Haxtun – Merino’s Karl Mertens rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another as the Rams avenged last year’s title game defeat, beating the Haxtun Bulldogs 26-14 to claim the 2005 Class A 8-man state title Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 14-12 at halftime, the Rams came out and took the second-half kickoff and marched right down the field, taking the lead for good on Mertens’ 36-yard touchdown pass to junior Ross Brunkhardt with 8:47 left in the third quarter. Brunkhardt’s two-point conversion run made the score 20-14 and Merino never looked back.
“Our kids just wanted it more than theirs,” Merino coach John Barber said. “Haxtun played great and are coached great, but our kids wanted it. We said we were going to run and that’s what we did, and we ran it down their throat.”
Haxtun coach Dave Shafer acknowledged Barber’s comment, saying the Bulldogs were outplayed in the second half.
“The better team won today,” Shafer said. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to get back here, but we had a good year.”
Both teams struggled early, committing five turnovers in the first half before settling down in the second half.
Mertens was the key for the Rams. The senior totaled 163 yards rushing on 20 carries with three touchdowns, including a 75-yard scamper in the second quarter that helped him earn MVP honors by The Denver Post.
Brunkhardt rushed for 90 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Mertens was 3-for-6 passing for 45 yards and two interceptions.
Cameron Ham led Haxtun with 51 yards on 18 carries, but just 8 yards on four carries in the second half. Andy Wernsman finished with 25 yards on eight carries and was 5-for-14 passing for 79 yards and a touchdown. He would have had another touchdown pass, but his 28-yarder to Ben Cox was fumbled at the 3-yard line and into the end zone, where teammate Jordan Hagemeyer recovered to give the Bulldogs a 14-12 halftime lead.
Nathan Schmidt led the Merino defense with 17 tackles to go with a blocked punt. Brunkhardt added 14 tackles.
Merino beat Haxtun twice in the same year in Haxtun for the first time. This is the fifth state title for the Rams.
8-MAN MVP
Merino senior quarterback Karl Mertens rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. His 36-yard touchdown pass to Ross Brunkhardt in the third quarter put the Rams up for good. His 1-yard plunge with two minutes left in the game sealed the victory.
Merino 6 6 8 6 – 26
Haxtun 6 8 0 0 – 14
M – Mertens 1 run (run failed). H – Ham 21 pass from Wernsman (run failed). M – Mertens 75 run (pass failed). H – Jordan Hagemeyer 0 fumble recovery (Wernsman pass to Biesmeier). M – Brunkhardt 36 pass from Mertens (Brunkhardt run). M – Mertens 1 run (run failed).
