Are you ready for another football showdown shoot-out?
Expect some fireworks when the 3-0 Braves visit 3-0 English Valleys on Friday night, Sept. 18.
The Bears have outscored Lone Tree, Moravia and Tri-County by an average of 51 to 19. Montezuma has averaged 56 on offense and 30 on defense in wins over Kingsley-Pierson, Winfield-Mt. Union and New London.
Again, it will be the air war of Montezuma, against a ground assault by the Bears, who also will mix in some passing.
“They are good,” Montezuma Coach Pat O’Brien said about English Valleys.
“We played well against New London,” O’Brien said. “We have some improvements to make moving forward.”
“We need to improve our tackling in space and take away those cutback lanes, which is something English Valleys will try to exploit on us.”
The Bears’ cutback artist is 6-0, 185-pound running back Beau Flander. He has rushed for 669 yards and an 11.2 per carry average. His 12 rushing touchdowns leads all classes of football in the state.
Last year, Montezuma won 82-46. Flander rushed for 242 yards and three scores in 31 carries.
But the Braves got 353 passing yards and 131 rushing from quarterback Eddie Burgess, who threw for four scores and ran for four more.
Cole Watts had five touchdown grabs in that game.
So, Montezuma’s passing is something English Valleys will have to contend with.
The Bears will drop in a pass now and then. Quarterback Cole Stephenson is 20-for-40 for 436 yards and eight touchdowns.
Top receivers have been Kaden Hall with 11 catches for 229 yards an four scores, and Brayden Mikesell, with seven for 178 and two scores.
Mikesell leads the Bears with 27.5 tackles and Hall has 25.0.
Watts has 26.5 tackles and Brian Diaz has 24.5.
In three games, Burgess has thrown for 906 yards, 12 scores and has completed 62.1% of his passes.
Trey Shearer has 28 catches for 356 yards and seven touchdowns. Watts has 15 grabs, 347 yards and three scores.
The teams will meet over the football at 7 p.m. Friday.