Report and photos by Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey.
The Morrison Mustangs galloped into Princeton Tiger territory to face the number one ranked (3A) football team in the State of Illinois, on Friday, September 1, 2023. They left town with an upset victory 22-21! This is Morrison’s first win over a top-ranked team, since a season-opening 6-0 victory over Newman Central to kick off the 2006 season.
The opening period was dominated by the Mustangs, allowing the Tigers only six snaps of the ball, while controlling possession and building a 6-0 lead on a Colton Bielema, 19-yard pass to Chase Newman.
The first-quarter momentum carried over into period two. Bielema connected with the speedy Brady Anderson down the left sideline for a 56-yard score, to increase the deficit to 12-0. Freshman Josh McDearmon added the extra point to up the score to 13-0 with 11:52 left in the first half. Two series later the Tiger offense found its stride. They marched 37-yards for a score and extra point, to close the half with the Mustangs holding a 13-7 advantage.
Give-and-take would best describe the action of the third quarter–until a Princeton drive aided by Morrison penalties resulted in a 1-yard score by Princeton’s Casey Etheridge. The successful extra point gave the Tigers the lead for the first time at 14-13, with 6:52 remaining in the third period.
Morrison’s Jonathon Hicks ended the next Tiger drive with an interception. The Tigers returned the favor with an interception by Noah Laporte at the Tiger 11-yard line, to squelch the Mustang drive. The battle entered the final quarter with the outcome in doubt.
Midway through the fourth quarter, a pass interference call against Princeton gave the Mustangs a first-and-ten on the Tiger 35-yard line, where Bielema immediately connected with Daeshaun McQueen for the touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but the Mustangs held a 19-14 lead with 5:38 remaining to play.
The action was far from over. Each team had a possession before Princeton’s William Loft and Noah LaPorte connected for a 26-yard touchdown, with only 0:45 showing on the clock. With a successful extra point, the Tigers held a 21-19 advantage. The ensuing kickoff saw a Princeton penalty called; the Mustangs would start their possession from their 46-yard line, with 38 seconds remaining in the game. Two incomplete pass attempts gave the Mustangs a third down on the 46-yard line, when Quarterback Colton Bielema had to depart from the action with an injury. With 0:13 left to play, Halfback Chase Newman assumed the Quarterback position. On the first snap he completed a 36-yard pass to a leaping Daeshaun McQueen, who immediately stepped out of bounds on the ten-yard line, with 0:08 remaining on the clock.
A Morrison time-out resulted in the insertion of Freshman Josh McDearmon, who would attempt his first-ever Varsity field goal from the 18-yard line. The snap was perfect. The kick sailed through the uprights in perfect form–giving the Mustangs a 22-21 lead with 0:04 remaining! The Tigers failed to handle the ensuing kickoff, and the clock expired as they recovered the ball in their own territory, to complete the action.
Final: Morrison 22 Princeton 21.