Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Bowler/Gresham quarterback Thomas Kazik (14) hands off to running back Cody Montez during Friday’s season opener at home against Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah. Bowler/Gresham lost, 32-28.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Bowler/Gresham senior quarterback Thomas Kazik throws a pass during Friday’s season opener at home against Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah. Bowler/Gresham lost, 32-28.
The Bowler/Gresham high school football team needed just 9 yards and a few more seconds in a 32-28 loss Friday to Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah in Bowler.
Trailing 32-28 in the final minutes, the Cats moved from their own 15-yard line to the Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah 9-yard line with five seconds left in the game.
Bowler/Gresham (0-1) took a stab at throwing, but senior quarterback Thomas Kazik missed tight end Chase Nueske in the corner of the end zone, leaving the team only two seconds for the final play.
Bowler/Gresham coach Ralph Smith hoped to catch the Resorters’ run defense by surprise by turning to running back Cody Montez, who led the Cats with 152 yards on 27 carries for the night. The right sweep was sniffed out by Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah defensive back Jared Shaw, who knifed in to make the tackle and secure the win.
“We just thought we could beat them to the corner,” Smith said. “The guys felt comfortable running that play. We just needed a little bit more time. I think if we had another 10 seconds, we could have got this ballgame.”
Bowler/Gresham took a 20-0 lead on touchdown runs by Montez and Kazik in the first quarter and a 3-yard dive by running back Zach Olson in the second.
Following Olson’s touchdown, Shaw returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to get the Resorters (1-0) on the board. Shaw added a 24-yard run for a score later in the quarter.
Bowler/Gresham nearly scored before halftime, but stalled on the Resorters’ 1-yard line as time ran out.
In the second half, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah quarterback Elliot Van Oss took over, scoring on touchdown runs of 45 and 40 yards in the third quarter to give the Resorters a 26-20 lead.
Bowler/Gresham tied the game on Olson’s 9-yard run in the fourth quarter and took the lead on a dive by Montez to get the two-point conversion.
Van Oss wasn’t finished, however, gashing the Cats’ defense for big yards before punching it in from 10 yards out with 1:30 left to play.
Van Oss finished with 209 rushing yards on 22 carries. He was 5 of 14 passing the ball for 69 yards.
Kazik was 3 of 11 for 72 yards passing.
“It was just an awesome ballgame,” Smith said. “We left it on the field. They’re a classy bunch of guys. It’s what football should be all about.”