LONE TREE – There was just no quit – in either team.
Lone Tree, behind a strong ground game, built two substantial leads and made the second one stand up for a 69-63 win over Montezuma Friday evening, Sept. 27.
It was Montezuma’s first loss after four wins to start the season.
The Lions are a modest 2-3, but appear to be a storm quickly gathering strength, after having beaten defending state champion New London the week before.
“They (Lone Tree) are a very physical team,” said Montezuma Coach Pat O’Brien. “They came out fast and furious.”
Weather impacted this game. The start time was moved from 7 to 7:30 p.m., in hopes a weather system would clear the area. It didn’t, and there was a lightning delay at halftime.
But . . .it was wet for both teams. The contest ended just before 11 p.m.
Lone Tree did most of its damage on the ground, while the Braves went airborne. But the Lions did limit Montezuma’s ground game and that was a serious factor in the Lone Tree victory.
Lone Tree jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the 4:56 mark of the first quarter.
But then came the first Braves rally. They went on a 29-6 run over the next 11 and one-half minutes, to lead 29-27 with 5:16 left in the second quarter.
But the Lions scored two more before intermission, which ended with a 41-29 Lone Tree lead.
The Lions were on their way to piling up 474 rushing yards on 49 plays, a per carry average of 9.7.
Chief culprit was the quarterback, Harmon Miller, whose 6-2, 195-pound frame glided through the Braves defense for 310 yards on 26 rushes (11.9 per), and six touchdowns.
He had an accomplice. Alex Viner, a 5-10, 140-pounder, rushed 18 times for 151 yards (8.4) and two scores.
Through the air, Miller was three-for-seven for 62 yards – and two more touchdowns.
The Braves’ Cole Watts returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown to cut the Lone Tree lead to 41-36.
Watts had a breakout game. In addition to the kickoff return, he caught 17 passes for 240 yards (14.1) and four touchdowns.
Quarterback Eddie Burgess was 32-for-41 for 370 yards and four touchdown passes. He also ran for three short-yardage touchdowns.
But Lone Tree did keep a close watch on Burgess the runner. He gamed 65 yards on 21 totes (3.1), which is well below his per carry average. Trey Shearer gained 26 yards on five carries, including one for a score, and Brayden Arendt had 11 on five.
Arendt caught nine passes for 88 yards, but the Lions kept their eye on Trey Shearer, Montezuma’s leading receiver on the season. He caught five, for 28 yards.
After Watt’s score to open the second half, Lone Tree scored another touchdown, then converted after recovering a Braves fumble. That pushed the lead back to 55-36.
Burgess began Montezuma’s second big push of the night with a score and Shearer got one to make it 61-51 with 11:05 left in the game.
Touchdown receptions by Watts with 3:22 and 1:44 left in the game got the score to 69-63 – but it ended there,
“We ran out of time to catch up,” O’Brien said.
Lone Tree finished with 536 yards of total offense on 56 plays, an average of 9.6 yards per snap.
The Braves were at 472 yards on 72 snaps, an average of 6.6 per play. “It’s time to learn from our mistakes,” O’Brien said, “and move forward.”
UP NEXT – The Braves are at Iowa Valley on Friday, Oct. 4.
Braves Stats
Passing – Eddie Burgess was 32-for-41 for 370 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Rushing – Burgess 21-65 and 3 touchdowns. Trey Shearer 5-26 and one touchdown. Brayden Arendt 5-11.
Receiving – Cole Watts 17-240 with four touchdowns. Arendt 9-88, Trey Shearer 5-28, Ben Jorgenson 1-14.
Tackles – Arendt 6 solo and 3 assisted for (7.5) total. Trey Shearer 5 and 5 (7.5), Burgess 4 and 4 (6.0), Connor Van Zee 3 and 4 (5.0), Watts 3 and 2 (4.0), Jorgenson 1 and 4 (3.0), Joey Kercheval 0 and 4 (2.0), Brady Ogan 1 and 2 (2.0), Kodie Strong 1 and 0 (1.0), Masin Shearer 0 and 1 (0.5), Chandler Carl 0 and 1 (0.5).
Fumble Recoveries – Brian Diaz 1-0, Kennen Roadcap 1-0, Cole Watts 1-0.
PAT kicks – Owen Cook 3-4.
