MONTEZUMA – The Montezuma Braves turned the Melcher-Dallas football team every which way but loose in a 72-16 win on Friday evening, Oct. 3, at Badger-Gabriel Field.
So overwhelming was the Montezuma onslaught that the Braves had enough points to impose a continuous clock by the end of their 39-point first quarter, although that clock doesn’t keep running until the start of the second half.
Montezuma led 52-0 at hafltime.
During that first half, The Braves intercepted five passes and recovered one Melcher-Dallas fumble.
Quarterback Brady Boulton threw three touchdown passes in the half and ran for another score.
Also, Isaac Wedgewood, heretofore a down lineman for the Braves, ran for a touchdown.
Another lineman, Peyton Tindle, opened the second half in the backfield and also scored a touchdown.
The Braves rushed for 206 yards and threw for 121.
Breyer Chidester, a freshman, led Braves rushers with 72 yards on just two carries, one of which was a 59-yard touchdown run.
Aidan Chidester, another freshman, filled in as kicker for the injured Luke Erselius. Aidan kicked off 11 times for 474 yards and five touchbacks. He also was four-for five on points after touchdown kicks.
Melcher-Dallas repeatedly hurt its own cause with penalty yardage. And on one play, the Saints’ punter tried to punt from deep in his team’s territory, but kicked the ball up over his head, resulting in a two-point safety for the Braves.
Melcher-Dallas has won one game this season and Montezuma has yet to play that team, but will Friday when Twin Cedars comes to town.
The toughest calls Braves Coach John Beck and his staff had to make Friday was how to get all of the Montezuma roster into the game during second half play.
To their credit, the Braves kept their minds on what they were doing and did not appear to make a lot of mistakes.
The Braves took their record to 4-2 with the win. Melcher-Dallas is 1-6.
UP NEXT – The Braves host Twin Cedars on Friday, Oct. 10, at Badger-Gabriel Field in the final regular season home game.
Score by quarters
Melcher-Dallas 0 0 8 8 – 16
Montezuma 39 13 12 8 – 72