By Keith Brake
Editor
Answer: Three punts kicked.
Question: What’s a season total stat that illustrates how Montezuma’s 8-1 football team has become a 59 points a game juggernaut this season?
The Braves have punted just three (3) times. Well, it would have been five, but the snaps sailed past the punter and through the end zone.
Still, five punts all season?
Winfield-Mt. Union (6-3) comes to Badger-Gabriel Field for Friday night’s 7 p.m. kickoff knowing it must keep control over the Braves’ offense if the Wolves have any hope of winning a Class 8 state playoff opening round game.
They also know they didn’t do a good job of that when the teams played in the Wolves’ den on Sept. 20.
Montezuma won, 55-14, and dominated the game up front.
Montezuma morphed from a 50-50 passing-throwing team not long before that game.
It became obvious the Braves had the physical tools to become a dominant running team – tall, powerful – and fast – linemen blocking for strong, speedy backs.
Quarterback Brady Boulton has led the Braves passing attack with 907 yards on 58 completions, good for 15 touchdowns.
But Boulton heads up a three-headed monster of a ground game. The quick quarterback has 902 yards on 92 carries (9.8 per carry) and 14 touchdowns.
Fullback Brett Plants, the road grater, (5-11, 219 pounds) has 638 yards on 109 rushes and 14 touchdowns.
Halfback Broox Stockman, the artful dodger, has 637 yards on 88 totes, (7.2 per carry) and 18 touchdowns. A linebacker on defense, he’s the team’s leading tackler.
A ground game kills clock and Montezuma has usually been ahead in its games. And, if not far behind, close enough to strike.
David Rose has 353 receiving yards, good for 22.1 yards per catch, and 5 touchdowns. The other wideout, Carter Michalek, has caught 24 passes for 291 yards, a 12.1 average, with 3 touchdowns.
Montezuma has 2,470 yards rushing on 342 carries, a 7.2 average, and 57 touchdowns.
The Braves have 973 yards receiving, 15.2 per catch, and 16 touchdowns.
Montezuma has been tough when the ball is in the air against them. The Braves have 16 interceptions, including five by
Rose.
Freshman Alex Becerril is 43-for-55 on PAT kicks.
Winfield-Mt. Union has scored 58 or more points in three of its last four games, (against English Valleys, Mormon Trail and HLV) but those are not some of the stronger teams they have faced.
The Wolves did put up 30 in a 72-30 loss to Iowa Valley, which might be a team that resembles the Braves. Iowa Valley is 13th – two spots ahead of Montezuma, in BCMoore Rankings’ list. BCMoore has the Braves as a 22.65-point favorite in this game.
Quarterback Jake Edwards leads W-MU with 1,336 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Lane Genkinger leads rushers with 726 yards and 14 scores, and receivers with 694 yards and 8 touchdowns.
