CEDAR FALLS – As a football game, it defied description.
As a showcase for some glittering high school talent – and perseverance – it was, simply . . uplifting.
Remsen St. Mary’s beat Montezuma 108-94 in a Class 8 semifinals game in the UNI-Dome Thursday, Nov. 12.
Yes, read that again.
One hundred eight to ninety-four (!)
The score was 74-74 after three quarters, so you knew in advance that it would be a crime to call either of these teams a loser, regardless of what the scoreboard read at the end.
Both teams simply spent themselves.
The key swing came during a 39-second span of the third quarter, when St. Mary’s scored three touchdowns in 39 seconds of playing time.
The Braves had built 60-36 lead, but then came that Hawk’s explosion to cut it to 60-58.
Both teams just wore each other to the bone after that, with St. Mary’s finally grabbing the lead at 82-74 with 9:56 left to play. The Hawks didn’t look back.
The scores weren’t the only astounding numbers. The teams combined for 1,497 yards of total offense, with the Braves putting up 804 of those.
Montezuma quarterback Eddie Burgess threw for 689 yards and nine touchdowns, with seven of them going to senior wide receiver Trey Shearer, who caught 20 passes in all, for 389 yards.
The teams combined for 71 first downs, with St. Mary’s having one more with 36.
Hawk quarterback Blaine Harpenau was one of several sharp thorns in Montezuma’s side. He ran 40 times for 354 yards and four scores, and completed 11 passes – four for touchdowns – and 134 yards.
It was a game that left ’em gasping, in the stands as well as on the field. It took four hours and one minute to play.
Montezuma closed the book on a historic 10-1 season that saw the Braves’ emerge as a state power in Class 8.
St. Mary’s moves on to the title game at 11-0.
WE’LL HAVE MORE COVERAGE of this game later on this website.