When you break it down, Morris would be solid playoff threat
By T.G. Smith — Gapshots & Whiffs
So, wow.
It's hard to believe that there's no Morris football to talk about this week. Normally, I'd have mined the beat to wring out every last word and detail about the upcoming game and then turned it around to you — either in the form of a column or a preview piece.
However, as I'm sure you are all aware by now, due to the teacher's strike at Ottawa, Morris will be receiving a forfeit instead of a game with the Pirates. It's too bad that it had to be that way. It would have marked the first time since 1990 that the two long-time rivals have met.
For you Morris football historians out there, the Redskins have played Ottawa 47 times [not counting the forfeit victory] and the only other team the locals have played more is Pontiac. Morris and Pontiac have met 52 times over the years.
Yeah, that would have been cool to see Morris and Ottawa hook up again.
"It's a good thing we have them on the schedule the next two years as our crossover games," Morris coach George Dergo told me on Tuesday.
The Redskins have Streator and Ottawa as conference crossover opponents in each of the next two years.
Morris now has an active 18-game winning streak against Ottawa, which includes the forfeit.
By the way, prepare yourself for a little humor here, but the outcome of a forfeit victory is technically a 2-0 victory — which would be an offensive explosion for this Morris team at times this year.
Ba, doom, poom!
Thanks, I'll be here all week.
When talking to Dergo about this Friday night going lightless, he assured me that the kids are still busting their butts and trying hard to make the playoffs. Which is good because a Morris team should never throw in the towel on a season.
I know there are a lot of you out there who don't like the way this team looks and plays. Any one of the past several stories on the Morris team that I have written has comments after it. They expound the virtues of this team both goodly and badly. One has to like the feedback, but I still don't understand some of the venom.
Here's just something for you to consider before you grow outraged, folks. This Morris team has opened with six teams that are likely to make the playoffs. I can tell you that has never been done in the history of Morris football. I think the previous record is three. Without researching it fully, I would venture to guess that Morris has never played six playoff teams in a single season (in the regular season) ever.
Right now, Morris still has a whopping 36 playoff points. Did you know that only two other teams in the entire state of Illinois have more playoff points than Morris? That would be Mt. Vernon at 40 and Providence Catholic at 39.
That's it! — For contenders and non-contenders all totaled.
Seven other teams are tied with Morris with 36 playoff points. Those teams include: Mt. Carmel, Joliet Catholic, Arlington Heights Hersey, Tinley Park, Bethalto, Elmwood and Bremen.
Look it up if you don't believe me.
Just to put that in some perspective here locally, Seneca has the most playoff points of any team with 28, both Reed-Custer and Dwight have 27 each, Minooka has 26 and Coal City 24.
Essentially, what I am trying to say is that if Morris can find a way to squeak into the postseason like they did last year at 5-4, then the Redskins could be a team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs.
As of Friday, Morris will be sitting at 3-4 needing wins over Streator and Dixon. The prospect of doing so has to be in their favor ... even though the Redskins have lost two of the three home games played this year.
There has also been some grumblings that Morris could go into Class 4A this year. I'm not one of those kind of stat geeks that can confirm this, but that notion is out there. If that is the case and Morris can sneak into the playoffs as a 4A team ... look out.
It would, undoubtedly, be a dagger for those Morris naysayers out there who like to have their voices heard in the comment section of stories. It's too bad that it's mainly only people with pent up negativity do all of the writing. I know equal voices are out there. Feel free to respond.
Hey, what do you know? No game this week and we still found a way to have a conversation about the Morris football team.
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