Warhawks score winning points as time expires

by Ryan Stonebraker

        LIBERTY CENTER - The Montezuma Braves' week two match-up with Southeast Warren turned into a shootout as the game came down to the team with the football last. Unfortunately for Braves fans, it was SE Warren who had the ball last.  The Warhawks came back from down eight points in the fourth quarter to beat Montezuma 50-44. The loss drops the Braves record to 1-1 while SE Warren won their season opener.
       SE Warren scored as time ran out in the game as quarterback Cam Seuferer crossed the goal line from two yards out for the winning score.  Seuferer had three touchdown passes and two rushing scores in the game.
      “Our defense broke down on some assignments and that was trouble for us.  We contained their run game well. We didn’t adjust to their RPO plays against us and we needed to adjust to that better,” said Montezuma coach Jon Beck.
      Beck said the the Warhawks are a good football team and though this loss stings, the closeness and toughness of the game was needed for his team.
       “This will be a good week down the road.  These are the games that we need in the non-district.  It will prepare us for district play.  They are very physical and we want to play that way too,” he said.             
        SE Warren scored the first points of the game with 8:22 left in the first quarter.  A 6-yard touchdown pass from Cam Seuferer to Jamison Ewing was followed by a successful 2-point conversion run to make the score 8-0. On the ensuing drive, the Braves drove into the red zone only to see the Warhawks intercept Brady Boulton at the goal line. The Braves would force a Warhawk punt to avoid trouble.  The Braves got into Warhawk territory, but couldn’t convert on a key fourth and short, turning the football over to SE Warren late in the first quarter.
       Early in the second quarter, the Braves held the Warhawks out of the end zone after they had penetrated the red zone taking over the football on downs. The Braves would then put together a 75-yard drive ending in a 6-yard Brett Plants touchdown run to cut the SE Warren lead to 8-6.  The Warhawks answered the Braves score with one of their own.  Marching down the field, SE Warren would extend their lead to 16-6 after a Terry Fisher 4-yard run and Cam Seuferer conversion run.  Montezuma would answer right back, getting closer on a Broox Stockman 1-yard touchdown run.  A Brady Boulton conversion run did no good but the Braves trailed only 16-12.  That would be the score at the halftime break.
      On their first drive of the second half, Montezuma took their first lead of the game.  A score to take the lead came in the form of a Lars Taylor 7-yard pass from Brady Boulton to set the score at 18-16 Montezuma.  A Brady Boulton conversion run is no good.
       SE Warren would re-take the lead on their next drive on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Seuferer.  The two-point try was no good, but SE Warren led 22-18. Montezuma again marched down the field and answered the Warhawk's score with one of their own.  The Braves got a big play from Boulton who connected on a 33-yard scoring pass to David Rose to give the Braves a 24-22 lead.
       The Warhawks took a lead of 28-24 on a Trey Fisher 3-yard run, followed by the Braves taking the lead, 30-28 on a Brett Plants scoring run, his second of the game. Right before the quarter ended, SE Warren would take the lead one final time in the quarter.  A 51-yard big play pass from Seuferer to Jamison Ewing set the score at 36-30 after three quarters.
      Montezuma tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a Broox Stockman 2-yard run at 36.  Later the Braves took a 44-36 lead after a Boulton 8-yard run and two-point conversion pass from Boulton to Rose.
      SE Warren tied the game on a 27-yard pass from Seuferer to Brogan Ewing and a Seuferer conversion run to knot the score at 44.  The back-and-forth of the second half ended when SE Warren came up with a big defensive stop of the Braves forcing them to punt late in the game.  The Warhawks would march down the field getting a first and goal at the seven-yard line with 14 seconds left in the game.  The Warhawks would score the winning points with no time left in the game on a 2-yard run by Seuferer.
      The Braves had nearly 400 yards of total offense with 395 yards with 125 passing and 270 rushing yards.
    Brady Boulton passed for 125 yards on 13-of-24 attempts with two touchdowns and one interception.  Boulton rushed for 77 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown.  Brett Plants led Brave rushers with 143 yards on 24 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Broox Stockman rushed for 50 yards on 14 carries with a pair of touchdown runs.  Carter Michalek was the top Montezuma receiver with seven receptions for 44 yards.  David Rose and Lars Taylor each caught a touchdown pass.
     Defensively, Montezuma was led in tackling by Luke Erselius with eight and Broox Stockman with six.  David Rose and Stockman each had interceptions in the game.
     SE Warren quarterback Cam Seuferer passed for 311 yards on 26-of-35 completions with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Seuferer also rushed for 15 yards and two touchdowns. Trey Fisher led SE Warren in rushing with 90 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns. The Warhawks had 311 passing and 122 rushing yards.  The War Hawks had two players with over 100 yards receiving. Brogan Ewing led with 12 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown while Jamison Ewing had seven catches for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Defensively, SE Warren was led by Jamison Ewing with 13.5 tackles, Seuferer with 12 tackles, and Fisher with 11.5 tackles.
       The Braves will return home Friday to play Moravia in the first of back-to-back weeks with home games.  The Mohawks come into the game 0-2 after losing 54-21 in week zero to Boyer Valley and last week, 58-0 to 2023 8-man state runner-up Bedford.
      Moravia has used two quarterbacks this season, a sophomore and a freshman.  Sophomore Kale Moore has the best stats with 51 passing yards on 11-for-24 attempts. He has not thrown a touchdown pass but has three interceptions.  Moravia’s top rusher is sophomore Blake Ewing who has 123 yards on 34 carries and three touchdowns.  Senior Jesse Myhr is next with 81 yards on 24 carries.  Junior Declan DeJong is Moravia’s top receiver with six catches for 45 yards.  Defensively, Moravia’s top tackler is DeJong with eight and senior Isaac Messsamaker with seven.
       “Moravia is a dive and speed option running team. They look to be physical on the line and we will have to accept that challenge,” said Beck.