It had the makings of a classic: Two talented teams meeting over a football for the second time in two weeks.
The classic didn’t manifest. Montezuma won big over Lone Tree, 54-14.
But for a while, the fur flew in this second round playoff game on a cold, blustery Friday, Oct. 23 evenint at Badger-Gabriel Field.
Then after the Braves yielded an early score and took the lead, the script from their earlier meeting pretty much repeated itself.
Montezuma answered Lone Tree’s early score with 54 straight points. Two weeks earlier, the Braves led by 10 at halftime, then went on a 33-0 run in the third quarter of a 62-24 victory.
Now Montezuma will play again – at home again, too!
The opponent for the 8-0 Braves – none other than 8-1 BGM. It starts at 7 p.m. Friday at Badger-Gabriel Field. At stake: An appearance in the quarterfinals round.
“I think the boys were a little tight the first series,” Braves Coach Pat O’Brien said. “Luckily, they came around and started playing our brand of football.”
The Braves didn’t produce big numbers in terms of yardage. But they were efficient.
Quarterback Eddie Burgess still passed for five touchdowns and ran for three.
“Getting stops and turnovers in their territory really helped us,” O’Brien said.
The Braves lost an early fumble near midfield. Alex Viner, Lone Tree’s ace back, quickly produced a 38-yard bob-and-weave run for a touchdown. It was to be the Lions’ biggest play of the game. A two-point conversion put Lone Tree up 8-0.
“We struggled out of the gate offensively with two turnovers,” O’Brien said.
After the teams traded punts, Burgess hit a streaking Cole Watts for a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The conversion kick was blocked, but the Braves were back up on full alert midway through the first quarter.
Montezuma took over at midfield after a punt and went on a methodical scoring drive, Burgess taking it in on a short run. Montezuma led 14-8 after one quarter.
Next came a big defensive stop by the Braves. Pass interference against the Braves and a subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct call against Montezuma, put Lone Tree deep in the red zone.
But Montezuma’s defense held.
The game was emotional now. Both teams went for it on fourth down and both were stuffed.
But then the Braves put up two huge scores in the final 3:12 of the half.
The first came on a 36-yard Burgess dart to Shearer. Cole Watts and Kodie Strong each scored two-point conversions in this game. One came now and it was 22-8.
The Braves forced a punt, then a long pass from Burgess to Watts put the ball on Lone Tree’s 26 with 40 seconds to play.
The Braves quickly moved it close and Burgess took it across to make it 28-8 with 12 seconds left in the half.
It was all Braves in a 26-0 third quarter. Burgess scored on a short run, threw three touchdown passes to Shearer and it was 54-8 after three quarters.
Burgess was 13-for-21 through the air for 252 yards and five touchdowns.
Shearer caught four of those scoring strikes and caught seven passes in all for 137 yards.
Watts caught three for 107 including his long early score.
Connor Van Zee had 7.5 tackles and an interception which he returned 31 yards to set up a score. Cole Watts had 7.0 tackles with 2.5 for lost yardage.
Joey Kercheval had 7.0 stops with 1.0 for loss. Burgess had 6.0 tackles with 1.5 for loss and Brian Diaz had 6.0 stops, with 2.5 going for loss.
Brady Ogan had a fumble recovery, again giving the offense a short field. Cole Watts also had an interception.
Trey Shearer averaged a sound 36.5 yards on four punts.
Lone Tree had 322 yards of total offense to Montezuma’s 338. But the Braves kept the Lions in front of them.
Cade Shield completed nine passes for 79 yards, but no receiver had more than 36 yards total. Viner led Lone Tree rushers with 77 yards on 10 carries, including that early 38-yarder for a score.
“Overall, the boys did a great job of controlling what they could,” O’Brien said.
Stats vs. Lone Tree
Passing – Eddie Burgess 13-21 for 252 yards, five touchdowns. Owen Cook 1-1, 0 yards.
Rushing – Burgess 15-57, three touchdowns; Trey Shearer 7-22, Cole Watts 1-5, Brady Ogan 3-1, Owen Cook 1-(-9).
Receiving – T. Shearer 7-137 and four touchdowns; C. Watts 3-107, one touchdown; Kodie Strong 1-5, Joey Kercheval 1-3, Masin Shearer 1-0.
Tackles – Connor Van Zee 7.5, C. Watts 7.0 with 2.5 for loss; Kercheval 7.0 (1.0); Burgess 6.0 (1.5); Brian Diaz 6.0 (2.5); Tod Geiger 3.5 (0.5); Eli Bustamonte 2.0 (1.0); Ogan 2.0 (2.5); Camden Michalek 1.5 (1.0); Masin Shearer 1.0, Matt Karadios 1.0 (1.5); Keaton Stockoe 0.5 (1.0); Tyler Vanderford 0.5 (1.5).
Fumble recoveries – Ogan 1.0.
Interceptions – C. Watts 1-0, Van Zee 1-31.
Kickoff returns – Van Zee 1-23, T. Shearer 1-1.
Kicking – Owen Cook 9 kickoffs for 277 yards and three touchbacks. PAT’s 0-2.
Punts – T. Shearer 4-146 (36.5 avg.).
Two-point conversions – Kodie Strong 1, C. Watts 1.
