If you went into hiding under the kitchen table while listening to Montezuma’s playoff football game, you can come out now.
The Tigers from New London are gone.
If you were in person at Badger-Gabriel Field, you knew they were a four-loss team and you wondered how.
The Tigers matched Montezuma’s physicality most of this 36-34 Braves win. New London had some speed, and their skilled athletes found some seams and tangled up Montezuma’s receivers at times.
Plus, the Braves shot themselves in the feet with penalties at key moments.
Still, the Braves led for 46:37 of the game’s 48 minutes of their Friday, Oct. 22 Class 8 playoff game at Badger-Gabriel Field.
Montezuma didn’t roll over, and during the last 5:32 of the game, the Braves came up with the most productive non-scoring drive of their still-going season.
Leading by two points, the Braves ran out the clock, driving just 35 yards in 11 plays. Of those, Eddie Burgess, Montezuma’s 6-4, 230-pound quarterback, ran it left, right, off the edges and up the middle – a total of 10 times in those 11 snaps, against a very physical defense.
It was noisy, hand-to-hand combat. When survival is at stake, you fight.
Finally, victory formation, a hot tub, and thoughts of next week.
It was playoff football – survive and move on – at its slobber-knocking best.
The Braves take a 10-0 record into next week’s second round game.
Montezuma again will host, taking on 8-1 Audubon.
The Tigers, figuratively clutching the Braves by the throat until drawing their final breath, closed a 4-4 season, the record of which misleads. “It was a great win and it made us persevere and perform under pressure, which is good!” Braves Coach John Beck said. “Survive and move on – that is all that matters at this point,” he said.
Beck said before the game that New London was physical, very solid up the middle, and possibly a little young on the edges.
The Braves did take advantage of the “edges” early – and it may have eventually dictated the outcome.
After Owen Cook recovered a fumble on New London’s first play from scrimmage, Burgess ran 24 yards for the game’s first score. Then, he threw touchdown passes of 30 yards to Masin Shearer, and 48 yards to Owen Cook.
Blend in a safety on a bad snap and the Braves put up 15 points in 21 seconds and owned a 22-7 lead after one quarter.
The Tigers blinked – then joined the battle.
Running back Joel Lacy found a seam and dashed 52 yards for a New London score early in the second quarter and it was 22-14.
The Braves drove and threatened, but Evan Reed intercepted Burgess.
Marty Knox sacked Tigers quarterback Dom Lopez on a fourth-and-11 play.
The Braves worked their two-minute drill to perfection, driving 55 yards in five plays. Cook took a snap at quarterback, and passed 28 yards to Burgess as the Braves took a 28-14 halftime lead.
Bowen Glaha, a 6-4, 180-pound receiver that creates match up problems, now became a factor.
He caught a 17-yard scoring pass from Lopez to trim the Braves’ lead to 28-21 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
Glaha and Lopez connected for a second time, this time from 16 yards, and the game was tied 28-28 with 11:45 left to play.
But the Braves countered just 21 seconds later, when Burgess swept right, cut up and beat everybody to the other end. It was a 58-yard scoring run. Then, the Braves went for two, and Burgess took it in for a 36-28 Montezuma lead.
Now came Lopez to Glaha #3 on a 43-yard bomb, and New London lined up for a two-pointer to tie the game again.
But holding was called against the Tigers, moving the starting point for the two-point try back to the 13. The pass fell incomplete.
Now, 5:32 was left, and it was time for Montezuma to run out the clock.
Burgess passed for 187 yards on 11-for-25 throwing. Two went for scores. The big Montezuma quarterback rushed 30 times for 189 yards and two scores.
Masin Shearer caught five passes for 87 yards and a score, and Cook caught two throws for 59 yards and a score. Burgess had two catches for 43 yards. We told you about the touchdown reception he had. The other catch was of the circus variety, and it kept alive a Braves drive.
Defensively, Zach Bennett had 11 tackles, a quarterback sack, and 2.5 tackles for losses. Burgess had 10 tackles, and Marty Knox had 4.5 tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss.
Lopez had four touchdown passes for New London, three of them to Glaha. Lopez was 11-12 through the air, for 131 yards.
Running back Joel Lacy carried nine times for 105 yards and one touchdown, and caught the other touchdown pass.
Linebacker Devin Swanson had 16.0 tackles, including 2.5 for lost yardage.
Stats vs. New London
Passing – Eddie Burgess 11-25 for 187 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception; Owen Cook 2-2, 43 yards, 1 touchdown.
Rushing – Burgess 30-189, 2 touchdowns; Connor Van Zee 11-25, Masin Shearer 1-5, Marty Knox 1-(-2).
Receiving – Shearer 5-87, 1 touchdown; Cook 2-59, 1 touchdown; Burgess 2-43, 1 touchdown; Van Zee 4-41.
Tackles – Zach Bennett 11.0, Burgess 10.0, Brett Plants 4.0, Knox 4.5, Matt Karadios 4.0, Geiger 3.5, Van Zee 3.5, Shearer 2.0, Gabe Wearmouth 2.0, Cook 1.5, Eli Bustamonte 2.5, Kennen Roadcap 1.0.
Tackles for loss – Bennett 2.5, Knox 1.0, Karadios 0.5.
Sacks – Bennett 1.0, Knox 1.0.
Fumble recovery – Cook 1.
Kickoff returns – Van Zee 1-19, Burgess 1-17, Bustamonte 1-8.
Punt return – Van Zee 1-22.
Kicking – Cook 6 kickoffs, 4 touchbacks, 296 yards; 2-2 on PATs.
Punts – Burgess 4-133 (33.3).
Two-point conversions – Burgess 1.