Big Reds hand CMB stunning loss
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| CMB senior Zach Leonard struggles to deal with playing in his final high school football game Wednesday after the Raiders were upset at home, 23-21, by Missouri Valley. Senior Ethan Schmidt rushed for 42 yards and had 75 receiving yards in the loss. CMB finishes the season 8-2. (Troy Hyde/Daily News) |
BAXTER — Collins-Maxwell-Baxter couldn’t run. Missouri Valley couldn’t pass.
Wednesday, the Class 2A substate playoff game between the Raiders and Big Reds was won in the trenches. And Missouri Valley was better in a 23-21 upset win over CMB in Baxter in front of many stunned fans and a very stunned head coach.
“I feel sick for these kids,” CMB coach Rob Luther said. “I felt good about things. We just ran out of time. Credit Missouri Valley’s offensive and defensive lines for this win. They were better than us up front than we were. They owned the line of scrimmage.”
CMB scored first in the game as Parker Murphy hit Dylan Hansen on a post pattern that covered 88 yards. Murphy threw three touchdown passes in the game, but Missouri Valley’s running attack was just too much.
“We couldn’t run it tonight and they did,” Luther said. “Our passing game was on, but we played a good football team that was playing their best football at the end of the year.”
Nick Monzu was impressive in the game for Missouri Valley as he gained more than 100 rushing yards by halftime. But it was Dustin Nelson’s three second-half touchdowns that proved to be the difference.
“Nelson hurt us for sure,” Luther said. “We did a nice job eventually on Monzu. We just let Nelson get away from us.”
CMB led 7-0 at halftime following the big pass pay from Murphy to Hansen in the first quarter. Missouri Valley went on top early in the third as a 31-yard touchdown run by Nelson and a two-point conversion pass by Nelson made it 8-7.
Nelson added a 46-yard touchdown run in the third and a 26-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the game.
CMB finished the season at 8-2. However, both losses were decided by a total of seven points. The Raiders lost to Bondurant-Farrar, 12-7, in the closing minutes. This group of seniors advanced to the postseason three times, won a share of two district titles and even played in the dome.
Wednesday’s loss came down to a matter of three or four plays — two big penalties, an onside kick that was recovered by Missouri Valley and a few plays where Nelson got free from a great CMB defense.
“I firmly believe that if we get the onside kick, I like our chances,” Luther said. “Then after we didn’t get it, you just kind of hope someone would stop (Monzu).”
The Raiders were unable to stop Monzu or Nelson on the final drive of the game. The Big Reds started the last possession with around 2:30 to play.
Missouri Valley needed three runs to gain a first down but did so before taking two knees and running out the clock.
The two big penalties by CMB came late in the second quarter and late in the fourth quarter.
At the end of the second quarter, with CMB up 7-0 and driving for more, a personal foul by the Raiders stalled the possession. The Raiders got down to about the Missouri Valley 25, went back 15 yards on the penalty and then eventually Murphy was intercepted by the Big Reds.
“It was a big personal foul,” Luther said. “I guess there was pushing and shoving, but you have got to keep your head. The refs were just trying to clean it up, but it hurt us.”
The other penalty came after Missouri Valley’s final touchdown. The Big Reds were lineup to kick the extra point but then decided to go for two after a CMB defender was called for offsides. Monzu converted the two-point run easily, and Missouri Valley extended its lead to nine.
“The play that sticks out in my mind is the offsides on the PAT,” Luther said. “They were lining up for the PAT and we gave them a chance to go for two. If they kick it, it is a one-score game and we can tie. Them getting two forced us to score twice.”
Nelson ran for 41 yards in the first half but finished with 180 yards on 22 carries in the game and three touchdowns. Monzu had 104 yards in the first half and carried the rock 30 times in the game for 168 yards. Nelson completed just two passes on the night.
Murphy threw touchdown passes to Hansen, Ethan Schmidt and Drake Dawson in the game. He finished 2-for-9 with 102 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the first half but finished with 279 yards and three touchdowns.
Hansen finished with 131 yards on six catches, while Schmidt ran for 42 yards and had 75 yards receiving on three catches.
Notes: Missouri Valley’s first drive of the game featured 16 plays and five first downs, but the Big Reds came away empty as a Nelson pass fell incomplete on fourth down. Missouri Valley turned it over on downs two more times in the half and then Nelson threw an interception on the team’s final drive of the second quarter. ... Murphy was injured twice in the game. Missouri Valley was called for roughing the kicker during a PAT in the third quarter and then later got his bell rung on a hard hit in the fourth quarter. He came back in both times and finished the game behind center. “He’s a warrior and a tough kid,” Luther said. “You want to go to war with that kid.” ... The Raiders lost by two and Murphy missed a 33-yard field goal attempt in the second half. ... Missouri Valley will next play Carroll Kuemper at 7 p.m. Monday.
Missouri Valley 23, Collins-Maxwell-Baxter 21
Scoring by quarters
MV 0 0 15 8 — 23
CMB 7 0 7 7 — 21
Scoring summary
First quarter
CMB: Parker Murphy 88 pass to Dylan Hansen (Murphy kick), 1:28.
Third quarter
MV: Dustin Nelson 31 run (Nelson pass to Cody West), 8:18.
CMB: Murphy 45 pass to Ethan Schmidt (Murphy kick), 7:26.
MV: Nelson 46 run (John Petersen kick), 3:56
Fourth quarter
MV: Nelson 26 run (Nick Monzu run), 4:58.
CMB: Murphy 18 pass to Drake Dawson (Murphy kick), 2:47.
Team statistics MV CMB
First downs 16 13
Rushes-Att-Yards 52-348 20-82
Passing-Att-Comp-Int 10-2-1 30-16-2
Passing yards 20 279
Total yards 368 361
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-30 5-40
Individual statistics
Rushing — Missouri Valley: Dustin Nelson 22-180, Nick Monzu 30-168. CMB: Ethan Schmidt 4-42, Josh Benton 7-33, Parker Murphy 7-10, Dylan Hansen 1-0, Josh O’Hara 1-minus 3.
Passing — Missouri Valley: Nelson 2-10-1-20. CMB — Murphy 16-30-2-279, Hansen 0-1-0-0.
Receiving — Missouri Valley: Jole Miller 1-10, Brett Leapley 1-3. CMB: Hansen 6-131, Schmidt 3-75, Kyle Zeiser 3-40, Drake Dawson 2-21, O’Hara 1-6, Lee Robinson 1-6.
