Editor’s note: Jerry Lindsey took the photos.
High School Homecoming is an event that students look forward to and whose memories are cherished for years into the future. The 2018 Homecoming at Morrison High School won’t go down in the memory bank as one of the brightest memories.
Friday, September 28, was overcast, rainy, and with chilly temperatures, but hopes were high as the Mustangs took the field against the winless foe from Port Byron, IL. The Rams’ football program has struggled in recent years. The 2018 version was allowing 45 points per game. The plan was trying to find an offense that, to date, was only averaging 8.5 points per game.
On the second snap of the game, Brandon Zigler cut over left tackle and galloped 57-yards to the Riverdale 23-yard line, but he released the ball on the tackle. The Rams recovered to squelch what would have been a positive start to Homecoming. After alternating possessions, the Rams drove to the Mustang 19-yard line, aided by a 36-yard run by Dalton Cathcart, but the defense held. The Rams kicked a 32-yard field goal off the foot of Logan Otto to take a 3-0 first quarter lead.
The Mustangs owned the ball three times in the second quarter, and each failed to gain a first down. A Nathan Helms fumble ended the first possession; a blocked punt ended the second, that gave the Rams possession at the Mustang 36-yard line. Three rushes by Mason Webster set up a 32-yard field goal by Otto and formed a 6-0 lead. On the third possession, a Mustang penalty following a Brevin Pruis fourth down punt gave the Rams possession at mid-field, with 2:28 left in the half. Quarterback Kale Van Huizen connected with Jacob Meloan for a 23-yard pass completion, to aid a drive that ended with a failed field goal, that sent the Mustang in to regroup, down 6-0.
The second half started with an opening defensive stand by the Mustangs that included a Riley Wilkens hit on Cody Lamb for no gain. Nathan Mickley nailed Van Huizen for a 15-yard loss on the next play, and the Rams were halted. Morrison started their following drive on the Rams’ 39-yard line and headed toward the end zone. Keegan Anderson carried three times for 22-yards, before Riley Wilkens carried tacklers into the end zone on the end of a 12-yard run. The Mustangs were up 7-6 after a Dillon Still extra point kick. Their lead was short-lived. The Rams marched back on the arm of quarterback Kale Ven Huizen, as he connected with Jacob Meloan for 43-yards and Jeff Staken for 36-yards. But the Stang defense stopped the Rams, forcing a field goal attempt that was good from 22-yards. The Rams jumped back up 9-7, with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started with a Ram three-and-out, and the Mustangs had the ball on the Rams’ 45-yard line with 9:28 remaining. A Wilkens 8-yard run and a Helms-to-Wilkens pass completion for 16-yards put the Homecoming fans on their feet. Five plays later the ball rested on the 9-yard line. Brandon Zigler penetrated over right guard to the 5-yard line but lost control of the ball, and Riverdale’s Jacob Meloan came out of the pile with possession, ending the Mustang drive, with 4:31 left in the game. The clock was now the Mustang opponent, and the defense needed to rally to regain possession for the offense. The Rams earned one first down on a VanZuiden-to-Meloan pass completion, but the clock dictated the urgency of a Mustang stop to regain possession. Riverdale completed another 19-yard pass to eat more clock before the opportunities expired for Morrison, with 1:12 on the clock and the Rams looking at a third down and 9-yard situation. The Mustangs were penalized for a personal foul, and the Rams were given a first down. They were able to kneel out the final snaps to finish the less-than-memorable Homecoming for the Morrison Mustangs, with a 9-7 upset.
The final Morrison snapshot of the evening illustrated three lost fumbles and nine penalties, against a winless team that generated a total yardage advantage of 281 yards to Morrison’s 189 yards.
