Editor’s note: Photos are by Jerry Lindsey.
For a second week, the Friday night lights of Morrison, IL, football began with a continuous clock for the Fresh/Soph game, in an attempt to keep the Varsity game from ending so late. Unfortunately, this Friday night didn’t end in any way similar to the victory of the previous week.
The Spring Valley, IL, Red Devils made their first appearance in Morrison delayed by a bus flat tire, but confident after their strong performance over a strong Orion, IL, team the week prior.
The Red Devils opened with a 30-yard pass completion from Christian Stefaniak to Matt Hultz. This sent a hint to the Mustang defense, but they failed to respond to it throughout the evening. The series ended with a failed fourth down on their 44-yard line. This turned out to be the first-of-only-two possessions all night that were not turned into a score. With the aid of a Spring Valley holding call, the Mustangs moved down to the 25-yard line, but Jacob Schlegel was sacked on a fourth-down pass attempt. The Mustangs would never move that deeply into Red Devil area again.
The Red Devils immediately generated an eight-play drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown by Dillon DeJong, with 2:37 remaining in the quarter. The extra point kick by Anthony Buchanan made it 7-0. On the next Morrison possession Brevin Pruis punted following a three-and-out, and James Mautino returned it to the Mustangs 36-yard line. Following a 23-yard pass completion, Buchanan trotted in from the 4-yard line. The Red Devils were having their way against the Morrison defense and leading 14-0, with 10:00 remaining in the half. Morrison offense was stopped, but a holding penalty gave them a first down on their next possession. Two failed pass attempts soon put Pruis in the punting formation again.
The Red Devils changed the scoreboard two plays later on a 69-yard pass completion end run from Grant Resetich to James Mautino; a Buchanan kick made it 21-0. Big yardage plays continued to haunt the Mustangs. The Red Devils completed a 29-yard pass completion, immediately followed by a 27-yard scamper by Stefaniak, to set up an 8-yard touchdown. The halftime score expanded to 28-0.
The third quarter saw the Mustangs initiate eight snaps, two were fourth-down punts; two rushes for a total of seven yards; four passes ending in one incomplete, one complete–for -2 yards and two Schlegel sacks for a -13 yards. The defense was having similar problems with the Red Devil offense. They scored on their first third quarter possession, as Mautino wrestled a catch away from Jarrett Wiebenga in the end zone. The drive, aided by a 44-yard completion from Resetich to Buchanan, ended in a 35-0 advantage, after the Buchanan extra point.
The fourth period started with a Spring Valley drive-ending score from the 2-yard line by Buchanan. The final numbers were recorded on the board for the evening as the Red Devils shut out the Mustangs 41-0.
The dominance on the scoreboard is reflected in the stats. The Red Devils rolled up 400 total offensive yards (268 passing, 132 rushing) compared to Morrison’s total of 151 yards (112 rushing, 39 passing.) The 151 yards rushing included late fourth quarter/second team runs by Brandon Zigler (26 yards) and John Winkleman (32 yards.)
The Mustangs will have to regroup and prepare for next Friday’s home game against the Kewanee Boilermakers. They will come with a record of 1-1, losing to Newman 48-0, and beating Riverdale 35-14.
