, with Jonathan Harding keeping it on a direct snap under center for the 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Logan Bowling put Umatilla on the board at 21-7 with an 8-yard quarterback keeper early in the second quarter, but VHS responded right back with a 13-yard touchdown run from Cole Logan to re-establish a three-score lead.

The Buffalo continued to pour it on late in the first half, adding two scores in the final three-plus minutes of the second period.

DeShawn Bellamy forced a fumble on a sack of Bowling, which was recovered by Maleek Williams and returned 28 yards for a touchdown. Then with time expiring in the first half and facing a fourth down, the Harding-to-Harding connection worked yet again for an 18-yard touchdown pass — giving the Buffalo a 42-7 lead at the half.

"I just feel a lot more knowledgeable about the offense," said Patrick Harding after the win. "I feel like I know a lot more about what each of our guys are doing, what routes they're running, and what I'm supposed to be doing with each game we play."

Umatilla tacked on a touchdown in each of the third and fourth quarters, respectively, facing the reserve units put out by the Buffalo in the second half — the entirety of which was played with a mandated running clock.

The 42 points scored by the Buffalo, who finished with a 273-155 advantage in total offense, were the most since a 46-7 win over River Ridge (New Port Richey) on Nov. 5, 2021.

Prior to the game, the Buffalo honored their 14 seniors in a Senior Night ceremony, as VHS closed out its inaugural season at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium with a 3-2 record at home.

"Their leadership has meant a lot to our locker room," Pettus said of his senior class. "When you have a group of seniors that faced some of the adversity they have and not quit, it makes for a special group. They haven't quit — our whole hasn't quit — even though we faced some (adversity) early on."

VHS will now turn its attention to next Friday night's game against Wiregrass Ranch, set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Wesley Chapel.


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.