Kristjanson’s Rally Falls Short as Summit Rallies Past Montgomery, 31–28

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Cougars bite back but can’t overcome Schwark’s ground game in tight road loss

SUMMIT — The Montgomery Cougars showed plenty of heart Friday night but came up just short in a back-and-forth affair, falling to Summit 31–28 in a matchup defined by big rushing plays and a late, furious comeback attempt.

Summit (2–0) leaned on sophomore workhorse Alex Schwark, who pounded the turf for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, turning the game in the second quarter with a three-touchdown burst that flipped a 14–7 Montgomery lead into a 28–14 halftime advantage. Jackson Marx’s reliable foot added the extra points and later a 35-yard field goal to push the Hilltoppers to a one-score cushion. Overall Summit finished with 328 rushing yardsas a team.

Montgomery struck early. Quarterback Jack Kristjanson connected with Trey McFadden on an 8-yard scoring pass on the game’s opening drive and senior tailback Caiden Miller answered with a 40-yard touchdown run to make it 14–7 after the first quarter. But Summit’s second-quarter ground assault swung momentum and left the Cougars fighting from behind.

The Cougars refused to fold. Kristjanson — who finished 13-of-25 for 91 yards through the air and added 71 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns — ignited a third-quarter rally with a 13-yard touchdown run (PAT failed) and then capped a determined fourth-quarter comeback with an 8-yard run and a successful two-point conversion run by Neil Nair to close the gap to 31–28. Montgomery’s comeback fell short, however, as Summit held on for the win. Montgomery drops to 1–1.

Running back Caiden Miller carried the offense between the tackles, finishing with 135 yards on 15 carries and showing the big-play ability that produced the early 40-yard score. Receiver/kick-returner Trey McFadden was a steady target with seven catches and also delivered on special teams. The Cougars compiled 206 rushing yards as a team — a strong showing against a stout Summit defense — and generated balance with both Kristjanson and Miller effective on the ground.

Defensively, Montgomery kept the contest competitive late. Michael Bellamy and Dragomir Georgiev paced the unit with 13 and 10 tackles, respectively, while Zach Mutton added nine stops. The Cougars’ tackling and third-quarter adjustments helped limit Summit after the second-quarter surge, but Schwark’s big runs ultimately proved decisive.

Special teams saw Trey McFadden punt four times for 148 yards (long of 47), and both teams traded field position in a physical contest that featured few passing highlights but plenty of grinding yardage on the ground.

In short: Montgomery answered every Summit push and closed quickly in the fourth, but late deficits from the second quarter were too large to overcome. The Cougars will look to regroup and convert their late-game resilience into a full comeback in the weeks ahead.

Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com