Braves blast Sentinel
Flathead’s Brandon Schmaus goes up for a pass from quarterback Brock Osweiler in the end zone while a Missoula Spartan tries to defend on the play during the second quarter of Friday night’s game at Legends Stadium in Kalispell. Schmaus’ touchdown catch put the Braves up 20-0 against the Spartans. Craig Moore/Daily Inter Lake
It only took a moment to turn it all around.
A moment was all the Flathead Braves football team needed Friday night to pull itself out of a fog of penalties, dropped passes and missed executions.
One second quarter roughing the punter call put the Braves (2-0, 2-0) on the track to a 39-6 win over Missoula Sentinel (0-3, 0-3).
The game started on a high for Flathead.
It took the opening kick and used up just over three minutes on an 8-play, 54-yard scoring drive. Senior Dan Ogden capped the drive from five yards out.
The only play that didn't gain positive yardage was a pass off the fingertips in the end zone.
"Good first drive," said Flathead coach Grady Bennett. "We scored right off the bat."
But then things went a little … flat.
The next two drives were marked by incomplete passes, penalties and two Flathead fumbles.
"We had the dropsies," wide receiver Brandon Schmaus said. "No one was catching it. Maybe it was nerves," he said.
"We just had to think about not getting down."
It was all water under the bridge the second each play was through, according to quarterback Brock Osweiler.
"It's something every team will go through," Osweiler said. "Our receivers still made big plays. They bounced back."
"We had a little talk in (the huddle)," Schmaus said.
Just as it appeared the Braves might be in for a struggle, they got their second chance.
Sentinel roughed punter Ogden. From fourth-and-seven to first down on the 32-yard line, Flathead swept in with new life and took immediate advantage.
Osweiler rolled right and found wide receiver Reed Watkins in the middle of the field. Watkins turned to the right, but then reversed back to the left and scored from 68 yards out.
The Braves scored again when Osweiler found Schmaus in the end zone four minutes later - and the game was all but over.
The offense clicked along from that moment.
Osweiler finished the night 14-for-27 for 253 yards. Freshman Shay Smithwick-Hann, who came into the game late in the third quarter, was 3-for-5 for 30 yards. Six different receivers caught passes.
"I have to give credit to the receivers and the offensive line," Osweiler added.
He also added his congratulations to running back John Goldberg.
Goldberg was supposed to be running routes right along with the receivers, the quarterback said.
"But I kept him in a lot and he did really good picking up the blitzes."
As for the Flathead defense, it shut the Spartans down.
"I thought our defense was outstanding," Bennett said.
"Our defense was all over the place. Coltin Weber was really physical. I thought he was dominate, flying to the ball, running through people, over people. He played like a young man with a future in football," the coach said.
He also complimented the play of defensive ends Josh Harris and Brad Huff.
"Pressure all night," he said.
Sentinel quarterback Jordan Graves had looked great on film, completing 65 percent of his passes in the first two games, but the Braves held him to 11-for-29 for 112 yards with an interception.
BRAVES 39, SPARTANS 6
Sentinel 0 0 0 6 - 6
Flathead 7 23 3 6 - 39
First Quarter
F- Dan Ogden 5 run (Clint Manning kick), 8:43.
Second Quarter
F-Reed Watkins 68 pass from Brock Osweiler (Manning kick), 9:06.
F-Brandon Schmaus 9 pass from Osweiler (Manning kick), 5:01.
F- Watkins 37 pass from Osweiler (Kick failed), 3:38.
F - FG Manning 33, 23.1
Third Quarter
F- FG Manning 19, 4:51.
Fourth Quarter
S-Brant Beaudry 40 pass from Jordan Graves (pass failed), 8:28.
F - David Lau 9 run (Kick failed), 49.
MS F
First downs 9 17
Total Net Yards 162 394
Rushes-yards 18-11 38-111
Passing 173 283
Punt Returns 2-5 4-80
Kickoff Returns 8-124 2-51
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-0
Comp-Att-Int 12-30-1 17-32-0
Punts 5-175 3-90.0
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 3-2
Penalties-Yards 11-83 10-80
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Sentinel, Jeremy Windham 6-28, Jordan Graves 12-minus 39. Flathead, John Goldberg 11-50, David Lau 5-30, Dan Ogden 4-16, Mike Kozlowski 6-12, Brock Osweiler 7-11, Shay Smithwick-Hann 4-minus 8.
PASSING-Sentinel, Jordan Graves 11-29-1-112, Ty Rogers 1-1-61. Flathead, Brock Osweiler 14-27-253, Shay Smithwick-Hann 3-5-30.
RECEIVING-Sentinel, Brant Beaudry 3-69, Casey Smith 2-64, Chazz Grey 2-18, Taylor King 2-15, Josh Olson 1-13, Ty Rogers 2-7. Flathead, Reed Watkins 5-136, Geoff Hogan 4-59, Nick Haegele 3-38, Mike Gallagher 2-22, Brandon Schmaus 2-20, Brian Sneck 1-8.
MISSED FIELD GOALS-None.