Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey wrote the report and took the photos.
October 15, 2022, was a perfect fall Saturday, and the Morrison Mustangs were playing the only Class 1A team on their 2022 schedule. This was due to the season’s cancellation by Riverdale High School. A substitute team from Leroy High School, from the Heart of Illinois Conference, with a record of 3-4, was recruited to fill the opening.
The opening minutes saw Morrison strike first on a 52-yard scamper by Brady Anderson on the fifth snap of the game, followed by a Daeshaun McQueen extra point kick, to put the Mustangs on top 7-0. The Panthers retaliated on their next possession. Quarterback Jasper Tarr connected on a 32-yard pass completion for a touchdown to Jack Edmundson, to tie the game with 5:15 remaining in the first quarter. The home crowd wasn’t sure what the day had in store for the Mustangs.
The Morrison offense was coming off of a 50-plus point total from the previous week. They flexed their muscles on the next possession. Anderson and Chase Newman each recorded 16-yard gains en route to their second score of the day, which ended when Carson Strating scored from 9-yards out, to up the advantage to 13-7. The following kickoff was fumbled and recovered by the Mustangs on the 28-yard line. Immediately Danny Mouw connected with a scoring toss to Newman, and the score changed to 21-7 after an Anderson 2-point conversion. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the game turned into a rout. They never completed another pass all day and only rushed for 58 yards in the last three quarters, as the Mustangs galloped to a 56-7 victory.
The home crowd was delighted with offensive plays of various styles, throughout the next three quarters. They started on the opening play of the second quarter, when Chase Newman grabbed a blocked kick and ran 25-yards for the easy score. The next score was set up by a Brady Anderson interception, and a Mustangs march of 74-yards. The scoring drive was highlighted by a Mouw-to-Newman pass completion of 29-yards that ended on the 1-yard line. This set up a Strating score and extend the lead to 35-7, with 1:31 left in the first half. The Mustangs weren’t done–they got the ball back with 26.8 seconds on the clock and the ball on the 44-yard line. Three snaps later and only seconds on the clock, Mouw connected with a scoring pass to Newman from 30-yards out. The half time score was set at 42-7.
The second half started with the defense stopping the Panthers on a fourth-and-three after allowing the Panthers one of the three first downs they earned on the day. Two snaps later, Mouw found a wide-open McQueen, and he galloped untouched for a 61-yard touchdown. The final score came on a 13-yard scoring run by Carson Strating, followed by a 2-point conversion run by Zed Koch, to finalize the 56-7 stampede.
The stats supported the score. Mustang defense held the Panthers to a total of 126 yard,s while the Morrison offense was accumulating 417 yards. Offensive totals recorded were: Chase Newman, 104 yards; Brady Anderson, 92 yards; Carson Strating, 38 yards. Danny Mouw completed 7-of-9 passes for a total of 165 yards.
The win sets up a dramatic ending to the regular season next Friday night, October 21. The Mustangs hosts their arch rivals from Erie-Prophetstown at E. M. “Bud” Cole field at 7:00 p.m.