By Jerry Lindsey
The Wooden Shoe Bowl turned out to be a game for the times as both teams came into E.M Bud Cole Field in the same situation. Each team had won their season opener, each team had faltered in their second game of the young season and each team had lost its starting quarterback in game two. The owner of the Wooden Shoe at game’s end is totally up to anybody’s guess.
The Mustangs, following a 50-0 embarrassment the week before, were stripped of the helmet stripes that have been the Morrison pride over the years. Coach Bielma felt that the helmet striping is something that must be earned and the 2013 Mustangs had to earn them back.
Morrison received the opening kickoff and on the first play, quarterback Mason Sitzmore connected with Kolin Burn on the Fulton twelve yard lien and it looked good for the Mustangs. However, Burn was flagged for offensive pass interference and the play was called back to the Fulton 18 yard line and the Mustangs punted three plays later without a first down. The Steamers started their first drive on their own 40-yard line and needed eleven plays to march the sixty yards into the end zone as Austin Regenwether dove in from the five yard line with 5:51 on the clock. Jack Lemke kicked the extra point and the Steamers had the lead 7-0. The Mustangs tried to establish the ground gain with fourteen consecutive running plays to end the quarter on the Fulton 24-yard line. The second snap of the second quarter saw quarterback Mason Sitzmore lead Ryan Mayberry perfectly for an end zone grab over two defenders and the Mustangs were on the board with 11:26 left in the first half. Sitzmore ran a quarterback keeper in for the two point conversion and the lead 8-7.
Each team went three and out before Casey Hodge recovered a fumbled punt on the Fulton 25-yard line and another score was in the Mustang’s vision, but two plays later Fulton’s Kevin North intercepted a batted Sitzmore pass and the threat was ended. The half ended two minutes later with the Mustangs carrying a one-point lead 8-7.
Fulton owned the opening kickoff and started on their own 35-yard line with Austin Regenwether carrying three times for 36 yards but the drive ended three pass plays later as the Steamers failed on a fourth and eight and the Mustangs took over on downs on their own 34-yard line. The Mustangs ran eleven running plays trying to break someone open before falling short on a fourth and four on the Fulton 25-yard line. Fulton’s next drive saw Regenwether carry the ball four consecutive plays and gain 35 yards, but again the Fulton drive was interrupted by a pass interception by Morrison’s Noah Blacklock on the Morrison 45-yard line with only 19.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Morrison went three and out to start the final period and Justin Jensen punted again. The punt was fumbled by Fulton and Andy Bird fell on it on the Fulton 30-yard line and the Mustangs were in business again. Sitzmore immediately connected with Mayberry for a twenty-yard pass completion and the Mustangs were first and ten on the ten-yard line. A Fulton penalty moved the ball to the five-yard line and a first and goal situation. Austin Shoop tried the middle and moved to the three before Blacklock was stopped with no gain on the second down. The third down saw Mayberry carry to the Steamer’s two and that is where the Steamers stopped Shoop on a fourth and goal to take over possession on downs. With the Steamers on the three-yard line and 8:20 on the clock, the tension was beginning to mount. On the first play following the defensive stop, Fulton’s Regenwether broke loose over left tackle and scampered 42-yards to ignite the Steamers faithful that had packed the Morrison stadium. The Steamers stayed on the ground and moved the ball to the Morrison 30-yard line aided by a 17-yard quarterback rollout by Jason Lemke. With everyone watching the clock wind down to 4:57, Fullton took their first of three timeouts. Following the timeout, Lemke was stopped with a one-yard gain and a holding penalty nullified the next run by Lemke and the ball was back to the 29-yard line. Lenke called his own number on the next play and Andy Bird stopped him for no gain with the clock at 3:48. On fourth and nine Lemke threw to a well-covered Seth Sanderson at the five-yard line and the Mustangs defenders swatted the pass to the ground to take over possession on downs. With 2:14 left in the game, Morrison punted and Fulton took over possession on their won 48-yard line. On third and six, fullback Devin Kuehl bulled up the middle for seventeen yards and a first down on the Morrison 30-yard line. Lemke then tried to connect with Sanderson in the end zone, but over threw him with the clock stopping with 48.3 seconds remaining. Regenwether bulled eight yards to the Mustang’s 20-yard line. Lemke spiked the first down snap to stop the clock before Regenwether charged up the middle for another thirteen yards and a first and goal on the seven with 32.5 seconds remaining. Fulton took it’s second time out with 29.9 on the clock. Lemke dropped the next snap after the timeout and had to spike the ball to stop the clock again. With the ball positioned on the seven-yard line, Fulton took its third and final timeout with 14.3 remaining. Lemke lined up to attempt a 25-yard field goal that would give the Steamers a 10-8 lead. The snap went down and the kick barely made it over the end zone and landed right of the crossbars and the Mustangs had dodged a game ending bullet with 9.0 seconds left on the clock. Sitzmore took the final knee on the twenty-yard line and the Mustangs retained possession the Wooden Shoe Trophy with a tough 8-7 final score.
Statistics:
Morrison Mustangs: Rushing-32 carries for 120yards (Sitzmore 52 Yards)
Passing: Sitzmore 2 / 6 = 42 yards
Fulton Steamers: Rushing-30 carries for 227 yards (Regenwether = 165 yards)
Passing: Lemke 4 / 12 = 33 yards (1-interception)