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Show THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - Page 10 Monticello Buckaroos fall just short, dropping 1 A title game to Enterprise, The Monticello Buckaroo football team came oh, so close to claiming their fourth State Championship trophy in school history at the 1A state championship game on November 15 in Cedar City. However, a drive by the Enterprise Wolves late in the fourth quarter clinched an 4 victory for Enterprise over Monticello. A strong cold November breeze may have played a part in the game, as all scores were made to the north endzone, which had the advantage of the wind. The championship game featured outstanding play by both teams, and was as close as the score indicates. In the decisive length-of-the-fiel- d 18-1- fourth quarter, Enterprise stopped the Buckaroos on 4th and five at the Enterprise 20 yard line. With 8:16 remaining in the contest, Enterprise went on a drive of its own. Twice on the long drive, Enterprise faced 4th down and short yardage, and both times they got it by a matter of inches before completing a 32 yard touchdown pass with 1:20 remaining in the game. The Buckaroos earned one first down as they attempted to respond to the Wolves score, however they turned the ball over on downs and Enterprise had their first state championship in school history. The game started with the momentum definitely in Monticello's favor. The Buckaroos stopped Enterprise on three plays and forced a punt. Then they steadily marched down the field before they faced a 4th down situation at their own eight yard line. Wes Hawkins took a double reverse and got the first down but was hit as he crossed the goal line and fumbled into the endzone. The fumble was recovered by Enterprise. The Buckaroo defense tightened and Scott Frost intercepted a Wolf pass, giving Monticello great field position. Frost caught another pass for a first down and the Buckaroos got on the scoreboard with a 10 yard pass from Matt Torres to Nathan Freestone. With 2:28 remaining in the first quarter, the Buckaroos lead. had a The Buckaroo defense once again shut down the Enterprise offense, but a punt by Enterprise put Monticello deep in their own territory. The Bucks were unable to move the ball and punted away. They continued to stymie the Enterprise offense. When Enterprise lined up for a punt on 4th and nine, 6-- 0 59-yar- d they faked the punt and rushed yards for 17 down. first a The first down relaxed the Enterprise offense and they marched down the field. Cody Phelps punched it into tin endzone with 5:51 remaining in the second quarter and Enterprise had til'd the score at six. Enterprise kicked the ball deep into Buckaroo territory, and Monticello had to punt after four downs, once again giving the Enterprise Wolves great field position. A pass put Enterprise at the 34-yar- d Buckaroo doorstep and when a tipped pass was caught by an Enterprise receiver with 2:45 remaining in the half, Enter- prise had their first lead of the That was the game at 12-score at halftime. In the second half, Monticello took the opening 6. kickoff. Aided by a 29-yar- d screen pass from Torres to Tyrel Snyder, Monticello moved the ball into Enterprise territory before the drive stalled. An Antonio Mustache punt was downed by the Bucks at the Enterprise two-yar- d line. Two plays later, Matt Torres intercepted an Enterprise pass and returned it all the way to the endzone. The extra point attempt was botched by a bad snap, but Torres found Snyder in the conendzone for a lead for version and a the Buckaroos with 7:26 remaining in the third quarter. That is the way the score stayed through much of the remainder of the game, as the two-poi- nt 14-1- 2 defenses stiffened, particu- larly in the red zone. Both teams traded tough defensive plays, including a second interception of an Enterprise pass by Matt Torres. The Torres pick gave Monticello the ball at early in the fourth quarter. mid-fiel- d The Buckaroos drove down the field, gaining first downs by Snyder and Eldredge, before they faced a 4th and five at their own 20 yard line with just 8:16 remaining in the garni'. The pass failed, setting up the length of the field drive for the deciding touchdown by Enterprise. After the Enterprise touchdown, the Bucks had 1:20 to respond. Facing a four point deficit and a strong wind in their face, the Buckaroos could not match the Enterprise drive and their hopes of scoring and securing the state champion- ship were doused when 1ourth down pass fell harmlessly to the ground. a 18-1- 4 clude Lelo Garcia with nine tackles, and Jerrick Lee, Reed Anderson, and Tom Adams, who each had four tackles and Brock Young with two tackles. It was the final game for se- It was a valiant effort by a determined Buckaroo team, which had raced to 12 victories in a row before the title game. Coach Mike Bowring said that the Bucks played a clean game and played well. We just needed to score more points early in the game. Matt Torres completed seven of 18 passes for 85 yards and one touchown. On defense, Torres had 13 tackles and in- niors Torres, Eldredge, Snyder, Eldredge tallied 16 tackles on a day that began early with an interview with the Air Force Higgins, Christensen, Freestone, Lee, Josh Gritz, Jeremy Redd, Logan Boyd, Joe Turley, Josh Vigil, and Ryan Burtenshaw. Matt Torres and Logan Boyd were presented as a part of the e Academic team at half-tim- e of the championship game. Hundreds of Monticello fans from San Juan County and points beyond provided a loud and enthusiastic support crew for the Buckaroo team. After the game, a festive barbecue did not have festive fans. The Academy. Monticello tercepted two Enterprise passes, including one for Monticello's second touchdown. Casen Eldredge rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries, and added another 40 yards on four receptions. Defensively, All-stat- ' Booster Club Tyrel Snyder rushed five cooked 250 pounds of Dutch times for eleven yards and oven potatoes, 700 brautwurst several hundred caught two passes for 3 1 yards and and a conversion. hamburgers for the fans and team. Snyder also tallied two tackles for the Bucks. Despite the loss, the Buckaroos finished the year with Zac Higgins led the defensive effort, as he has all year, another successful football season and a 12-- 1 record. Over with 18 tackles. Shadd Christensen rushed the past three seasons, Mike for 16 yards on seven carries Bowrings team has only been and caught one pass for two defeated three times, racking up a remarkable 35-- 3 record yards. Defensively, Christenover that period of time. sen had 11 tackles. The difference in the game Nathan Freestone caught one pass for ten yards and a came down to a few decisive touchdown and threw one pass plays in the fourth quarter. for five yards. Enterprise was able to gain the Wes Hawkins rushed twice first down on 4th and short for seven yards and added two twice. Meanwhile, Monticello was unable to convert on their tackles. Scott Frost caught one pass two fourth down situations, for nine yards, intercepted an and as a result, the 2003 state Enterprise pass and had four champion trophy resides in a new location: Enterprise High tackles. School. Other defensive leaders in two-poi- nt YOU HAVE THE iiVA TO IBRAG RHGIHIT - D Tuesday November 25 Whitehorse wrestling hosts Raider Tri Meet Whitehorse girls basketball at Grand, 7 p.m. csfy f f 'k - 'www.builhollowraceway.com Bull Hollow vA Raceway extends s: - I , I ? 'V ; Congratulations to the Monticello Bud FOOTBALL TEAM uccessfu NOW GET THE on a PAUL R. MACDONALD D.D.S. 401 South Main Blanding, UT 84511 on buy photos of your MHS student athletes taken by San Juan Record photographers Full Color Photos Printed on Photo Paper $7.00 per 8 12 x 11 sheet $2 from each photo will be donated to the MHS Sports Program (435) 587-227- 7 49 S. Main Monticello sjrnewsfrontiernet.net |