BAXTER – Montezuma was too heavy of a load for Baxter in the second half of their showdown of unbeaten football teams Friday night.
The Braves outscored the Bolts 29-8 in the second half to pull away to a 45-24 victory in a game that decided the Class 8 District 7 championship.
“Baxter is a tough and very talented team,” Braves Coach John Beck said. “Our kids really persevered and showed a lot of grit throughout the game.”
The first half had been electric: A 16-16 stalemate that saw the defenses on both teams struggle to stop the other side’s offense.
That changed after halftime – and actually, a little before for the Montezuma defense, which wound up with five stops against Class 8’s highest-scoring offense.
“It was a very good win for our kids,” Beck said.
These teams could see each other again in the playoffs. But if the Bolts don’t see Montezuma again, they’re not likely to regret missing a second crack at Braves quarterback/linebacker Eddie Burgess.
Burgess absorbed the best the Bolts could throw at him. If anything, that energy ignited the fuse on Montezuma’s 6-4, 230-pound weapon of mass destruction.
Burgess ran for three touchdowns, passed for two and caught one. At linebacker, he repeatedly penetrated or pursued and messed up Baxter plays, putting the Bolts in long yardage situations.
And he made highlight reel plays.
Like with 2:28 left in the first half, and the scored tied at 16-all. Burgess was ruled down after slipping, and even the video tape was inconclusive of whether his knee touched down, or his arm above the hand.
It brought about a fourth down, Baxter’s only real stop on the Braves, and Burgess dropped back to punt. The snap sailed over his head. He beat a defender to the ball, scooped it up, and with the Baxter player trying to tackle him, Burgess kicked the punt, and saved the Braves probably 40 yards.
Two plays later, Burgess intercepted Baxter quarterback Cody Damman, the Braves’ second stop of the half.
Damman had used a nice assortment of option runs and play action passes to move the football against the Braves. A play action pass to wide receiver Jake Travis helped give the Bolts an early 8-0 lead.
But Travis suffered concussion protocol on a first half play, and couldn’t play the rest of the game.
Burgess capped a 72-yard Montezuma drive with an eight-yard run and a two-point conversion.
Damman went with play action and hit Rory Heer for a 32-yard touchdown, and Baxter had a 16-8 lead with 1:12 left in the first quarter.
The Braves tied it at 16-all moments into the second quarter on a nine-yard Burgess pass over the middle to Connor Van Zee.
Baxter’s offense had been beating the Braves to the boundaries early in the game, but Montezuma adjusted.
Midway through the third quarter, a snap over Burgess’ head had the potential to be a game-changer. It was, but not for Baxter.
Burgess retrieved the ball, only to have a Baxter player jump on him, drawing an unsportsmanlike call.
Burgess went out for a play and some air and Owen Cook came in at quarterback. A fourth-and-14 play from the Baxter 15 was coming for the Braves.
When Burgess re-entered, he never went back to the quarterback’s position, instead lining up at wide receiver on the left side. Baxter’s defense didn’t slide over to cover him, and Cook hit Burgess with a touchdown toss. Montezuma was up 24-16 with 8:36 left in the third quarter.
Montezuma’s defense got its third stop of the game, then the Braves’ offensive line – Kennen Roadcap, Jack Brenner, TJ Townsend and Keatyn Stokoe – drove people back and Burgess did some power running inside. He got the touchdown on a 24-yard run.
Montezuma didn’t go for two on the conversion. Owen Cook kicked the point, but at 31-16, the Braves were vulnerable, because . .
. . . because Baxter, which always goes for two, scored quickly on a 25-yard run by Damman. Now, it was 31-24.
The Braves, who had been killing some clock on offense, stepped on the gas again. Burgess passed 43 yards to Masin Shearer, then came back to Shearer on a flanker reverse down to the Baxter four.
Burgess gained three, then stepped into the end zone for six points, and ran for two. It was 39-24.
The Bolts stormed back, but the Braves had two stops left on defense.
Eli Bustamonte got the first one with a pick in the end zone.
The Braves then bullied their way downfield, with Burgess doing a shuttle pass over the top of a pile of bodies to Van Zee for the touchdown and a 45-24 lead.
Van Zee got the final Braves stop with an interception.
Burgess was 18-for-26 passing, for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 27 times for 168 yards and three scoes.
Masin Shearer caught eight passes for 111 yards. Connor Van Zee had four catches for 89 yards and two scores.
For Baxter, quarterback Cody Damman completed 18 of 25 passes for 185 yards and two scores. He rushed 18 times for 108 yards.
Rory Heer rushed 10 times for 62 yards, and caught seven passes for 96 yards and one score.
Baxter is 6-1, but has locked up a spot in the playoffs.
NO GAME NEXT FRIDAY – Woodward Academy, next Friday’s scheduled opponent, has already forfeited to the Braves, who complete a 9-0 regular season. They’ll find out on Saturday, Oct. 16, who they will play on Oct. 22 in the first round of the playoffs. “We are going to use this week to get better and get healthy for the post-season,” Beck said.
Braves stats vs Baxter
Passing – Eddie Burgess 18-26 for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns; Owen Cook 1-1 for 17 yards and one touchdown.
Rushing – Burgess 27-168 and 3 touchdowns; Masin Shearer 1-11, Connor Van Zee 2-0, Owen Cook 1-0, Brett Plants 1-0.
Receiving – Shearer 8-111, Van Zee 4-89 and 2 touchdowns; Cam Michalek 3-40, Burgess 1-17 and one touchdown; Cook 2-11, Eli Bustamonte 1-11.
Tackles – Burgess 11.0, Zach Bennett 7.5, Van Zee 7.5, Bustamonte 5.0, Cook 4.0, Matt Karadios 3.5, Tod Geiger 3.5, Plants 3.0, Gabe Wearmouth 3.0.
Tackles for loss – Bennett 1.0, Wearmouth 1.0, Geiger 1.0.
Interceptions – Van Zee 1-6, Burgess 1-0, Busamonte 1.0.
Kickoff returns – Shearer 1-15.
Kicking – Cook 7 kickoffs, 6 for touchbacks; 1-1 on PATs.
Punting – Burgess 1-16.
Two-point conversions – Burgess 3, Cook 1.