DES MOINES – If you blinked, you missed it.
The Montezuma Braves led 45-6 after the first quarter – yes, quarter – on their way to a 64-26 win over the Grand View Christian Thunder on Friday evening, Sept. 3.
The Braves scored two touchdowns in the first four minutes of play.
The Braves scored 51 points in the first 14:16.
Montezuma led 58-12 at halftime.
It was a continuous clock after that.
The Braves moved their record to 3-0 with the win. The game was the opener in district play for both teams.
“We did a lot of things well,” said Braves Coach John Beck.
“Offensively, we were very efficient and took advantage of some matchups,” he said.
“Eddie (Burgess) had a very nice game as he spread the ball around to multiple receivers.”
Burgess was seven-for-13 through the air for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
Five Braves caught passes and four grabbed touchdown passes.
“Owen Cook had two nice grabs,” the coach said. “He also threw a very nice ball (13 yards) to Eddie for a score.”
Cook’s two catches totaled 98 yards and one touchdown. Carter Michalek caught two balls for 82 yards and one score.
“Masin (Shearer) contributes in a variety of ways on offense,” Beck said. “We like to get him touches and his versatility provides ways to do that.”
“Our guys up front, Jack Brenner, Kennen Roadcap and TJ Townsend, did a very good job. They created some big holes in the run game and provided a good pocket in the passing game,” Beck said.
“Defensively, we played very well. We had some big takeaways and had a big fumble recovery for a touchdown.”
“Our defensive line did a great job getting pressure and controlling the line of scrimmage,” Beck said. “Zach Bennett is a guy who has a motor and can fly around and make plays.”
Garrett Watts led the Braves with four tackles, Bennett had 3.5 and Burgess had three.
“Tod Geiger and Matt Karadios also played very well up front,” Beck said. “They pursued well and forced Grand View’s quarterback to get rid of the ball earlier than he wanted.”
“Our coverage in the defnsive backfield was very good,” Beck said. “We had some young guys – like Garrett Watts and Carter Michalek – step up and play very well. “Both got a few pass breakups and tackled well for us.”
The Braves developed some depth, with several players out of action. “We had a few guys banged up this week, but they should be back soon,” the coach said.
“Eddie (Burgess) had a great game defensively,” Beck noted. “He was very good in coverage and tackled well in space.” Burgess intercepted two passes and returned for a total of 31 yards.
Burgess led Montezuma rushers with 77 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Watts ran 13 times for 52 yards and one score.
“Overall, our guys played hard and did their jobs,” Beck said. “We have some things to improve upon, but I was very pleased with our effort program-wide.”
UP NEXT – The Braves play at home for the first time, hosting BGM on Friday, Sept. 10. BGM was a 91-0 winner over Twin Cedars, which has 14 players – none of them seniors – on its roster.
Braves stats vs. Grand View Christian
Passing – Eddie Burgess 7-13 for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns. Garrett Watts 1-3 for 55 yards. Owen Cook 1-1 for 13 yards, one touchdown.
Rushing – Eddie Burgess 8-77, 2 touchdowns; Garrett Watts 13-52, one touchdown; Cruz De Jong, 4-16, Masin Shearer 2-4, one touchdown; Carter Michalek, 3-(-1).
Receiving – Cook 2-98, one touchdown; Carter Michalek 2-82, one touchdown; Shearer 3-45, one touchdown; Cam Michalek 1-34, Burgess 1-13, one touchdown.
Tackles – Watts 4.0, Zach Bennett 3.5, Carter Michalek 2.5, Burgess 3.0, Alex Black 1.0, Breck Simpson 1.0, Lars Taylor 1.0, Landon Morrison 1.0, Derek Fry 1.0, Tod Geiger 1.0, Peyton Minner 0.5, Shearer 0.5, Cook 0.5, Houston Van Roekel 0.5.
Tackles for loss – Geiger 0.5, Bennett 0.5.
Fumble recoveries – Watts 1 for 1 yard; Burgess 1-0.
Interceptions – Burgess 2-31.
Punt returns – Shearer 1-30.
Punts – Watts 1-30, Burgess 1-28.
Kicking – Cook 9 kickoffs with 5 touchbacks, 312 yards, PATs – 2-2. De Jong 1 kickoff for 40 yards.
Two-point conversions – Shearer 2, Burgess 2.