Bucs Roll Benton 35-14 to Open the Season Under the Lights
A punishing ground game and a defense that swarmed set the tone as Haughton opened at home in front of a packed house.
Buccaneer Stadium was already loud an hour before kickoff, and the Bucs gave the home crowd every reason to stay that way. Haughton controlled the line of scrimmage from the opening drive, grinding out a 35-14 win over Benton to open the 2026 season.
Running back Jaylen Carter (a fictional name for this demo) carried the load early, breaking three tackles on a 42-yard touchdown run that flipped the energy in the stadium. "Our line wanted this one," he said afterward. "We just kept leaning on them."
Defensively, the Bucs forced two turnovers and held Benton scoreless in the second half. The student section — led by the cheer and dance teams — never sat down.
Next up: a road trip before district play heats up. If the opener is any indication, it's going to be a fun fall in Buc country.
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