MONTEZUMA – It was the kind of 8-man game the prognosticators thought Montezuma and Winfield-Mt. Union would play when they met back on Sept. 21.
Tense, close. . .beyond exciting.
The first time, the Braves broke away and led 35-14 at halftime, on their way to a 55-14 win.
Since then, the Wolves have vastly improved their passing game, and had Montezuma unsure about whether to rush with two players or three.
Friday night, Oct. 25, in a first round playoff game at Badger-Gabriel Field, Montezuma drove 65 and 75 yards to score the first two times it had the ball.
The Wolves got themselves right back into it and stayed in it until very late in Montezuma’s thrilling 61-54 victory.
And guess what? The Braves have been awarded another home game! They’ll face 9-1 Bedford, which owns the state’s best defense, at least from a statistical standpoint. They will collide at 7 p.m. Friday at Badger-Gabriel Field. Bedford beat Belle Plaine, 18-12, in the first round.
Single digits separated these teams most of the way, until the Braves led just 55-54 after a W-MU score and two-point conversion with 10:46 left to play.
The Wolves had trouble stopping the Braves powerful ground attack all night and didn’t stop it now.
The Braves pounded it down again until halfback Broox Stockman cut back against the defense and scored from 13 yards out. The PAT kick was blocked, and now, at 61-54 with 8:22 left, the Braves were vulnerable, if the Wolves could add a two-point conversion to a touchdown.
That touchdown never came. Linebacker Stockman sacked the quarterback on a right corner blitz. But the Braves fumbled the W-MU punt, and the Wolves were in business from the Braves’ 21 with 5:12 left to play.
W-MU lost five yards in three plays, then threw long toward a receiver who had gotten behind the defense. The pass sailed over his head.
Stockman and fullback Brett Plants then took turns gouging the W-MU defense as they had in the first half.
The Braves ran out the clock and a pair of football teams knew they had gone to war.
Montezuma 9-1, plays again next Friday.
W-MU closes the books on a season that saw them make huge improvements from one end of the season to the other.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Wfld-Mt. Union 0 26 20 8 – 54
Montezuma 14 14 20 13 – 61
Braves passing – Brady Boulton 8-14, 149 yards, 1 touchdown.
Rushing – Broox Stockman 17-116, 2 touchdowns; Brett Plants 27-98, 4 touchdowns; Brady Boulton 19-96, 1 touchdown. TEAM TOTAL – 63 – 294 – 7 touchdowns.
Receiving – David Rose, 6-105, 0 touchdowns; Carter Michalek, 2 – 44, 1 touchdown.
Tackles – Stockman 8.0 (6) solo, 1.0 sacks, 1.0 tackles for loss; Boulton 2.0 (1); Michalek 1.5 (1); Rose 3.0 (2); Luke Brennan 3.0 (2); Ethan DesRochers 1.5 (1); Luke Erselius 3.5 (2); Brett Plants 3.0 (1), 0.5 TFL; Rett Pargeon 1.0 (1); Alex Becerril 0.5; Braxton Plants 1.0, 0.5 TFL; Briar Simpson 3.0 (2); Isaac Wedgewood 1.0. TEAM TOTALS – 30.0 (18), 1.0 SACKS, 2.0 TFL.
Kickoff returns – Boulton 1-69, 1 touchdown; Rose 1-28; Brett Plants,, 2-13.
Kicking – Becerril – 8 kickoffs, 1 touchback, 334 yards; 7-9 on PATs; Erselius 2 kickoffs, 67 yards.
Punts – Boulton 1-40.