Bozeman beats Baker, wins second straight contest
BAKER — There wasn’t much to celebrate for Homecoming 2009 at Baker on Friday, at least not from a football perspective.
District 1-1A rival Bozeman spoiled the festivities as the Bucks beat the Gators 33-14.
Bozeman (2-4, 1-3) scored all the points it would need in the first half as the Bucks took a 19-0 lead at intermission. Quarterback Travis Register riddled the Gators with 220 yards passing, hitting 11 of 20 attempts.
Register teamed with Dylon Kenney on a 16-yard pass play with 2:21 left in the first quarter to give the Bucks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Baker’s Christian Mainor broke through and blocked Bozeman’s extra point to keep the score 6-0.
The Bucks went for an onside kick following the touchdown and recovered at Baker’s 48. Tyler Grier had four consecutive carries to loosen up the Baker (0-6, 0-5) defense to set up another Register pass. Register found Zach Martinez for 36 yards and moved the ball to the 1.
A quarterback sneak by Register made the score 12-0.
In the early going, the Gators were determined to let sophomore running back Vada Moore carry the load. Moore did his part with 57 yards on 11 carries in the first half.
Moore picked up 33 yards on Baker’s first possession as the Gators moved the ball to the Bozeman 16 before being stopped.
Down 12-0, the Gators were forced to go to the pass, and a succession of misfires by Logan Wagner and dropped balls by Baker receivers didn’t make for a good combination. The Gators were just 1 of 8 passing for 5 yards in the first half.
Bozeman drove 63 yards in the final two minutes of the first half with Grier scoring from the 2. Greg Weathers teamed with Register on a 16-yard pass for a touchdown capping Bozeman’s 66-yard drive to open the second half.
Baker finally got on the scoreboard with 3:45 left in the third quarter when Jacob Lawson recovered a Bozeman fumble of a punt snap in the Bucks’ end zone. Wagner hit Mainor with a conversion pass to make the score 26-8.
Register found Martinez with a 10-yard pass late in the third quarter to close out the scoring for Bozeman.
Baker scored on a 10-yard run by Justin Lewis-Washington with 11:52 left in the game. Moore finished with 103 yards rushing. Hooper added 50 and Lewis-Washington 20 for the Gators.
