2007 Year in Review

Back to Sports: Football Listing | Back to Year in Review Index

Mustangs Undefeated

The Morrison Mustangs ended regular season undefeated and earning the Big Rivers Championship outright.

UNDEFEATED CONFERENCE CHAMPS
By Jerry Lindsey

The Morrison Mustangs started the season with a tough fought win in August and spent the next eight weeks improving to capture the first Big Rivers championship in ten years (1997) and the only undefeated team in the last twenty years (1987).

The St. Bede Bruins came into Morrison with a respectable 5-3 record and hopes of knocking off the number one ranked team in the state 2A division. After receiving the kickoff, their enthusiastic approach caught the Mustangs by surprise as they moved the ball without much defensive opposition. Starting on the Morrison 30 yard line, they engineered a twelve play, four first down drive before the defense gathered itself and stopped them on a 4th and 6 on the Morrison 10 yard line.

To sent a notice that they had regrouped, it took only three snaps before Tyler Hayes exploded off left tackle and motored 65 yards to the end-zone. Christoph Erber added another point and the momentum had shifted back to the home team.

The Bruins started the next drive from their own 31 yard line and quickly gained a first down on the 42, but the drive ended in a punt that pushed the Mustangs back to their own 18 yard line. Nate McBride carried out to the 33 on first down and swept right end on the second play and ran the side lines for a 67 yard touchdown. Again, Erber fought a stiff crosswind to kick the extra point and make the score 14-0.

Again, as in the previous two possessions, St. Bede started on their own 30 yard line, but unlike previous drives, the defense pushed them backward to force a punt from their own 24 yard line.
The quarter ended with St. Bede running 24 plays and showing no points for their efforts and Morrison only snapping the ball seven times and earning fourteen points for their efforts. The momentum pendulum had swung back in the Mustang’s favor and there would be no ‘looking back’.

Starting the second quarter, Morrison needed only three plays to set up a 39 yard touchdown scamper by Matt Proud to make the score 20 to 0. Erber again fought the wind to make the score 21-0 with 11:09 left in the first half.

Following a three and out by the Bruins, Morrison gained two first downs with the rushing tandem of McBride, Proud and Hayes before opening their passing portfolio. From the 29 yard line, Nate Vandermyde was unsuccessful on passes to Dustin Jones on the 10 yard line and Derek Ward on the 5 yard line before connecting with Nate McBride on the 4 yard line. Two plays later, Tyler Hayes skirted left end for another score.

Following the kick-off, the Mustang defense was not very good hosts as they only allowed two forward yards the remainder of the quarter (6 total yards for the quarter).

On the last possession of the half, the Mustangs attempted passes on every down and gained 4 first downs before ending the half with 26 yard field goal attempt by Christoph Erber that fell short. Halftime score…28-0.

St. Bede started the second half by surprising the Mustangs with an on-side kick that bounced off the Mustang front line and was eventually recovered by Will Vandermyde to start their opening drive near mid-field. Aided by a 29 yard run by McBride, the Mustangs scored on a 4th and 4 from the nine yard line when Hayes again found a clean path around left end and walked in the end zone to make the score 34-0. Erber upped the score to 35 to 0 as the winds calmed for the evening.

The fourth quarter allowed the reserves some well deserved playing time and they responded by preventing end zone penetration when Will Vandermyde knocked down a 4th and goal pass attempt and preserve the shut-out.

The number one state ranking and conference championship must be put on the shelf as regular season accomplishments as the second season (playoffs) begins next week-end. Play-off pairings and locations will be announced Saturday (10/20) night and the five game march to the Illinois State Championship begins.

Morrison Ponies 41 St. Bede 0

by jerryl
2007-10-20 08:54:12