A very fast moving season for the Monmouth-Roseville Titans football team has already brought us to the final regular season game of the season. Friday night’s contest with the class 1A state ranked Sterling Newman Comets was a massive one for the Titans, not only was it senior night for Monmouth-Roseville, but it was a chance to once again end the season 8-1 and put themselves in position for a home playoff game at Coach Dobry Field.
Sterling Newman would receive the opening kickoff and get great field position, starting off their first drive around midfield, and the Comets would take advantage, scoring on a 16 yard touchdown pass from Evan Bushman to Asher Ernst. M-R’s offense though would come in and settle things down on their first drive, as back to back big runs from Nick Huston set the Titans up in Newman territory, and eventually finding the endzone was Landon Montroy from 19 yards out to even the game at 7-7. After a quick Newman punt, the Titans once again drove the ball into the Comets red zone, but this time the Newman defense would force a big time fumble to keep the Titans out of the end zone for the time being. Senior defensive end Asa Braun would be the one to end the quarter strong, coming up with a drive killing sack of Bushman to force Newman to punt.
After taking over at their own 44, Lars Bergren would take a running play to the outside and all the way to the end zone to give the Titans their first lead of the day. Newman’s next drive ended with another punt inside Titans territory, and Monmouth-Roseville would punish the Comets for it, putting together a typical Titans drive going 95 yards down the field on just running plays, ultimately punching it in on a 5 yard run from Lars Bergren to go up 20-7. On the final drive of the half the Comets converted a crucial 4th down at midfield, and would dice their way into the red zone, however in what might be the biggest moment of the entire game, the Titan defense stood tall on the goal line, turning the Comets away four times backed up inside their own ten to preserve the two score halftime lead.
Likely feeling the momentum from the way they ended the first half, the Titans kept swinging out of the break as Nick Huston had a kickoff return touchdown right out of the gate, however this one was called back for holding. Monmouth-Roseville would still get great field position however, and marched their way to the endzone, scoring on a 21 yard scamper from Landon Montroy to go up three scores. On the first play of Sterling Newman’s next drive, Bushman’s pass was picked off by Huston, and the Titans once again would capitalize, converting on 4th and 6 with a run up the middle from Huston then Montroy was pushed in from 11 yards out to bring the score to 32-7. To end the quarter the Titans would force yet another turnover as at midfield, Bushman’s pass is tipped and picked by Elliott Rogers, the 6th of the year for Rogers.
With a comfortable cushion entering the fourth quarter, the Titans would methodically march down the field, convert another 4th down, and Huston walked in from 16 yards out, as well as punching in the two point conversion to reach the game’s final score of 40-7. On the final Newman drive, Cody Johnson and Nick Huston put together back to back QB sacks to put the exclamation point on one of the Titans most complete performances all season. In the statbook for Monmouth-Roseville, Landon Montroy rushed for 169 yards and 3 scores on 24 carries, Nick Huston added 128 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts, Lars Bergren scored twice on just 6 carries, while quarterback Clay Casteel completed his lone pass of the day for a 25 yard gain to Andrew Way. The Titans finish yet another strong regular season campaign at 8-1 overall, and will find out where and who they are playing in the first round of the class 3A IHSA playoffs tomorrow night when the playoff pairings are revealed around 7:30 Saturday night.
For the replay of the WMOI radio broadcast of the game, click HERE
