BAXTER – It was a non-district game, but don’t tell that to the young men who played in it, or the hearty fans who stayed to the bitter (cold) end to see it to completion.
The Baxter Bolts, trailing 46-30 to Montezuma just seconds into the fourth quarter, came all the way back, and scored on 10-yard touchdown pass play as time expired to take a 52-46 win over Montezuma on a wind-chilled Friday evening, Oct. 6.
Montezuma scored first and didn’t give up the lead until 5:59 was left to play. And then it was tied at 46. Bolts quarterback Perrin Sulzle scored on a six-yard run, then threaded the needle with a two-point conversion pass.
Sulzle and wide receiver Treyon Travis were poison for the Braves in the fourth quarter.
After the Braves went up by 16 points, Travis scored on a 10-yard pass on a third-and-10 play, then the Bolts ran a two-point conversion to cut the Braves’ lead to eight points.
The Braves, who did a better job most of the night of mixing rushing and passing yards, started a promising march, fueled by runs by fullback Brett Plants and quarterback Brady Boulton.
The Braves, driving into the wind, crossed midfield, but then Travis intercepted Boulton with 4:02 left in regulation.
The Bolts got to Montezuma’s three-yard line, but Sulzle was thrown for consecutive losses, the second time by Landon Morrison back at the 10-yard line.
It was fourth down as Baxter snapped the play with two seconds left on the clock. Sulze scrambled around, giving Davis time to split two defenders and make a leaping touchdown catch in the end zone.
Montezuma scored first on a 42-yard Boulton to Garrett Watts pass, after Watts caught the ball, faked a defender, then beat another Bolt to the end zone.
The Braves maintained a four-to-10-point lead most of the game as the teams traded scores.
One of Montezuma’s scores was a 72-yard Boulton-to-Watts touchdown when the wind was in the Braves’ favor, but nobody picked up Watts as he went out for the pass.
Montezuma’s closing speed on defense was noticeable, until the fourth quarter. The Braves were moving two massive Bolts down linemen on defense, and the pair, Aiden McFadden (6-0, 290) and Carter Smith (6-4, 300) also were the center and left guard on offense.
The Braves utilized a stunt and blitz package in the second half to try and get quarterback Sulzle (6-4, 200) to feel pressure and had some success with it. Braves Briar Simpson, Landon Morrison and Tod Geiger menaced the Baxter quarterback a number of times.
Broox Stockman had a breakout game on defense. He registered 17.0 tackles, 10 of them solo, and had 2.5 tackles for loss.
Morrison had 6.5 tackles, 3 solos and 3 for losses. David Rose had 7.5 stops, 6 of those solo.
The loss dropped Montezuma to 4-4 overall, but the Braves still have a shot at post-season play if they beat Twin Cedars at home on Friday night.
Baxter is 5-2.
COME BACK later this weekend when we’ll have more details, stats, and photos.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 14 8 18 6 – 46
Baxter 6 12 12 22 – 52
