| Hilltoppers outlast Morris 14-10 |
 |
Mike Menozzi JolietCatholicFootball.com
Nearly everyone called this one – regardless of the outcome, it would be close. How could it not be when the last two meetings were determined at the last minute?
In a battle of two terrific programs, this game had everything a high school football fan would want. Morris took the lead early, JCA took it back. When it looked like JCA may go up two touchdowns, it never materialized. Morris’ initial drive gave the impression that they would have success against the JCA defense, actually, after the first drive they were shut down with the exception of the short field TD after the JCA turnover.
Morris controlled the 3rd quarter, but could only convert one score after it looked like they had a chance to pad the score. The Billy McKeon long run for a TD not withstanding, in the end it wasn’t the offense on either side that determined the out come of the game. The defense on both sides was outstanding. JCA hadn’t punted that many times in the season as they did tonight, a credit to the Morris defense. But a truly outstanding stop by the JCA defense on 3rd and short, and 4th and short took away any last minute heroics by the Redskins.
The First Half
Catholic received the opening kickoff and got a couple first downs before punting to Morris, on the return JCA was penalized 15 yards for a late hit out of bounds. Morris started the drive from their 40 and drove to the 8, but a delay of game penalty stalled the drive and Morris settled for a field goal that snuck over the goal post for a 3-0 lead for Morris. With 5:26 left in the first quarter Morris draws first blood.
Morris kicked into the endzone for a touchback, and JCA took over on the 20. JCA drove to the Morris 4 yard line, but a delay penalty pushed them back to the 9.
The second quarter started with JCA on Morris’ 5 yard line and Morris leading 3-0. Clancy took it in for the TD with 11:26 left in the half. JCA answers Morris’ score to take the lead 7-3.
On Morris next drive, Goolsby is intercepted by Platt who ran it down to the Morris 39, and it appeared the Hilltoppers were back in business. Bourg and Kleeman drove the Hillmen to the Morris 25, but a Clancy no gain and an incomplete pass left a 4th and 7 that JCA didn’t convert. A halfback option pass was intercepted and Morris took over at the original line of scrimmage.
With 6 minutes left in the half, Goolsby was under center in running formation. It appeared after Goolsby threw the interception into the wind, Coach Darlington wasn’t interested in throwing from a shotgun formation unless he was going with the wind, which was blowing fairly strong from the south.
Morris didn’t find much success against the JCA defense and punted. The Hillmen took over and drove to the 48 with 3;30 left in the half.
Catholic punted back to Morris, they took over on their own 20. Morris goes 4 and out, JCA was back at the 46 with 30 seconds left, but a long pass to Buchanan was intercepted at the 8 with 28 seconds left in the half.
Morris took a knee and it was 7-3 JCA over Morris at the half.
The Second Half
Morris received the second half kickoff and was stopped again, but on the punt a bit of bad luck bit the JCA return team. The punt bounced back toward the punter and hit a JCA up man in the back, Morris recovered the loose ball on the JCA 25.
Morris capitalized on the turnover with a circus catch near the goal line, and a TD run on the next play. Morris recaptured the lead 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter..
Buchanan returned the kickoff back to the 29, Bourg converted a 1st down at Morris’ 46 yard line, 8:20 remained in the 3rd. But JCA fumbled the ball on the Morris 45 yard line and the Redskins recovered. At this point Morris controlled the 3rd quarter, and the momentum, JCA was on their heals after two turnovers that lead to an easy TD for Morris.
One of the Morris running backs (#6) was injured after suffering a sever leg injury. A delay in the game ensued as the ambulance came on the field to remove the injured player.
But the Hilltopper defense stiffened at a point when they needed it most. With the lead, the fans screaming and only a half field away from taking a big lead in the game, Morris was stopped and punted to JCA.
Catholic went 3 and out and retuned the punt to Morris, they took over at their own 25. Morris can’t get a first down again, and the punt is shanked giving JCA great field position again at mid field 2:24 left in the 3rd quarter.
Clancy had a 35 yard run to Morris’ 10 yard line but was called back for a holding call. Clancy carried again to the 35. Bourg with a first down run to the Morris 21, and the 3rd quarter came to an end.
JCA drives but is faced with a 4th and 6 after Bourg was thrown for a loss. Morris stopped Bourg again and JCA tuned the ball over on downs, Morris takes over at their own 20, with 10:48 left in the game.
