Mendota ends season for Redskins with shutout

Comments (...)

Morris senior defensive lineman Kevin Henry brings down a Mendota ballcarrier during Saturday's Class 4A playoff football game in Morris. The Trojans gained 311 yards during the game and held the Redskins to 151 in a 35-0 victory that ended the season for Morris. (Herald photo by Adam Nekola)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Comments

Share

A rough second quarter forced Morris to play catch-up against Mendota throughout the second half of Saturday's IHSA Class 4A playoff football game.

Rather than make up ground in the third and fourth quarters, the Redskins only had their three-touchdown deficit grow larger. The result was a 35-0 home second-round loss that ended a 6-4 season for the Redskins.

The second-round playoff exit equaled the quickest Morris had made in its five years under coach George Dergo, who has led the Redskins to a pair of state-championship berths. It was the first time they were assigned to the 4A bracket since 1999. They had been a 5A qualifier in each of the past two seasons and were 6A participants in Dergo's first two seasons.

"They beat us at the point of attack," said Morris linebacker Tyler Thetard of the Trojans. "It seemed like they beat us going up the middle more than anything. For some reason, we couldn't get it figured out. ... They're a good team, better than most of the teams we played. I was impressed by them and wish them best of luck in the rest of their games. I hope they win it."

Morris got the ball first and went backwards deep in its own territory before punting. Mendota's drive stalled at the Morris 28, though Jordan Fritz nailed a 45-yard field goal try with the wind at his back. On the play, Morris was penalized for roughing the kicker. The Trojans opted to take the automatic first down and possession at the Morris 14 rather than the points, which they regretted when their next three plays went nowhere and Fritz missed a 34-yard field-goal try wide to the right.

Following another Morris three-and-out, the Trojans picked up their third and fourth first downs of the game while driving into Morris territory. They did not score until the first play of the second quarter, when senior Travis Martinson broke off a 45-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game. He rushed left and broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone.

"Speed didn't dictate the game," said Dergo. "Their blocking and their tackling was what beat us. We didn't block them well enough, and we didn't tackle. The first thing we tell our young guys when they're freshmen and sophomores, the first thing we teach, is blocking and tackling."

Another Morris three-and-out led to another Mendota drive deep into Morris territory. That one stalled at the Redskins 9, setting up an apparent 26-yard field goal try. On the attempt, the snap was juggled by holder Vince Bruno, who stood up and attempted to run to the right. A moment before he was hit by the Redskins, Bruno pitched the ball to Fritz, who then passed to junior Zachary Lewis for a 9-yard touchdown.

"The ball bounced on the way to our holder," said Fritz. "Just when he was about to go down, he got the ball to me. I just had to throw it to the guy I found in the end zone. It was definitely a momentum changer."

Shortly after gaining possession with 5:14 left in the first quarter, the Redskins gained their initial first down on a first-down pass from Martin Maldonado to Danny Niewinski for 12 yards. Three plays later, they punted again. On the next play, Martinson broke off another long touchdown run, going 73 yards to the end zone for a 21-0 lead that lasted into halftime.

During the first half, the Redskins totaled negative-10 yards on nine rushing plays. With that — and their 21-point deficit — in mind, they lined Maldonado up in a shotgun formation to begin the second half. He ended up attempting 35 passes and completing 15 for 136 yards, but with four second-half interceptions. The passing game accounted for all but 15 of Morris' 151 total yards.

"They didn't give up at all. They were just as fired up as they were in the first half," said Maldonado of the Trojans. "We tried some different stuff, going to the spread and mostly passing the ball. It's stuff we're not used to, but you have to be able to make it work in a situation like that."

Niewinski came up with five catches for 50 yards for the game, which were both Morris highs. Kjeld Torkelson had two leaping grabs among his three catches, which went for 40 yards. Rex Layne caught four balls out of the backfield for 25 yards, and Matt Gronek turned in three receptions for 21 yards.

"They were all catchable balls," said Torkelson. "They were both curls, and [Maldonado] put them in the air to where I could go get them and I was the only one who could get them. ... Our line needed to block better. If he had more time to throw, maybe he could have completed more than he did."

Mendota scored its final 14 points in the wake of two of Morris' five second-half turnovers. On the first play after a Martinson interception, Alex Caruso broke off a 50-yard touchdown on a run up the middle with 2:50 left in the third quarter. With 7:25 left in the game, Martinson scored on a 9-yard run that came two plays after a pick by Zachary Lewis.

The Redskins did force one turnover early in the fourth quarter. Thetard forced the ball out from Martinson's grasp, and Morris safety Jordan Bruyn recovered it. Thetard and senior lineman Kevin Henry added sacks for the Redskins, who allowed 311 total yards.

"I saw an opening because he was kind of fumbling the ball around before I got to him," said Thetard. "I reached in there and grabbed it out. Bruyn was right there to grab it. He was in the right place and it worked out perfectly. You're trying to make something happen at that point."

It was one of the few big plays that went Morris' way on the afternoon.

"It wasn't our day," said Dergo.

Comments