The Morrison Mustangs traveled to Aledo for the first round playoff of their defense of the IHSA Class 2A State Championship on Saturday, October 27, 2012. Their opponent was the Golden Eagles of Mercer County High School and the current #1 ranked team in 2A. The weather was a clear but cool (45 degrees) afternoon and the field conditions were a little wet after the rains of the past week, but this is what teams play all season for..a chance to make a run at a state championship and Mercer County took the first step by throttling the Mustangs 25-14 to move to the second round action next week.
The Golden Eagles showed the crowd why they are averaging 48 points per game as the took the opening kickoff on their own 21 yard line and needed only six plays to cover the 79-yards to grab a quick 7-0 lead. The Eagles quarterback, 6-5 Tanner Matlick, demonstrated his throwing talent by completing passes of 43, 18 and 13 yards to set by a 2-yard scoring quarterback sneak with only one minute and 38 seconds off the clock.
The Mustangs were not to be discouraged as they started their first possession the 35-yard line and flaunted their ground game of Brock Deter, Andrew Connelly and Danny Willis. The ball sat on the Mercer County 36-yard line on a fourth and one situation when Quarterback matt Wilkens rolled right and flipped a perfect pass to the racing Willis and the twenty yard and Willis went into the end zone untouched for the Mustangs’ first score. Alex Volckmann kicked the extra point and with 6:11 left on the first period clock, the game was tied at 7.
The next possession for the Eagles was stopped when Travis Keller stopped Tyson Nylin a yard short of the first down on another pass connection with Matlick. Each team had failed possessions as Mercer County took possession into the second quarter and was stopped by the stiffened Mustang defense on a fourth and six on the 18-yard line. Morrison went three and out and gave the ball back on a punt at the Morrison 49-yard line. Matlick quickly connected with Nylin for an 11-yard gain and followed that with a 21-yard completion to Payton Holmes to give them a first and ten at the 17-yard line. On the next snap, Matlick rolled right and targeted Zach Nelson in the end zone. Nelson was fronted with good coverage by Ryan Mayberry, but Nelson reached over the back of Mayberry and stole his interception to add another touchdown on the scoreboard. With 8:48 left in the first half, Mercer County owned a 13-7 lead.
The Mustangs started their next drive on their own 25-yard line felt a little momentum as Willis snapped off a 12-yard scamper. Brock Deter gained five over the left guard only to lose the handle on his way down and the ball was recovered by Mercer County on the 49-yard line. Matlick immediately dropped back on the first snap and drilled a pass toward Holmes only to have it intercepted by a diving Keller and the Mustangs were in possession again on the 43-yard line. This time Wilkens dropped back looking to connect with Alex Weets only to have Zach Nelson grabbed the errant aerial and the Golden Eagles were back in business on their own 40-yard line. Again, Matlick rolled to his left, but Nolan Dykema was there to greet him and took him to the turf for only a one-yard gain. Not to be denied, Matlick completed the next three snaps for gains of 13, 13 and 8-yards. Two running plays gained 8-yards before Matlick hit Jon Ricke for a ten-yarder and a first and goal on the six. Two snaps later, Matlick pushed over the goal behind a good line push and the Golden Eagles jumped to a 19-7 advantage with 2:14 left in the half. Each of the next two Morrison possessions included a quarterback sack that slowed the series.
The local fans held their breath as Morrison’s Calvin Harridge drilled Matlick while attempting a pass and he didn’t get up right away. Matlick sat out two plays then returned to complete a seven –yard screen pass before the half ended with the Golden Eagles on top 19-7.
The Mustangs knew that they had to find a way to keep the ball out of Matlick’s hands as he had completed 10 of 14 passes in the first half for 193 yards. The defense was controlling the ground game that had only gained 58 yards and 33 of those yards was on a broken play by Nelson.
T
he second half strategy was obvious as the Mustangs ran Deter, Willis and Connelly on the first nine snaps before having to give the ball over on a punt. The Mustangs added pressure to Matlick and forced a three and out and had the ball back with 5:33 left in the quarter. Same strategy was implemented as the Mustang marched from the Mercer county 45-yard line into the end zone with eight rushing plays featuring a 19-yard pitch and run by Danny Willis. Willis kicked the extra point and it was a new game with the Golden Eagles holding a five point lead 19-14 and 2:38 left in quarter number three. Each team had a three and out to end the quarter and Mercer County started the final period on their own 35-yard line. On the second snap, Matlick hit Nylin in the flat on the right sideline and he cut back to the inside and eluded tackles until finally tripped up 36 yards later. Devin Morford was the next receiver to partner with Matlick for a ten-yard gain and they were first and ten on the 15-yard line. Three straight dives by Nelson moved the ball to the three and he followed his left tackle into the end zone and the Golden Eagles now led 25-14 with 8:13 remaining.
Following the kickoff, the Mustangs quickly moved the ball from their own 32 to the Eagles 43 where Connelly grabbed a Wilkins flare pass and was nailed hard by two Eagles and coughed up possession the football only to have it recovered by Mercer County. Life was restored three plays later as Andy Bird intercepted a Matlick pass on the 15-yard line and returned it up the right sideline to the 43-yard line and new excitement was in the Mustangs. Willis was stopped for no gain before Wilkens was intercepted on the 37-yard line by Nylin and the roller coaster of emotions hit the Morrison fans again.
The Mustang defense did its job again and forced a punt and the Mustangs had another possession with 2:18 on the clock sand the ball on the 50-yard line. On a third and ten, Wilkens completed a pass to Keller for 17-yards before he was thrown for a ten-yard loss followed by another 3-yard sack. The third down saw Wilkens overthrow Alex Weets on the 15-yard line to set up a fourth down and 13-yards need to keep the drive alive. Willis ran a left sideline pattern and Wilkens hit him with a 26-yard pass completion and the Mustangs were first and ten on the 14-yard line. Wilkens connected with Weets and then added five yards on a quarterback keeper to give the Mustangs a first and goal on the three-yard line with 58.5 seconds remaining. Willis grabbed a short pass but was smothered by the Eagles’ defense. On the next snap Wilkens saw Mayberry open in the end zone to his left, but Tyler Nylin stepped in and intercepted the game-ending pass and the season was over for the 2012 Mustangs.
The final statistics:
Mercer County: rushing-91 yards passing-Matlick: 12 for 19 = 248 yards / 2 interceptions
Morrison: rushing-143 yards (Willis-68, Deter-68) passing: Wilkens: 5 for 18 = 99 yards=/3 interceptions
