In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello overcame two early turnovers and scored 34 unanswered points to bounce Paris 48-16 in the first round of the Class 3A high school football playoffs in Monticello Saturday afternoon.
Nolan Buehnermekemper had his first pass of the game, and the game's second play from scrimmage, intercepted and returned to the 11-yard line by Dawson Rogers.
Carter Crippes took the Tigers' first play from scrimmage in for a touchdown, and Paris went up 8-0.
Buehnerkemper then had this third pass of the game on the next series picked off; however, the Sages' defense forced a turnover on downs in four plays.
Monticello answered when Buehnerkemper knifed through the Paris defense like a Ferrari in Chicago traffic and made it 8-7 on an 18-yard touchdown run.
After the Sages' defense held Paris again, Maddux Utley scored from a yard out to put Monticello in front for good. A 56-yard wide receiver screen to Young set up Utley's score.
On a double-reverse-flea-flicker in the second quarter, Buehnerkemper found Heyden Romano from 44 yards out to put the Sages in front 20-8.
Monticello then started the second half with back-to-back scores when Utley scored on an 11-yard run, his second touchdown of the game, to make it 27-8 with 8:06 in the third. Buehnerkemper found Braden Wood in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown at the 4:00 mark of the third quarter to extend the Sages' lead to 34-8.
After Paris got a touchdown in the fourth quarter to get within 34-16, Buehnerkemper scored from 37 yards out to answer the score and put the Sages in front 41-16. The scoring concluded when Forrest Rawdin scored on a 31-yard run to make it 48-16.
Buehnerkemper finished 8-of-17 passing for 226 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran it for 85 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.
Utley had 70 yards on eight carries. He was the State Bank of Bement player of the game. Zeke Young went over 100 yards with 141 yards on four catches. Romano had two catches for 52 yards with a touchdown.
Paris ends its season 6-4 overall.
Monticello moves to 8-2 overall and will travel to Tolono Unity for second-round action next Saturday. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
