On Friday, October 17, 2014, during the Morrison versus Erie-Prophetstown game, one official was overheard commenting that, “This is the best-played game [we have] officiated all season.” Only four penalty flags were thrown all game (all against Morrison.) The statistics were almost even, except on the final score. Each team had possession six times, with both executing long drives leading to touchdowns.
Passing was not part of either team’s game plan. Morrison completed all four throws attempted; unfortunately, two were caught by the Panthers. E-P didn’t put the ball into the air until the last series of the game, with the clock running down, and failed to make a completion.
The Ponies stuffed the Panthers on their two possession of the opening quarter by allowing only 18-yards on the ground. Morrison’s opening drive ended in an interception of a Dylan Keller pass. The second drive ended the quarter with a Cody Southern pile mover of 16-yards. The drive continued into the second quarter with Aaron Deter driving for 12-yards and Tristan DeMay reeling off a 15-yard scamper, before Jarrett Ruchotzke carried the final five yards to open the scoring at 6-0, with 8:09 left in the half.
The Erie-Prophetstown Panthers used the remainder of the quarter to grind out a 16-play, 68-yard drive that ended in the end zone with 24.3 seconds remaining in the half. The two-point conversion was the advantage held by the Panthers. The halftime score was Morrison 6, Erie-Prophetstown 8.
The Ponies adjusted the defense after the halftime break and only allowed the Panthers 30 yards of total offense in the final two quarters. Morrison’s first drive of the second half ended with a Cody Southern fumble on the fourth snap of action. Six snaps into the Panther drive, Reilly Dolan intercepted the first pass attempt of the Panthers on the 11-yard line and returned it to the 35 yard line. The Ponies’ next possession ran into the final period. It featured a 23-yard pass completion from Keller to Ethan Fischbach and a 12-yard jaunt by Aaron Deter. But the drive ended on a failed fourth-and-one, and the Panthers took over on their own 30 yard line. The defense quickly ended the next drive with tackles by Grant Slater and Ben Vanderlaan on consecutive plays for no gain. This forced a punt with under four minutes to play.
The Ponies ground out three first downs and pressure was mounting as the clock ran down to under one minute. With the ball on the 6 yard line, Morrison called a time out. The first snap only gained one yard, as Deter was stopped in an attempt over right guard. On the next snap, Southern bulled into the end zone from 5 yards out and only 28.3 seconds on the clock, to edge the Ponies to a 12-8 lead.
The Panthers made one last attempt to come back in the few seconds remaining. They were ineffective on three consecutive passes, due to the Ponies’ defensive pressure. The Ponies galloped to a hard-fought 12-8 victory. 