The Madras High School White Buffalos return to their home field tonight for the first time in 2026, hosting the Phoenix Pirates at 6:30 p.m. in what the team hopes will be a momentum-shifting performance after a difficult road-opener loss last week.

The Buffalos fell 35-14 to Molalla on September 3, managing two touchdowns but unable to contain the Molalla offense in the season debut. The loss leaves Madras at 0-1 heading into tonight’s contest at MHS Field.

A New Season, A Home Field Advantage

Fall football carries a special energy in Madras, where Friday nights under the lights draw families and alumni from across Jefferson County — from Culver and Metolius to Warm Springs and Crooked River Ranch. Tonight’s game against Phoenix, a southern Oregon program from Jackson County competing in the same 4A classification, gives the Buffalos a chance to settle in on familiar turf in front of their own community.

Non-league early-season games like this one are exactly where programs build identity. For the Buffalos’ coaching staff, tonight is an opportunity to correct what didn’t work at Molalla, establish rhythm on offense, and generate energy for the home crowd heading into the meat of the schedule.

The Road Ahead

The 2026 schedule is demanding. After hosting Phoenix tonight, Madras travels to Douglas on September 18 before returning home on September 25 to face Coquille. League play begins in early October, when conference standings start to matter.

  • Sept. 11 — vs. Phoenix, 6:30 p.m. (home)
  • Sept. 18 — at Douglas, 7:00 p.m.
  • Sept. 25 — vs. Coquille, 7:00 p.m. (home)
  • Oct. 3 — at Klamath Union* (league), 6:00 p.m.

Fall Sports in Full Swing

Football isn’t the only sport filling Jefferson County’s fall calendar. Madras High School’s volleyball, cross country, and soccer programs are all in their early weeks of competition, with student-athletes balancing the return to academics alongside practices, scrimmages, and meets.

Cross country runners logged their first official workouts in late August on the high desert terrain that gives Jefferson County runners a distinctive edge — altitude, open roads, and long sight lines to the mountains. Volleyball has already played several tune-up matches and will enter league competition as September progresses.

Come Out and Cheer

High school athletics remain one of the most visible and unifying threads of community life in Jefferson County. Whatever the scoreboard says at the final whistle tonight, the bleachers will be full of neighbors, parents, and alumni who show up because it matters.

Gates at MHS Field typically open 30 minutes before kickoff. Admission is collected at the gate; concessions are available. Game results will be posted at madrasbulletin.com following the game.