Editor’s note: Jerry Lindsey took the photo.
The Morrison Ponies had to wait about 27 hours to take the field against the young Orion Chargers, on Saturday, October 6, 2018, but they came prepared and raised their season record to 7-0. Thinking that all of the lightning had struck the previous Friday evening, the Ponies were hit with a another kind of bolt.
The opening kickoff was returned by Orion’s Braydi Mascari for 80-yards, before he was forced out of bounds on the 2-yard line. Mascari entered into the end zone on the next play, and the Chargers jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, the Ponies immediately struck back. Kayden White galloped 54 yards to match the opponents’ six points. John Winkleman added the two-point conversion to earn the Ponies the lead, 8-6, and only 48 seconds had clicked off the clock.
Due to the changes forced by the weather, the Fresh-Soph game was played with a continuous clock. That may have shortened much of the action, but the Ponies fielded the same defense that has been so stingy throughout the season. The defense held the Chargers’ offense to 85 total yards on the ground and 66 in the air, allowing the Morrison offense to rally behind the return of John Winkleman.
Kayden White has been showing weekly improvement and ran his yardage total for the night to 111 yards. White’s ground-gaining efforts were followed by Winkleman’s 80 yards and Brhenan Linke’s 52 hard yards. The effective ground game reduced the aerial options, but the one completion from quarterback Hunter Newman was a touchdown catch and a sideline run by T. C. Ottens, totaling 38-yards. Linke added the 2-point conversion, and the Ponies owned a 16-6 lead, with 1:24 remaining in the quarter. The Chargers struck again with 2:22 left in the half on a 9-yard run by Branden Williams. The failed extra point gave the Ponies a 16-12 halftime lead.
The third quarter opened with the Ponies marching 57 yards on the ground. Linke toughened out 32 of the yards before Winkleman scooted right end for the 8-yard score, to up the advantage to 22-12.
The Ponies scored again in the fourth quarter after the defense denied the Chargers a first down on the 4-yard line. The offense marched 96-yards, aided by runs of 44 yards by Winkleman and 32 yards by White, to end the offense for the night with a 1-yard touchdown by White, making the score 28-12. The defense put their final stamp on the Chargers. A Jared Mohr pass was intercepted by Linke and returned 30-yards to end the Charger drive and the game.
The Ponies will take their undefeated record to Taylor Ridge next Friday evening, to take on the Rockridge Rockets, with a game time of 5:30 p.m. (weather permitting).