Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey wrote the report and submitted the photographs.
On Friday night, October 8, 2021, the Morrison Mustangs’ offense struggled to ignite consistently, plus they turned over the ball five times. The Orion Chargers took advantage of these miscues and sent the Mustang home with a shutout loss 30-0.
The Chargers scored three snaps into the game on a 40-yard scamper by Quarterback Jared Mohr. The deficit was never erased by the Mustangs. The Morrison defense held the Chargers to 52-yards of total offense in the first half, however the Mustang offense could only generate three-first downs in six ball possessions. Plus, they lost the ball on an interception, and the half ended with the Mustangs down 7-0.
The second half started with weather conditions offering heavy moisture in the air. It hampered ball handling, as shown in the Mustangs’ three lost fumbles. On the night, the Mustangs turned the ball over five times, with four fumbles and one interception.
One third quarter Mustang fumble was turned into a score for Orion. Quarterback Mohr connected with Cole Kratzberg for a 22-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, extending the deficit to 13-0 entering the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter saw a take-away nullified, when the Official inadvertently sounded his whistle. That stopped a Morrison interception from being returned, and the ball returned to the Chargers. They eventually scored a 27-yard field goal to up the score to 16-0. An additional opportunity was reversed when Trey Strating intercepted a Mohr pass but fumbled it back to the Chargers on his return run. The ensuing possession ended with a Charger score with only 2:22 remaining in the game. The kick-off following the score was fumbled by Thomas Dauphin and recovered by the Chargers on the 13-yard line. The final score was recorded three snaps later, and the final score of 30-0 was placed into the record books.
In total, the two teams turned the ball over four times via fumbles; four times via pass interceptions; on one blocked field goal; one official inadvertently-blown whistle. All of which changed the ball possession and affected the final outcome.
The Mustangs return home with a Friday, October 15, game scheduled against the winless Riverdale Rams, at E. M. “Bud” Cole Field, with the kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
Top: A pre-game, pink balloon release recognized October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Middle: The Mustang defense held Chargers to 118 rushing yards.
Bottom: Morrison offense self-destructed with five turnovers.
