Friday night football is an experience to look forward to, but the Morrison Mustangs added value to the night of October 16, 2015. They came back from a 26-8 halftime deficit, to dominate the Amboy, IL, Clippers, and take home a 40-33 win.
The Mustangs will close the season on Friday, October 23, against Bureau Valley at E. M. “Bud” Cole Field in Morrison. Fresh-soph game begins at 5:30 p.m.
The 2015 season often has seen the Mustangs a bit sluggish on the opening defensive series. Friday night at Amboy was no exception. Amboy received the opening kick off and used the running of Senior Ryon Richardson to move 65 yards in seven plays and jump on the scoreboard, with a 7-0 lead and only three minutes and 20 seconds off the clock. The Mustangs responded with a 15-play drive that started with Tate Renkes skirting right end for 16 yards. The series left the Mustangs empty when Joey Brackemyer allowed a pass from Dylan Keller to slip through his arms in the end zone. Later Keller was intercepted on the goal line by Amboy’s Brady Hulin. The quarter ended with the Clippers moving from their own 13-yard line to a first-and-ten on their 45-yard line and owning a 7-0 lead.
The second quarter started with a Clipper penalty moving the ball back to their 40-yard line. The next play ended in the end zone as quarterback Jordan Hochstatter connected with Richardson for a 60-yard pass completion. Richardson’s extra point kick upped the score to 14-0. Again the Mustangs responded as Andy Bird ran the kick off from the 3-yard line out to their own 45-yard line, to start the next Morrison possession. The possession lasted only one snap of the ball; Renkes cut over tackle and broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown. Keller flipped a short pass in the right flat to Jarrett Ruchotzke, closing the score to 14-8 with 10:20 remaining in the second quarter. The Clippers returned the ensuing kick off to their 45-yard line. Richardson exploded on the first play and ran the right sideline into the end zone. Amboy led 20-8 at the 10:00 minute mark. The score fired up the Amboy defense, as they sacked Keller for an 11-yard loss, and the Mustangs were forced to punt following a three-play possession. Amboy started their drive on their own 26-yard line and used five minutes of the clock to end in the end zone, on a 34-yard rumble by Dallas Appleman. With 3:22 remaining in the half the Clippers owned a 26-8 advantage. Morrison’s problems continued after Renkes returned the kick off from the 13-yard line to the 43. Keller was intercepted by Brady Hulin on the first play on the Amboy 34-yard line. Hochstatter was sacked by Ryan VanZuiden and Merik Kennedy for a 12-yard loss. Richardson retaliated with an 18-yard gain, and the Clippers gained a first down on a fourth-and-one run by Appleman. Kennedy ended the Amboy drive two plays later with an interception at midfield, and the Mustangs had 1:02 to cut into the Clipper lead. Bird moved the ball ten yards closer on the first play, but time expired with an incomplete pass. The Clippers owned the first half on the scoreboard, 26-8, and on the stat sheet ,where they totaled 319 total yards to the Morrison’s 108 total yards gained.
If the game had been televised, most viewers would have switched channels, thinking this game was decided at the half, because of the Clippers’ dominance in the opening 24 minutes. What they would have missed was some of the most inspired and dominating football played by a Morrison team in years!
Morrison opened the second half owning the ball, but a Renkes fumble on the fourth play was recovered by Amboy on the Morrison 35-yard line. Whatever transpired in the halftime locker room took shape. MHS defense stuffed Appleman for a 2-yard loss on the first play and Hochstatter for a 1-yard loss on the next snap. An incomplete pass to Richardson forced a Clipper punt, and the Mustang drive started on their own 37-yard line. Twelve plays later, Bird covered the last yard to cut the Amboy advantage to 26-14. Bird added two more on the extra point conversion, and the Mustangs were within ten. The quarter ended three minutes later, after the defense refused to give Richardson and Appleman the room to run that they had enjoyed during the first half. The Clippers punted to Morrison to end the third quarter. The cold crowd of Mustang loyals were warmed by the aggressive play.
The fourth quarter started with much enthusiasm and anticipation of a Mustang recovery. The offense that dominated the Mustangs in the first half was held to 24 total yards in the third quarter. The fourth quarter opened with a Kennedy 46-yard scamper, from the Morrison 29-yard line to the Amboy 28-yard line, but a penalty on the end of the play moved the ball back to the 38-yard line. The Mustangs needed only four snaps before Renkes scored from 15 yards out to narrow the score to 22-26. Keller found Brackemyer in the end zone for the two-point conversion. Now, the Mustangs trailed by only two points with 9:57 remaining in the game. The defense held again and only allowed the Clippers eight yards on three plays. The Mustang offense had another opportunity. They were stopped on two plays and owned the ball on their own 43-yard line. Keller rolled to his left and connected with Brackemyer in the flat. He eluded two tacklers and outran everyone to the end zone to earn a 52-yard touchdown. Morrison now had the lead with 5:54 remaining in the game. Keller carried the ball over the right side of the line to add two more points and the Mustangs led 32-26. Defense stayed strong. After Ruchotzke tripped up Richardson for a loss, the Clippers went to the air. Reilly Dolan picked off a floater and returned it to the Amboy 23-yard line with 3:18 left on the clock. Bird was given the ball on the next four snaps. With 1:45 remaining, he crossed the goal line and then earned the two-point conversion. Morrison sealed the win with a 40-26 lead. The Clippers were able to penetrate the defense of the Mustangs and score with 37 seconds remaining, but the game was already decided. The Morrison Varsity Football team huddled at midfield to celebrate a tremendous effort and enjoy the moment. Proud Morrison fans headed to their cars, talking about what they had just watched. Final score was Morrison 40, Amboy 33.
The final statistics mirrored the second half play of the Mustangs, recording only 58 rushing yards for the Clippers and 186 for the Mustangs. Game yardage totals favored Amboy, gaining 385 total yards, to Morrison’s 374. Rushing yard leaders for Morrison were Andy Bird with 119 yards and Tate Renkes with 109.