MENDOTA – Byron’s arsenal of weaponry seems to never end. Year-after-year, outstanding players depart and more step in to replace them.

After coming within an eyelash of winning the Class 3A state championship last year, the Tigers seem locked and loaded for another long playoff run in 2019.

Byron’s potency was on full display in Mendota when it came to town and spoiled Homecoming for the Trojans, walking away with a 61-0 Big Northern Conference victory on Oct. 4 at the MHS field.

It took the Tigers (ranked third in Class 3A) a bit to get things in gear, but by the second quarter they were up to full speed. Byron scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and then exploded for five trips to the end zone in the second period to surpass the 40-point mark needed to deploy the running clock. That was in place for the entire second half.

Byron ran 41 plays from scrimmage and rolled up 513 yards. A majority of its yardage came on the ground (418). Meanwhile, Mendota had another difficult time when it had the football. The Trojans gained just 89 yards in 45 plays. If not for a 30-yard pass completion from Ted Landgraf to Andres Castaneda late in the game, the final offensive numbers would have been even less.

The Trojans (0-6, 0-6) had 51 yards rushing in the contest. Cody Jenner picked up 21 yards, while Uzi Angulo gained 19. Landgraf completed two passes for 38 yards.

Dayne Snodgrass finished with 164 yards rushing on just seven attempts for Byron (5-1, 5-1). Fourteen Tigers had at least one carry in the game. Ben Carlson connected on four passes for 95 yards.