Solid start to 2024 for Braves in 64-0 win over HLV

        Montezuma's Brett Plants gains extra yards in a first half play at Victor. Plant finished the game with 8 carries and 47 yards. Montezuma won the game, 64-0 to open the 2024 season.

By Ryan Stonebraker

       VICTOR - The Montezuma Brave football team began their 2024 season last Friday at HLV with a short trip to Victor.  There, the Braves scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions and scored touchdowns on nine of their first ten possessions overall in the 64-0 drubbing of the Warriors. Montezuma led 50-0 at halftime as the mercy point running clock rule was used in the second half.  The Braves will be back in action Friday when they play at SE Warren.
       “It was a good win to start the season,” said Montezuma head coach John Beck.
      “I know the scoreboard won’t show it, but we started slow and had some first-game jitters.  I think once we settled in and got more comfortable we were able to establish the line of scrimmage,” said Beck.
       The Braves offense produced 471 yards of total offense in the game and averaged 9.4 yards per play for the game.  Junior quarterback Brady Boulton guided the offense.  Boulton made plays on the ground with 133 yards on six carries and three rushing scores. He also made plays in the air, completing 60 percent of his passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.  Broox Stockman added 73 yards on seven carries and a pair of rushing scores.  Brett Plants, Rett Pargeon, and Dane Strong also had rushing touchdowns in the game. Eight different players caught a pass in the football game with Kohen Holland catching the only touchdown pass.
        The Braves returned many from their offense last season that helped them average 49.7 points a game which was the eighth-highest total last season in 8-player football.  Brady Boulton was one of the most dynamic players last year in 8-man football as a sophomore quarterback in his first varsity season.  
       Boulton had 49 total touchdowns which was tied for fourth in the state in all classes. Also back are the three top Brave rushers from last year in Boulton (754 yards, 17 TD’s), Brett Plants (618 yards, 9 TD’s), and Broox Stockman (299 yards, 3 TD’s). Stockman and Plants are also the top receivers back after each had at least 14 receptions and 140 each.
        Last year Montezuma opened the 2023 season with a 64-6 win over the Warriors in a game that mirrored their week one win this year.  It was the second time in as many years that the Braves opened their season with a win.  The Braves lost 36-33 to Iowa Valley to start the 2022 season.
       Montezuma opened the scoring in the first quarter with 6:04 left in the quarter on a Brady Boulton 65-yard touchdown run.  Boulton found David Rose on a 2-point conversion pass to give Montezuma an 8-0 lead.  Later in the quarter, Boulton broke free for a 20-yard scoring run to set the score at 14-0 after another 2-point conversion pass was no good. The Braves would continue to hold their 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
       The Warriors had a 65-yard kick-off return for a touchdown after the second Montezuma touchdown by Cael Weisskopf was called back due to a penalty.  It would be their best scoring chance until the final quarter when they dropped a scoring pass at the goal line on a fourth-down conversion try.
      Montezuma scored on their first possession of the second quarter and third straight possession on a Boulton 5-yard run with less than two minutes gone in the quarter. That score gave Montezuma a 22-0 lead.  Later Boulton connected with Kohen Holland for a 23-yard touchdown pass to extend the Braves lead to 28-0.
Three touchdown runs in the final five minutes of the half were next for the Braves.  Broox Stockman scored from 9-yards out with 4:55 left before halftime, Brett Plants scored from 6-yards out with 3:13 left, and Stockman added a 25-yard scamper for his second scoring run, with 1:28 left before halftime.
        Nearly every three minutes of the second quarter, the Braves scored a touchdown while out-scoring HLV 36-0 in the quarter and taking a 50-0 halftime lead.
       The Braves scored a touchdown in each quarter of the second half on a Rett Pargeon rush in the third and a Dane Strong rush in the fourth quarter. The scores accounted for 14 more points to set the final at 64-0.
    Defensively, Montezuma shut down the Warriors with two sacks, eight tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Luke Brenna and Lars Taylor each had fumble recoveries while David Rose and Luke Erselius each had an interception. Briar Simpson had a sack while Isaac Wedgewood and Braxton Plants were each credited with a half-sack. Simpson and Rett Pargeon led seven Braves who had a tackle for loss with two stops behind the line of scrimmage each. Broox Stockman led in tackles with 5.5 while Dane Strong, and Lars Taylor each had 4.5 tackles.
      Montezuma improved to 1-0 while HLV fell to 0-1.  The Warriors will travel to Belle Plaine on Friday.  The Plainsmen beat Clarksville 46-20 last week.  Belle Plaine has won two straight games over the Warriors including a 60-6 win last year in the first game between the two schools since the 2011 season.
      The Braves will face a SE Warren Warhawk team that did not play last week and will have their season and home opener this week.  The War Hawks were 4-5 last year and lost to Montezuma 47-28 in Montezuma.  The Braves have won three of the last four contests with the Warhawks. SE Warren returns their starting quarterback Jamison Ewing who passed for 539 yards and 8 TD’s on 54 completions and led SEW in rushing with 761 yards and 13 TD’s with a 6.7- yard average. Also back is their second-leading rusher in Trey Fisher who rushed for 626 yards and 9 TD’s with a 5.7- yard average.  Fisher, Brogan Ewing, and Robert Beardsley all return as the top SE Warren receivers as well.
      “They have been on our schedule in the time frame of us being in 8-man football,” said Beck. “They have some guys on the outside, they are not as big as they were last year upfront.  I look forward to this game.  I think that it will be won at the line of scrimmage.”
       The Braves will return home on Friday, Sept. 6 for their home opener against Moravia.