And then there were two . . . . Over the weekend the Star Valley Braves traveled the 410 miles to face the undefeated Buffalo Bison for the right to play in the 2007 state championship. Early on, jitters took their toll, as Star Valley fumbled on three consecutive possessions as the home-team Bison scored their only two touchdowns on very short fields. After the Braves settled down, they outplayed the Eastern Conference champions, out-gaining Buffalo 223 yards to 144 yards. Star Valley scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Jordan Abrams to pull to within 14-7.

The second half was dictated by the defenses as both teams found it very difficult to move into scoring position. In the end, the Braves had to move some 93 yards in less that two minutes to try and tie the ball game, making a valiant effort in the process. After moving more than 50 yards, including a fourth down conversion, the Bison ended the threat on yet another fourth down attempt with the game’s only interception with just 16 seconds remaining. The 144 yards allowed to Buffalo was their season-low, and well under their 339 yard average, which was second in the state only to Jackson. This is the fourth time in five years the Bison have advanced to the title game.