Braves knock them numb, 87-0

Peyton Minner (79) and Masin Shearer battle during recent action. (Mia Boulton photos).

A rankings service that covers Iowa prep sports had Montezuma as a 108-point favorite over Twin Cedars.

Thankfully, the Braves didn’t cover the spread.

But 87-0 was quite sufficient, thank you.

Montezuma took its record to 7-0 with the one-sided win on Friday, Oct. 1 at Badger-Gabriel Field.

Eddie Burgess, Matt Karadios and Marty Knox are set on defense.

The Braves led 41-0 after the first quarter, and 69-0 at halftime.

Twin Cedars is 0-6. The Sabers count just 16 players on their printed roster, none of them seniors.

The mission for the Braves in this one was to work on their game and try to stay laser-focused on just that.

They’ll have bigger fish to fry shortly, starting next week at Baxter.

The Bolts also were unbeaten starting play this week.

Many Braves played and a lot of them put up some statistics.

Quarterback Eddie Burgess threw just 11 passes, but completed 10 of them for 175 yards and six touchdowns.

Burgess didn’t carry the ball against the outmanned Sabers, but Cruz De Jong did, nine times for 80 yards and a touchdown. De Jong also completed a 21-yard touchdown pass.

Masin Shearer caught four passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

Owen Cook caught two passes for 65 yards, one of them going for a score. David Rose caught a 21-yard scoring pass.

Defensive end Tod Geiger played offensive end for a while, and ran under two touchdown passes totaling 22 yards.

Tod Geiger (78) is ready to charge.

Connor Van Zee rushed twice for 39 yards and one touchdown.

Marty Knox carrred twice – both touchdowns – totaling 32 yards.

Knox also led Montezuma’s defense with 7.0 tackles, including 3.0 for lost yardage.

Brett Plants had 6.5 tackles, including 2.0 for losses.

Van Zee intercepted one pass and returned it 20 yards for a score.

Eli Bustamonte ied the football world record for shortest touchdown reception – one yard. (The rules state that anything up to a yard IS a yard).

Cook had quite a night kicking the football. He had 11 kickoffs, 10 of which went for touchbacks. They totaled 552 yards. He also was 9-for-10 on PAT kicks.

COME BACK later in the weekend when we’ll have quotes from Coach John Beck.

Braves stats vs. Twin Cedars

Passing – Eddie Burgess 10-11 for 175 yards, 6 touchdowns; Garrett Watts 1-2 for (-2); Cruz De Jong 1-4 for 21 yards, one touchdown.

Rushing – De Jong 9-80, one touchdown; Connor Van Zee 2-39, one touchdown; Marty Knox 2-32, two touchdowns; Shearer 1-9, Watts 1-1.

Alex Black, flanked by Jack Brenner, Marty Knox (45), and TJ Townsend (63) is about to execute a long snap.

Receiving – Masin Shearer 4-74, 2 touchdowns; Cook 2-65, one touchdown; Tod Geiger 2 for 22, 2 touchdowns; Rose 1-21, one touchdown; Van Zee 1-13, Eli Bustamonte 1-1, one touchdown; Carter Michalek 1 for (-2).

Tackles – Knox 7.0, Brett Plants 6.5, Van Zee 3.0, Bustamonte 3.0, Peyton Minner 2.5, Braxton Simpson 2.0, Briar Simpson 2.0, Matt Karadios 2.0, Burgess 2.0, Rose 1.5, Landon Morrison 1.5, Carter Michalek 1.0, Zach Bennett 1.0, Gabe Wearmouth 1.0, Breck Simpson 1.0, De Jong 1.0, Cook 0.5, Keatyn Stockoe 0.5.

Tackles for loss – Knox 3.0, Plants 2.0, Bustamonte 1.0, Karadios 1.0, Minner 1.0, Wearmouth 0.5, Briar Simpson 0.5.

Fumble recoveries – Karadios one, Braxton Simpson one.

Interceptions, yards returned – Van Zee 1-20 and one touchdown; Burgess 1-16.

Kickoff returns – Breck Simpson 1-0, Briar Simpson 1-1.

Punt return – Burgess 1-36.

Kicking – Cook 11 kickoffs, 10 touchbacks, 552 yards; 9-10 on PATs. De Jong 2 kickoffs fo 59 yards.

Punts – De Jong 1-32.

Two-point conversions – Rose one; De Jong one.