BUSSEY – Takin’ care of business . . .
The Montezuma Braves opened with a 35-point first quarter and rolled to a 71-0 win over outmatched Twin Cedars on Friday evening, Oct. 18.
Montezuma’s firepower was such that the continuous clock was put into effect with 6:41 left in the FIRST half with the Braves already leading 49-0.
The win closed out an 8-1 regular season for the Braves, who will now look forward to see who they’ll be against in the first round of the Class 8 playoffs.
And, that first-round opponent will be Winfield-Mt. Union, in Friday’s round of third vs. first place teams. It’ll be a home game for the Braves, starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at Badger-Gabiel Field. Montezuma owns a 55-14 win over the Wolves this season in an earlier non-district game.
First quarter action Friday included pass interceptions by Montezuma’s David Rose and Carter Michalek, the 16th and 17th of the season thrown by the Sabers.
The Braves converted both turnovers into points, and scored not long after a long punt return by Luke Brennan earned them great field position.
Braves fullback Brett Plants opened scoring with a two-yard smash inside with 11:04 left in the first quarter.
Brennan’s punt return set up Brady Boulton’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Carter Michalek, and it was 14-0 with nine minutes still left in the quarter.
Twin Cedars then made its best drive of the game, which included three first downs.
Broox Stockman’s five-yard run made it 21-0.
The interception by Rose was followed by another fullback smash by Plants to make it 28-0 with 4:49 left in the quarter.
Michalek’s pick preceded another scoring run by Plants, this one covering 16 yards, and Montezuma had completed its 35-0 first quarter.
In the second quarter, offensive lineman Breck Simpson scored on a short run. Stockman run for another score and at 49-0, it was time for the mercy clock.
In the second half, Braves scores came on a run by Stockman, a pass from Rett Pargeon to Brennan, and a short run by Dane Strong after the Braves recovered one of a number of Twin Cedars fumbles.
Twin Cedars closed an 0-9 season.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 35 14 15 7 – 71
Twin Cedars 0 0 0 0 – 0
Braves statistics
Passing – Brady Boulton 2-4, 49 yards, one touchdown; Gavin Wilcox 1-1, 16 yards; Rett Pargeon 1-1, 13 yards, one touchdown.
Rushing – Broox Stockman 5-71, 3 touchdowns; Brett Plants 4-51, 3 touchdowns; Boulton 1-11; Dane Strong 2-22, one touchdown; David Rose 1-11; Luke Brennan 1-12; Gavin Wilcox 1-1; Luke Erselius 1-(-9); Rett Pargeon 1-13; Breck Simpson 1-2, one touchdown; Lars Taylor 4-11; TOTALS – 22-196, 8 touchdowns.
Receiving – Carter Michalek, 1-39, one touchdown; Brennan 2-29, one touchdown; Breck Simpson, 1-10.
Tackles – Broox Stockman 7 with (4) solo, 0.5 sacks, 1.5 tackles for loss; Michalek 2.5 (1); Strong 3.0 (2), 1.0 TFL; David Rose 2.5 (1); Wesley Ross 1.5 (1); Ethan DesRochers 0.5; Beau Young 2.0 (2), 1.0 TFL; Luke Erselius 3.0 (2); Brett Plants 4.0 (3), 1.0 TFL; Rett Pargeon 0.5; Breck Simpson 2.0, 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL; Wylie Walters 1.5, (1), 1.0 TFL; Talen Holland 1.0 (1), 1.0 TFL; Lars Taylor 5.0 (4); Braxton Plants 2.0 (1), 1.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL; Briar Simpson 2.0 (1), 1.0 TFL; Isaac Wedgewood 1.0 (1); Brodie Saringer 1.5 (1).
Fumble recoveries – Braxton Plants 2-6; Evan Haughey 1-0.
Interceptions – Rose 1-27; Michalek 1-3.
Kickoff returns – Taylor 1-20.
Punt returns – Brennan 2-25.
Kicking – Alex Becerril – 11 kickoffs, one touchback, 486 yards; 0-1 on field goals; 9-9 on PATs.
Punts – none.
Two-point conversions – Brennan, one.
