Montgomery Football Comes From Behind Late To Beat Consol

COLLEGE STATION, TX — With the game on the line and A&M Consolidated threatening in the red zone with 10 seconds left, Montgomery needed just one more big play.

The Bears got some help in the form of a bad snap and held on to beat the Tigers 35-28 in a crucial District 10-5A Division II matchup Friday at Tigerland Stadium.

The victory puts Montgomery (7-0, 3-0) in the driver’s seat in the district title race with three games remaining as the only team without a loss. Consol (6-2, 3-1) fell into a tie for second with Rudder.

Live in Conroe or Montgomery County? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Montgomery is seeking its first district title since 1989. Since head coach John Bolfing took over the program in 2005, the Bears have finished second six times and made the playoffs 10 times.

“It’s big for us, and it’s big for our program,” Bolfing said. “Most importantly, it puts us at 3-0, and we’re trying to get as many wins as we can so we can get into the playoffs and possibly win a district championship.

“I know in the back of their minds, it’s something they think about.”

The Tigers drove to the Montgomery 13-yard line with no timeouts and 10 seconds left on the last drive, but the ball was snapped before freshman quarterback Will Hargett was ready. Hargett fell on the ball, but the clock ran out to end the game.

Montgomery senior running back Jalen Washington rushed for 246 yards on 32 carries and scored two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Montgomery overcome a 28-21 deficit in the last five minutes.

Consol running back Trey Taylor gave the Tigers the lead with 5:19 left with a 71-yard touchdown run.

Washington answered back on the second play of the ensuing drive, taking a handoff up the middle, breaking free from two tacklers who had him stopped and running away from a third for a 54-yard touchdown run to tie the game with 4:41 left.

Montgomery’s defense stood tall, forcing a three-and-out deep in Consol territory, and a short punt gave the Bears the ball at the Consol 25-yard line. That was all Washington needed as he took a handoff to the left on the first play and raced past the Consol defense for a touchdown and a 35-28 lead with 2:40 remaining.

“[Washington] is a load,” Bolfing said. “He’s tough to tackle. He’s a very talented kid. Hopefully people around the state of Texas and around the country realize this kid’s pretty good.”

Consol’s Taylor had a memorable game of his own, rushing for 214 yards on 28 carries with a pair of touchdowns.

Hargett made his first start in place of starting quarterback Brodie Daniel, who was out with a concussion. After a slow start, Hargett settled into a rhythm and finished with 190 yards on 12-of-18 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 20 yards on the final drive, and his 14-yard rush on fourth-and-1 gave the Tigers a chance to tie it on the last play.

“For a freshman to come into a game like this, [Hargett] kept his head up, did some good things and made some good plays,” Consol head coach Lee Fedora said. “I told him, ‘Don’t let this affect you. We grow from it. We get better,’ and I think he’s gonna do a great job.”

Washington already had a 100-yard game by halftime, and he got the Bears on the board first, capping a methodical opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Montgomery went 75 yards on 11 plays, including eight rushes for 56 yards, and took nearly five minutes off the clock.

Montgomery made it 14-0 late in the first when senior quarterback Brock Bolfing found Justin Herman on a deep post for a 42-yard touchdown pass on third-and-10. The drive featured two conversions on third-and-long, with the other coming on a misdirection handoff to Ryder Adler, who ran past the Consol defense for a 44-yard gain and a first down on third-and-23 from the 14-yard line.

Bolfing completed 11 of 19 passes for 117 yards, and Herman led the Bears with four catches for 50 yards.

The half turned after Montgomery’s next possession, when the Bears missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide left with 8:29 left in the second quarter.

Consol, which had just three first downs to that point, struck quickly when Hargett threw a screen pass to Wesley Greaves, who raced down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown, pulling the Tigers within 14-7. Greaves led all receivers with five catches for 123 yards.

Montgomery was forced to punt for the first time on its next possession, and the Tigers tied it up, with Taylor making a nifty cut and snaking through the defense for a 15-yard touchdown with 3:07 left in the half.

Montgomery got to midfield on its next drive, but a third-down sack forced the Bears to punt. Consol threatened to take the lead going into halftime, but what appeared to be a pass play down to the Montgomery 12-yard line was called back for offensive pass interference with five seconds left. The Tigers called a draw play from midfield to end the half.