Editor’s note: Jerry Lindsey also submitted the photos.
The first game of a season always has the unknown awaiting the coaching staff. The previous weeks of practice expose certain individual talents, but the real evaluation is determined by how they perform in an actual game. The Morrison Fresh-Soph suited ten freshmen with 12 sophomores to take on the Sherrard, IL, Tigers, at home on Friday, August 25, 2017. The two schools had never played each other before.
The Tigers marked the scoreboard first with a 28-yard field goal. It was set up when they recovered a fumbled punt return by Keegan Anderson. The quarter was half over before the Morrison offense took the first snap. It mustered one first down, on an Anderson 10-yard run, but punted the ball away after three rushes netted only five yards. Sherrard scored again with 5:38 remaining in the first half, on an 11-yard run by Kyle Yeater to own a 9-0 lead. The ensuing kickoff was taken by Anderson on the 15-yard-line. A well disguised fake handoff had the Tiger defense focused on Nick Allen, and Anderson sprinted down the right sideline for an untouched 85-yard touchdown run. Anderson ran the extra point for two more. The young Mustangs reduced the Tiger advantage to 9-8 with 5:24 left on the first half clock.
On the second play of the next Tiger possession, the ball was fumbled and recovered by Isaak Shetler on the Morrison 26-yard line. The march to the end zone featured a John Winkleman 8-yard run and an Anderson 15-yard scamper, before Allen scored from the three to put Morrison on top 14-9. The first half stats revealed that Sherrard dominated the half in possession time by executing 35 plays to Morrison’s 11, but Morrison led where it counts–on the scoreboard at 14-9. The first half saw players become comfortable in the new positions. Confidence was beginning to take hold, as the Freshmen stepped up to the talent level that is required to participate in high school football.
The second half opened with Allen returning the kickoff to the Morrison 45-yard line. An 11-play series followed, highlighted by an Anderson nine-yard run and a Nate Helms run of 13 yards, before Winkleman dove in from the three-yard line to up the score to 20-9. Helms tossed a soft pass to Winkleman for the extra points, and the score moved to 22-9 with 4:32 remaining in the third period. Sherrard responded immediately. They scored four plays later, spurred by a 34-yard run by Yeater, and the quarter ended with Morrison on top 22-15.
Morrison retaliated to the Tiger comeback by generating a nine-play scoring drive that covered 60 yards and featured a 39-yard pass completion from Helms to Allen. That exposed some of the confidence the young Mustangs were gaining. Shetler bulled in for the extra points. Morrison held a 30-15 lead that was not seriously challenged by the visiting Tigers.
A lot of experience was gained and a few questions were answered. A few challenges were created that will be focused upon during the coming week, but the young Mustangs show promise. They will test the likes of the young Red Devils next week, when they travel to Spring Valley Hall.