Morris goes 3 and out again as the Hilltopper defense another drive. JCA took the punt and a few short rns put them at the 44 yard line. McKeon picked up 8 yards and a first down on the 48. JCA stalls and punts back to Morris as time is running down quickly.
Morris took over on the 39, a jet action run gained two, and a reverse loss two yards, a key first down was converted Goolsby to Jones for the 1st..
After a punt back to JCA, Billy McKeon found a hole on the right side, broke away from a tackle and raced 48 yards into the end zone, the Hudatz kick was good and JCA took the lead back 14-10 with 5:20 left in the game. Several times during the game McKeon was close to breaking a long run, but was brought down by the last defender, this time he made it work for 7 points.
Morris next drive was huge, and it was the Hilltopper defense that took over again. Goolsby was stopped on a 3rd and 1, which set up a 4th and inches – literally 4 inches away from a first down. Goolsby took the snap and never got “under” his linemen. At 6’5” Goolsby’s height worked against him. He took the snap and “stood-up”, when he did that, an unbelievable defensive push up the middle prevented Goolsby from getting back to the line of scrimmage.
Morris was sure he got the yardage he needed, JCA’s defense was so sure they didn’t get it they left the field. The refs spotted the ball and Morris was still short, JCA took over on downs and essentially killed off any last minute drama by the Morris passing game. The Hilltopper sideline exploded, but they weren’t quite out of the woods.
Bourg fumbled the exchange from center on 1st down but recovered, preventing Morris from gaining momentum. Facing a 3rd and 4, the Morris sideline was penalized when Coach Darlington was disputing a call after charging on the field, giving JCA a gift 1st down. Later in the same drive, Bourg converted a 4th and inches at midfield for another first down and that allowed Bourg to run out the clock by taking a knee on the next two snaps and it was over. JCA outlasted Morris in another thriller 14-10.
Catholic played excellent defense tonight, after the initial drive by Morris, they were really something to watch. Even after excellent catches by the Morris receivers, they were consistently hit hard by the defensive backs after the catch.
Coach Sharp commented on the game afterward.
It really seemed like when you needed tough yards you went to the right side? “Jim Jadron on the right, and Chris Clancy both excellent blockers. As good a runner Clancy is, he’s just as good a blocker. And if we put the ball in McKeon’s hands, good things happen.”
“We ran a few different things to move their safeties out of the box and that helped, he was able to pop it.”
“I can’t think of a player on the filed for Morris that isn’t a quality football player. That number 6 (for Morris) that got hurt, our hearts go out to him and his family, you hate to see someone injured like that during a game like this.”
“We could play every year with Morris and every game will be decided by less than a touchdown. They’re so well prepared, we know them, they know us. This goes back to when I was at Minooka, they are so well prepared, the intensity level makes it one of the hardest hitting games all season. The defense is always key in high intensity games.”
“Every once is awhile you’ll need to break one, we were able to do that tonight. When we had JR he broke some big plays, Sopko before him broke big plays, now McKeon is doing it for us.”
“The fumble that hit our player in the back, if Morris doesn’t score on that, it’s not as close a game, but those things happen. I was really concerned there, I wasn’t sure if we could knock it in, they were playing so well defensively.”
Were you surprised that Goolsby wasn’t in a shotgun going into the wind? “We thought Goolsby would throw from the shotgun all night, especially with his height, but it appears they had a “with the wind” offense, and an “against the wind” offense.”
The defensive line played very well. “Our defensive line isn’t big but they are strong and they played very well against their tight sets, and a good pass rush on Goolsby, and our secondary were really popping people after they made the catch.”
“They’re our new Mount Carmel, they’re so similar to us in size and speed, it’s our new rivalry in the playoffs.”
The game was marred by the unfortunate injury to the young man from Morris, and late in the game Coach Darlington’s frustration seemed to boil over. He wasn’t pleased with the refereeing crew, and it turns out they have a history together. This was the same group that were refs at the Morris – JCA title game in 2001.
Those two things aside, it was a very good game, very entertaining from a fans viewpoint. Exactly the type of game you’d expect when two top programs face off in the playoffs.
Like JCA, Morris has a number of starting Juniors that will help them become an even better team next year. My congratulations to the Redskins on a fine season, and an excellent representation of the Morris program in tonight’s game.
|
eMail
JolietCatholicFootball
"Any man's finest hour - his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear - is
that moment he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted
on the field of battle . . . victorious."
Vince Lombardi
Our Lady of Victory . . .
Pray for Us!
Contents of this site may not be used without prior written permission.
|
|
|
