Buteau turned those 14 carries into just 30 rushing yards, though.
Buteau found it tough sledding running the ball against the Huskies, who Oak Hill head coach Stacen Doucette called a “big, physical team.” Buteau’s longest run was 10 yards, and he had multiple negative-yardage runs to go along with a fumble.
“Offense was definitely rough for me. I’m pretty sore right now,” Buteau said.
The senior captain found plenty of other ways to contribute to the Raiders’ 34-21 victory.
“I think defense was the main part today,” Buteau said. “We needed defense to stop them.”
Defense and special teams were Buteau’s specialties Friday, and that’s where he did his part — three times — to spark the Raiders’ defense in the fourth quarter. His punt from the MCI 41-yard line with 9:43 left got a friendly roll toward the goal line, where classmate Colby Spencer was there to stop the ball on the 1. Oak Hill forced a safety on the next play to increase its lead to 28-21.
“That was amazing,” Buteau said. “That punt was awesome, stopping right on the inch-yard line. And then getting the safety right after was definitely a big thing for us, getting those two extra points.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t think it was that good of a punt, but when it hit the ground and bounced toward the end zone it just put a smile on my face.”
Buteau later forced a fumble by MCI quarterback Greg Vigue, then intercepted him two plays after Oak Hill went four-and-out.
Buteau said the Huskies’ outside running game — mostly by Willie Moss — forced the Oak Hill linebackers out wide. When Vigue was forced to pass, that put the Raider LBs right in the passing lanes. Buteau’s pick was the third of four thrown by Vigue.
“I don’t even know, to be honest with you. I saw a ‘W.’ That’s all I saw,” Buteau said of the play.
“He just makes plays left and right, whether it’s defense, special teams, offense,” Spencer said of Buteau.
“Levi, last year in this game, was like centimeters away from three interceptions,” Doucette said. “I told him today, if he takes the right, correct step he’s going to pick it off and make some big plays, and he did on defense.”
Buteau said he worked on punting during a 15-minutes pre-practice every day, but Spencer said his end of the noteworthy punt wasn’t anything he had ever practiced. Doucette called it a “smart play” by Spencer.
“I knew on turf it rolls better,” Spencer said. “I knew it was going to take a nice bounce after it started going forward, and I just tried to get in front of it and try to stop it at the 1-yard line. I knew exactly where I was.”
“I think that was an emotional lift, especially the safety. The punt was a big play,” Doucette said. “I thought there was a ton of big plays.”
On a night when Oak Hill’s starting running back had a quiet night offensively, Buteau made plenty of noise with three key plays that helped lead the Raiders to their third consecutive state title.
“He had a great game,” Doucette said.
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
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