Montrose at Susquehanna

Recap

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The Robinson Family presents The Thomas E. Robinson Memorial Award on Saturday to Sawyer Aukema from Montrose, who best combined outstanding play with showing respect for opponents and officials in the Battle For The Bluestone

MONTROSE 20, SUSQUEHANNA 14

SUSQUEHANNA – The Montrose defense produced the first score of the game, then turned away three Susquehanna threats in the final eight minutes Saturday afternoon as the Meteors ended a nine-game losing streak in the Battle for the Bluestone rivalry games with a 20-14 victory the host Sabers at William Emminger Field.

Sawyer Aukema, a 6-foot-4 freshman playing his second varsity game, contributed on offense, defense, special teams and on two-point conversions on his way to earning the 11^th annual Thomas E. Robinson Memorial Award. The award is given to the players in the Montrose-Susquehanna game, who best combines outstanding play with showing respect for opponents and officials.

Montrose (1-1) won for just the second time in 15 years since the Bluestone Trophy was added to the rivalry game.

“This is definitely a morale booster,” second-year Meteors coach George Petrak said. “It was a good scale for us to judge and see where we’re at as we’re growing.

“These boys have a lot to prove.”

Susquehanna scored on the second play of the fourth quarter to close within 20-14.

The Sabers started their last three drives at the Meteors 47, their own 44 and the Montrose 46. The drive that did not start in Montrose territory moved there, going inside the 40 and appearing to produce a first down at the 25, only to have that wiped out by a holding penalty.

Theisen Davis-Hollenbeck intercepted a pass to stop the first threat. Weston Nabywaniec broke up a fourth-down pass. Then, on the first play of Susquehanna’s last possession, linebacker Timothy David rushed from the back side to produce a sack with a big hit that forced a fumble that teammate Jacob Susz was able to recover.

Aukema did a bit of everything in the win.

On offense, he was the game’s leading rusher with 17 carries for 67 yards and his halfback option pass resulted in a 16-yard touchdown to Ethan McComb to open a 20-8 lead. He ran for a two-point conversion.

“I just try to run the ball as hard as I possibly can,” Aukema said. “Hit the gaps as hard as you possibly can is all you can do.”

Aukema had four tackles and an assist on plays from scrimmage, plus a sack that forced a fumble on Susquehanna’s fourth-down conversion attempt that would have cut the deficit to four.

Punts created a similar impact.

Aukema, who averaged 40.8 yards on his five kicks, launched a 72-yarder to the Susquehanna 1 in the first quarter. He booted a 48-yarder into the wind to the 2 with 1:12 left in the half to help protect a 14-8 lead.

On the first play after the 72-yard punt, Susquehanna fumbled the center exchange and Justice Millard recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Nabywaniec’s 2-yard touchdown run and Aukema’s conversion made it 14-0 with 10:30 left in the half.

Susquehanna also scored on a halfback pass. Michael Smith found Mason Keyes for a 20-yard touchdown 3:09 before halftime and Susquehanna holder Caeden Stone ran for the two-pointer on a fake kick.

Gabe Maby fought his way into the end zone from the 1 on fourth-and-goal on the second play of the fourth quarter to put Susquehanna in striking distance.

The Sabers defense threw the Meteors for five losses totaling 56 yards in the fourth quarter, but the Montrose defense responded to the pressure that created.

Ryder Hobart had three of those fourth-quarter tackles for losses for Susquehanna. He finished with 15 tackles, five of them for losses, four assists and a blocked extra point

 

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

MON – Justice Millard o-yd fumble return (Kick failed) – Montrose 6-0

2ND QUARTER

MON – Weston Nabywaniec 2-yd run (Sawyer Aukema run) – Montrose 14-0

SUS – Mason Keyes 20-yd pass from Michael Smith (Caeden Stone run) – Montrose 14-8

3RD QUARTER

MON – Evan McComb 16-yd pass from Aukema (Kick failed) – Montrose 20-8

4TH QUARTER

SUS – Gabe Maby 1-yd run (Run failed) – Montrose 20-14