When cold October night winds howl across the prairie, it’s really nice – even warming – when those last couple of regular season football games really MEAN something.
And this year, they will for the Montezuma Braves, who play at English Valleys at 7 p.m. Friday and host New London on Oct. 25.
The Braves will take a 5-2 record over to North English. Not only are they assured of a winning regular season, but they remain in playoff contention.
This year, district champions automatically qualify for the Class 8 playoffs.
The other eight spots will be at large berths, with a ratings performance index (RPI) deciding who else is in the field.
The RPI is calculated with 25 percent of its value coming from a team’s winning percentage, 50 percent from is opponents’ average winning percentage, and 25 percent from its opponents’ opponents average percentage.
Huh?
The state association is figuring the RPIs each week. Last week, the Braves ranked 18th out of 62 Class 8 teams. They should have helped themselves quite a bit with their win over HLV.
The best advice for Montezuma: Win.
In the process, the Braves figure to improve, which is pretty important in its own right.
Better defense was a need last week. It was better. “Our angles and pursuit could have been better,” Coach Pat O’Brien said.
So, they’re working on that.
Offensively, “we picked up blitzes better and did a great job of getting the ball in our playmakers’ hands,” the coach said.
That will need to continue, too. English Valleys is 4-3 and has had its moments. The Bears have lost three of their last four, to district heavyweights HLV, New London and WACO.
But they gave WACO a tough go.
English Valleys has rushed for 1,318 yards and thrown for 1,079.
Quarterback Cole Stephenson (5-8, 145) is 72-for-138 through the air for 1,017 yards and 14 touchdowns. He hasn’t been a running threat.
Top receivers are Kaden Hall (6-2, 153), with 37 catches for 555 yards and seven touchdowns, and Brayden Mikesell (5-7, 165), with 12 grabs for 227 yards and five scores.
Leading rusher is Beau Flander (6-0, 175), with 997 yards on 165 rushes, 12 of them for scores, and Seth Thompson (5-7, 145), with 36 carries for 197 yards and three scores.
On offense, the Braves will need to track the whereabouts of Nolan Groves (6-0, 185), who has 47.0 tackles, including 11 solos for losses and four sacks.
The Braves still have eye-popping stats on offense. Quarterback Eddie Burgess (6-2, 215) is up to 2,792 yards passing and rushing, with 49 total touchdowns.
Receivers Trey Shearer and Cole Watts have combined for 26 touchdown catches. Shearer has 796 receiving yards and Watts is at 529.
On defense, Brian Diaz has 54.0 tackles, Burgess has 51.0 (also with 11 solos and four sacks), and Ben Jorgenson has 43.0.
Freshman placekicker Owen Cook is 21-for-27 on points after touchdowns.
And Trey Shearer has become a weapon as a punter, averaging 34.1 yards on 11 kicks.
