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Braves clinch District title
Boulton throws 3 touchdowns, adds one rushing
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MONTEZUMA — Montezuma’s Lars Taylor came into Friday night’s game with two catches on the season.
The Braves senior added two more, both for touchdowns, in pivotal moments in the team’s 28-24 victory over undefeated Belle Plaine Friday night.
The win clinched the 8-player District seven title for the Braves.
Taylor’s first catch came in the first quarter on a fourth-and-six pass scored from 37 yards out.
His second came on a crucial third-and-seven at the Plainsmen’s 10 late in the fourth — which proved to be the game sealing touchdown.
“Lars had only two targets all season,” Montezuma head coach John Beck said. “Catching two touchdowns in a district championship game is just phenomenal.”
It was a hard-fought battle from start to finish with both teams playing a similar style of physical football.
“Great effort by both teams in all reality,” Beck said. “Tip your hats to Belle Plaine. They’re very well coached.”
This game started off with a kick return touchdown by Belle Plaine’s Lane Vokoun that was called back by a block-in-the-back penalty.
The Braves forced a punt and scored on the fourth-down pass to Taylor to go up 7-0.
After a few passes completed, the Plainsmen drove down the field but came up just short on a fourth-and-eight from the Braves’ nine yard line.
The ensuing Braves drive ended with a punt that turned into a safety after the snap went out of the back of the end-zone, making the score 7-2.
The Plainsmen built off that momentum. Ty Alcott broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run to give Belle Plaine the 10-7 lead after a successful conversion.
Montezuma responded with another touchdown, converting twice on fourth down.
The first conversion came on a run from Brett Plants and the second on a fourth-and-11 pass to David Rose.
Brady Boulton capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.
Forcing another defensive stop, the Braves added one more score before half — again on a fourth-down conversion.
The fourth-and-six pass went to Rose for a 32-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead for Montezuma at half.
The Braves were six-for-six on fourth-down plays in the first half, which proved critical in the games result.
The third quarter belonged to the Plainsmen defense.
On the Braves’ first drive, the Plainsmen’s Alcott intercepted a pass in the end zone.
The ensuing offensive possession was all running plays for the Plainsmen, ending in an Alcott seven-yard touchdown run.
The Braves drove the ball all the way down the field again, but the Plainsmen defense stopped a run up the middle by inches on a fourth-and-three at the four-yard line.
The score was 21-18 heading into the fourth.
A Plainsmen punt gave the ball right back to the Braves who then again were stopped short on a fourth-down run deep in Plainsmen territory.
The Braves’ defense stepped up and forced a turnover on downs.
Braves controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides for most of the game in a physical battle.
“Our guys were resilient tonight,” Beck said.“ We knew we had to own the line of scrimmage to win this game and the guys up front did a really good job establishing that.”
The Braves extended the lead to 10 after the second touchdown of the night for Taylor.
The Plainsmen responded late with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Vokoun with 1:48 remaining.
Things got heated after that, as the Plainsmen attempted an onside kick.
The ball appeared to touch a Plainsmen player before it traveled 10 yards, but referees did not throw a flag, and the Plainsmen recovered with a chance to win the game.
On third-and-12, the Braves’ Luke Brennan intercepted the Plainsmen pass and sealed the victory.
The Braves advanced to 6-1 on the season.
“Our defense played really well against a very talented backfield,” Beck said on the victory.
A win against a ranked team gives the Braves a lot of confidence as the postseason nears.
“We just got to take it one game at a time,” Beck said. “Everybody has to stay focused.”
The Plainsmen suffered their first loss of the season and ends the regular season with home games against Twin Cedars and Iowa Valley.
Montezuma 28, Belle Plaine 24
(AT MONTEZUMA)
BP MONTE
First downs 13 17
Rushes-yards 41-192 50-196
Comp-att-int 7-13-1 6-14-1
Passing yards 72 113
Total yards 264 309
Punts-avg. 3-44.0 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-49 6-46
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Belle Plaine 0 10 8 6-24
Montezuma 7 14 0 7-28
MONTE — Lars Taylor 37 pass from Brady Boulton (Becerril kick)
BP — Safety (punt snap out of back of end zone)
BP — Ty Alcott 34 run (Alcott run)
MONTE — Boulton 5 run (Becerril kick)
MONTE — David Rose 32 pass from Boulton (Becerril kick)
BP — Alcott 7 run (Vokoun run)
MONTE — Taylor 10 pass from Boulton (Becerril kick)
BP — Vokoun 27 pass from Aidan Timm (Conversion pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Belle Plaine: Alcott 24-130, Vokoun 10-42, Wade Sankot 6-21, Sam DeMeulenaere 1 (-1); Montezuma: Boulton 22-104, Brett Plants 18-57, Broox Stockman 10-58
Passing — Belle Plaine: Alcott 4-6-60, Timm 3-7-12, Montezuma: Boulton 6-14-113
Receiving: Belle Plaine: Vokoun 2-32, DeMeulenaere 2-21, Timm 1-13, Alcott 2-6; Montezuma: Rose 3-50, Taylor 2-47, Stockman 1-16
