Mustangs pass truly tough test

MORRISON – Smashing teams into submission has been a tried and true method of success for the Morrison football team this season.

On Saturday, in a Class 2A quarterfinal playoff game, the Mustangs showed they could also take a punch.

Morrison found itself in a fourth-quarter fight for the first time all season and handled it just fine, with a 14-7 victory over Orion at Bud Cole Field. I

t’s the first time a team has come within two touchdowns of the Mustangs since their 20-6 win over Newman in Week 2.

“We haven’t had a game like this year,” Morrison coach Cory Bielema said. “In a sense, it’s good that we did. We know what we can do in that type of situation. I’m proud that we responded well.”

“By far it’s the biggest test all year,” running back/cornerback Kyle Janssen said. “They could pass the ball and they could run the ball. They were very diverse. You never knew what was coming on offense.”

Indeed, Orion’s balanced attack kept the Mustangs guessing the entire game. Chargers quarterback James Matson threw for 233 yards, completing 13 of 25 passes to five receivers. Orion added 114 rushing yards, and outgained the Mustangs 342-222.

“Going into the week we were looking at it from a sense they run just about every Big Rivers play that we see,” Bielema said, “and they do it well. We felt like we were out there playing Amboy, Newman and Bureau Valley all at the same time. They did a fantastic job.”

Morrison (12-0) needed three sparkling plays from three defensive backs in the final five minutes to keep Orion (10-2) at bay.

Safety Dan Dennehey chased down Orion wide receiver Tyler DeDecker on a fourth-down play when it looked as if the Charger was headed to the end zone.

Interceptions by cornerbacks Will Bird and Janssen in the final 2 minutes sealed the victory.

“They got gashed on a couple of plays,” Bielema said, “and instead of putting their heads down and feeling sorry for themselves, they bucked up and played hard the next play, the next series. It shows their character, their mettle and what their makeup is.”