Long-awaited title chance within Mustangs' grasp

MORRISON – For local farmers, the soggy fall weather has made for a late harvest.

None of those men and women, though, have waited to reap their crops as long as the folks, both fans and athletes alike, have waited for a team to win a state championship.

It's never happened.

Despite traditionally strong programs in baseball, softball, basketball and football, the big trophy has never come home to the small community along route 30 in northwest Illinois.

That could change today.

The Morrison football team plays Maroa-Forsyth at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Champaign for the Class 2A state championship.

The Mustangs have a perfect 13-0 and the top seed in Class 2A

"It's really the best feeling in the world," Morrison senior Conner Bealer said. "To know our last game as seniors is going to be the state championship where it's  No. 1 vs. No. 2 – it's as far as you can go.

"To know that nobody else at the school has ever done it, just makes it more special. We want to be the first."

The team is already the first to qualify for a championship game.

Over the last three years, both Morrison's softball and baseball teams have made it to the state tournament.

The softball team came away with a third-place trophy in 2008 and a fourth-place trophy in 2007. The baseball team was third last spring.

Football has been close also. In 2006, the Mustangs were a yard short of winning a semifinal game in Westville.

The last two seasons, they've had strong teams that suffered tough playoff losses. That includes a four overtime loss to Bureau Valley in 2008 and losing to eventual state champion Dakota in the quarterfinals in 2007.

"I was at the game in Westville and dressed for the game against Dakota," senior running back and linebacker Josh Vos said. "We have those playoff experiences to build off of and motivate us.

"We knew that this was a possibility if we worked hard. Now we want to finish it off with a title."

Morrison is looking to become the fifth area team to win a football state championship. They would join Amboy (1984), Bureau Valley (2005), Fulton (1976, 1991) and Newman (1990, 1994, 2004).