Montezuma quarterback Eddie Burgess and wide receivers Cole Watts and Trey Shearer get a lot of attention, and rightly so.
After all, the numbers they’ve put up for the 9-0 Braves are off the charts.
But as Coach Pat O’Brien says, “they’d be the first to tell you they don’t get it done without the efforts of their teammates.”
The Braves’ down linemen and other position players have improved rapidly this season. They’ll be called on for more excellence when Montezuma hosts 9-1 Easton Valley on Friday night, Nov. 6.
Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at Badger-Gabriel Field. It’s a quarterfinals game in the Class 8 tournament, and the winner goes to the semifinals in the UNIDome the following week.
O’Brien said Montezuma’s linemen answered important questions during the Braves’ 56-14 win over BGM last week.
“Our guys set the tone, on both sides of the ball,” O’Brien told KGRN’s Chris Varney. BGM was known for its physical style and for its experience up front.
“On defense, our guys read their keys and bounced guys to the outside,” said the coach.
“Offensively, we made and finished blocks” he said.
O’Brien previously noted that Easton Valley is “fast and physical.” Their loss was 54-34 to Don Bosco, the defending state champion. Don Bosco didn’t pull away until late in what for the Dons was a close game.
“If Easton Valley hadn’t turned over the ball three times, they would have beaten Don Bosco,” O’Brien said.
The Braves will need to do more of what they did against BGM, O’Brien said.
“Tackle downhill and tackle in space,” the coach said.
The front four on defense cited by O’Brien includes Tod Geiger, a 6-0, 205-pound freshman, Matt Karadios, a 5-10 160-pound freshman, Tyler Vanderford, a 5-8, 150-pound sophomore and Brian Diaz, a 5-8, 195-pound senior. And, Montezuma has others who rotate in.
“Those four did a great job of securing the BGM guards and getting into the backfield,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said Connor Van Zee, a 5-8, 150-pound junior, “did a great job of setting the edge.”
“Cole Watts, a 5-11, 170-pound senior, was man-up on Jacob Moel, BGM’s top receiver,” said O’Brien
“Our linebackers, Eddie Burgess, (6-4 and 220 pounds), and Joey Kercheval, a 5-7, 165-pound senior, flowed to the football.”
O’Brien singled out three interior linemen “for coming into their own against a tough BGM defensive line.”
That includes center Kennen Roadcap, a 5-10, 260-pound sophomore, and guards Jack Brenner, a 5-7, 200-pound senior, and T.J. Townsend, a 5-8, 240-pound junior.
“Our guys are communicating, pushing back, and sustaining their blocks,” O’Brien said.
Another player O’Brien singled out was Kodie Strong, a 5-7, 140-pound senior. He’s a wide-out and running back on offense, and has a penchant for decking people out in front of Braves’ ballcarriers. “He doesn’t get much credit,” the coach said.
Well, he just did!
They’ll all need to be doing that on Friday. “They have a talented defensive line,” O’Brien said.
The River Hawks’ nose guard dominated against Gladbrook-Reinbeck, O’Brien said. The Rebels’ 2,000-yards back gained just 26 yards on 22 carries. “Their guards couldn’t pull,” O’Brien said.
And Gladbrook-Reinbeck just doesn’t throw the ball much
“Their quarterback is a pure passer,” O’Brien said. “They’re a well-balanced team, with some tremendous athletes.”
“Our keys will be to pursue, to tackle in space, and to take what the defensive gives up,” O’Brien said.
“This is a great opportunity,” O’Brien said. “Only 11 percent of the teams in Class 8 make it this far.”
“We want our guys to do their jobs to the best of their ability, play as a team, and play to the whistle on every play.”
THE STATE – will re-seed the four winning teams after Friday night’s games, then announce the semifinals pairings on Saturday.
TO BE LIVESTREAMED – The game will be available live on the internet, according to this note from Montezuma Activities Director Tim Burgess;
“Montezuma fans: Miles Telephone from Easton Valley paid to livestream Friday night’s game.”
“Get into YouTube and search for Miles Telephone. Their page should come up and then around 6:50 p.m. there will be a LIVE link on their page & people can tune in. It’s free. Go Braves!”
WHERE IS EASTON VALLEY? – People have been asking that. It’s in Preston, which is a few miles east of Maquoketa, and a few more miles northwest of Clinton. Former Braves Coach Al Rabenold worked there during his early career, when it was still called Preston High.
ENERGY 106.7 FM – Has announced plans to broadcast the game live. If you’re out of range, it will be on the MyIowaInfo.com website. Go there, find the ‘stations’ icon, and follow the prompts.
