Editor’s note: Jerry Lindsey took the photos.
It didn’t matter to the streaking Morrison Ponies that they were visiting the Fulton Homecoming celebration. On Friday night, September 21, 2018. They stifled the young Steamers in a 34-0 victory.
The Ponies remained undefeated behind the pounding of fullback Brhenan Linke (ten carries for 40 yards); the big plays by speedster Hunter Newman ( six carries for 95 yards); an unyielding Morrison defense that only allowed Fulton 35 rushing yards in nine possessions.
The Ponies’ first score was set up by a Fulton fumble on a punt attempt by Michael Apostolos. That gave them good field possession on the Fulton 21-yard line. Morrison needed eight snaps, before quarterback Nathan Helms found Alex Anderson in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown, with 1:08 remaining in the first quarter. Kayden White bullied in for the 2-point conversion, and the Ponies led 8-0.
The first possession of the second quarter for the Ponies that ended in the end zone was aided by a Helms-to-Aaron Wolf 17-yard pass completion. It ended with a 20-yard score from Helms to Hunter Newman to up the difference to 14-0. Morrison retrieved control on Fulton’s next possession. Tyler Shambaugh recovered a Connor Barnett fumbled on the Fulton 25-yard line, and Newman immediately skirted left end, before he was run out of bounds at the 1-yard line. A quarterback sneak by Helms changed the score to 20-0 with 3:39 remaining in the half. The first half stats showed the Morrison defense holding the young Steamers to only 18 yards rushing and one pass completion for 7-yards, as they went in at half to regroup.
The first half strategy repeated in the second half. Hunter Newman penetrated the Fulton defense for a third quarter 58-yard scamper and a fourth quarter 11-yard touchdown, to run the Morrison advantage to 34-0. Fulton failed to find the offense combination as they were held to 17-yards rushing and 12-yards in the air in the second half.
Fulton ended the night with only 54 total yards of offense, opposed to the Morrison total of 256 yards.
