By Keith Brake
Montezuma Magazine editor
There’s a roadblock up ahead of Montezuma’s football team as it heads west for a Class 8 second round game Friday night, Oct. 31, at 9-0, hasn’t-been-challenged Audubon.
The Wheelers are the top-scoring team in Class 8 at 70 points a game and well, that says a lot. They’ve been a road grater all season.
Montezuma (7-2) hasn’t been chopped liver. The Braves average 55 points – ninth best in Class 8.
BC Moore Rankings rates the schedules even that the two teams have faced this year. I’m wondering, though, if the Wheelers have been across from teams as potent as Iowa Valley or Southeast Warren, the two that have beaten the Braves?
Since Montezuma’s senior class was in eighth grade, they’ve been gifted with speed. That helped them go unbeaten that season in junior high against a small sample size version of the old SICL junior high league.
But they’re still fast. And quick. And, battle-tested. Keys for the Braves will be to start and remain aggressive, and hit the jets – that speed – every chance they get.
Like most good Class 8 teams these days, the Wheelers are wrapped pretty tight around a quarterback. Aiden Kjergaard, a 6-1, 165-pound sophomore, has rushed for 1,089 yards on 98 carries, scoring 25 touchdowns. He passes some – 27-for-35 in 9 games, for 608 yards and 9 more scores.
Top receiver is Austin Christensen, a 6-3, 180-pound senior, who has run under 13 balls for 293 yards and 7 Tds.
Montezuma quarterback Brady Boulton is 81-for-135 for 1,556 yards and 29 touchdowns. He has rushed for 395 yards and 9 scores. That totals out to 1,951 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Still, Boulton and the Braves work hard to balance their offensive attack. Running back/linebacker Broox Stockman has carried 129 times for 913 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught 24 balls for 466 yards and 8 scores. That’s 153 plays, 1,379 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Receiver Luke Brennan has 28 catches for 535 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Like Audubon, the Braves can score from anywhere on the field on any given play. And they can drive it.
That speed is still there. A next play mentality exists on this team, and that has helped them to become extra tough on defense during the second half of late-season games.
Stockman has 85.5 tackles, twice the number of Christensen, Audubon’s leader with 47.5 stops.
There will be no numbers when Friday’s game begins. Just a 0-0 tie, with two eager and talented teams ready to go to war over the football.
The Wheelers do have some tall, beefy linemen. I don’t know much about them, but I’m sure they’ll be out there for the Braves’ big eaters to hit.
Tee it up and let’s go!