Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey wrote the report and took the photos.
The Friday night game of September 15, 2022, will be remembered by Morrison Mustang football fans, as a night the team refused to give-up. The Mustangs scored first in the second quarter and led 12-8 at the half, but they found themselves down 24-12 entering the final quarter. They needed the last 12 minutes–plus an overtime–to finally subdue the Titans from Hall High School, 38-32.
All of the first half scoring occurred within a two-minute window of action. The Mustangs scored with 8:08 remaining in the first half, with a 4-yard Brady Anderson touchdown to cap a 19-play, 70-yard drive. The extra-point failed, leaving Morrison up 6-0. A failed on-side kick gave the Titans possession on their 46-yard line and they needed only four plays to tie the score, on an 8-yard scamper by Quarterback Mac Resetich. Resetich connected on an extra point pass to Gianni Guerrini, to take the lead 8-6. The ensuing kickoff was scooped up by Morrison’s Brady Anderson on the 23-yard line. He skirted across the field and down the right sideline to score a 77-yard touchdown and regain the Mustang advantage. Again the extra point by the Mustangs failed, but they took the 12-8 halftime lead into the locker room to plan the second half.
Hall needed only six plays in the third quarter before Resetich scored from the 22-yard line. He then connected with Braden Curran for the two-point conversion, to take the lead 14-12. The Mustangs went four-and-out to give the Titans the ball back at the Morrison 42-yard line. There, they started a 10-play scoring drive that ended with a 35-yard sideline run by Resetich. Again the two-point pass upped the Titan’s lead to 24-12 with 3:24 remaining in the third period.
The next Mustang possession moved into the fourth quarter with Carson Strating bullying over center to score from the 1-yard line. Strating carries a Hall tackler for a touchdown.
Another failed extra point reset the score at 24-18. The Mustangs executed a perfect on-side kick, and Chase Newman recovered the loose ball on the 46-yard line. On the fifth snap of the drive, Daeshaun McQueen brought in a Danny Mouw pass on the 1-yard line, to set up the 1-yard dive by Strating. Brady Anderson skirted right end to add two points on the conversion. The Mustangs had the lead 26-24 with 5:58 left on the clock. The Titans found the end zone again at the 3:18 mark, as Resetich scored from the 1-yard line and tallied again on the conversion, to regain the lead at 32-26.
Last chance hopes started when the Mustangs gained possession on their 30-yard line. Runs by Mouw, Anderson, Logan Baker, and Strating placed the ball on the Titan 37-yard line, with 1:26 flashing on the scoreboard. Chase Newman grabbed a pass to move the ball to the 26-yard line, before a penalty moved it back to the 31-yard line. With the crowd on their feet, Mouw found Chase Newman for the touchdown with 1:16 on the clock.
The failed extra point sent the action into a rare overtime situation, where each team receives a four-down possession beginning on the ten-yard line. Morrison lost the coin toss; Hall chose to own the ball after Morrison’s possession. The first play of the overtime saw Brady Anderson skirt around right end for a 9-yard gain, and Strating followed with a 1-yard score on the following play, to put Morrison up 38-32. Anderson’s extra point attempt failed. The game’s outcome was in the hands of the Morrison defense to keep Resetich and the Titans out of the end zone.
Two plays moved the Titan ball to the 4-yard line and everyone expected Resetich to complete the drive. But he fumbled the snap; the loose ball was recovered on the 5-yard line by Chase Newman. That ended the thriller, with the Mustangs on top 38-32. Hall offense offered a challenge for Mustang defense.
The Titan offense was led by quarterback Mac Resetich; he accounted for 217 of the 263 yards gained on the ground by Hall. The Morrison offense generated 229 yards on the ground. Carson Strating gained 129. Danny Mouw completed 7-of-9 pass attempts for 117 yards that featured 94 yards in the fourth quarter. That action kept the Mustangs within striking range and set up the final result of Morrison 38, Hall 32. Mustangs are shown near the Goal line in overtime win.
Mustangs will take the field again next Friday night, September 23, for a Homecoming match up with the Sherrard, IL, Tigers, beginning at 7:00 p.m.