During basketball season, I posed a question on this website: “How would YOU like to guard Trey Shearer?”
Shearer will be throwing down hoops for Truman State in Missouri next season after wearing out high school defenders in these parts.
Now, during this frenzied football season, Chris Varney of KGRN asked Shearer, a Braves wide receiver, “how would you stop (quarterback) Eddie Burgess?”
“I have no answer for you,” Shearer said. “Eddie is something else.”
“He leads us mentally. He’s a good kid, a leader and a heck of a football player,” Shearer said. “He’s the best.”
Shearer discussed the team aspect of the Braves. “When I’m covered, I hope Eddie throws Cole (Watts) the ball. Or Kodie (Strong) or Connor (Van Zee) or Joey (Kercheval),” Shearer said. They’re also very good receivers.”
Many fans may remember Montezuma’s play in the UNI-Dome in 2006. But Shearer pointed out “this is the first time this senior group has even made the playoffs.”
Keys on Thursday, Shearer told Varney, “are to do what we do best. Anyone in at this point is good. We need to capitalize on what we do, and have fun.”
Head Coach Pat O’Brien told Varney, “the overlooked part of this bunch is the team aspect. These kids are willing to do whatever it takes. They play together. It’s ‘we’ before ‘me,’” O’Brien said.
The coach noted that Remsen-St. Mary’s is a traditional power in eight-man football. “They’re ranked second and they played like it all season,” the coach said.
“Their quarterback throws to the right receivers. They’re 6-4 and 6-2 and he does a great job of finding them in space. Their running backs finish. They’re a little smaller than us up front, but they like to hit. So we’ve got to be ready to roll.”
O’Brien praised his team, but said it hasn’t played its best football yet.
He said it feels “really good to see young men come into their own.”
“Kodie Strong is selfless,” O’Brien said. “He has been throwing key blocks all year. He’s a weapon in our back pocket. He stepped up and made tremendous plays (against Easton Valley),” the coach said.
“Jack Brenner, Kennen Roadcap and Tod Geiger created a pocket for Eddie,” said O’Brien.
And, O’Brien talked about how well the Braves set the defensive edge against a fast Easton Valley team. “We minimized their speed,” he said.
Now, it’s on to the ‘Dome.
“And our dream is bigger than to just get to the ‘Dome,” O’Brien said.
You can hear Chris Varney’s interviews with Trey Shearer and Pat O’Brien on the MyIowaInfo.com website. After you get in, click to KGRN sports, and follow the prompts.
Our community thanks Varney, Tim Dill and the KGRN stations for their coverage of Montezuma and area high school sports all season. They fill an important gap for many area teams!