:quality(70):focal(475x380:485x390)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/M7CMK4T3FJHZ5PRBTYSKFRD3KE.JPG)
Switching from the Three Rivers Athletic Conference to the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is a move that came to make a lot of sense for the Morrison football team and coach Nathan Vandermyde.
“We’re going to be playing very similarly sized schools week in and week out,” he said. “There’s not really a big fluctuation in the size of who we’re facing. I think it was a good transition for us.”
The move also means the return of the Wooden Shoe trophy game between Fulton and Morrison, which is the last game of the regular season this year Oct. 25. The Wooden Shoe series between the two conference rivals became official in 1977 and was last played in the regular season in 2021. Morrison beat Fulton 34-12 in the first round of last year’s Class 1A playoffs.
Vandermyde, a 2008 Morrison graduate who played quarterback for the Mustangs in 2006 and 2007, was an assistant at both Fulton and Morrison for four years. He’s now in his second year as head coach with the Mustangs.
“It’s a good rivalry,” he said of the matchup with Fulton. “For us, I feel like it’s another game. It’s Week 9; whoever we play is who we play. But it’s something I think that for both communities, it’s one they see on the schedule, it’s one that they circle.
“There’s a lot of history, there’s a lot of pride in the community with that matchup. It seems like every time Morrison and Fulton play, it’s just a different environment you’re playing in.”
Back for Morrison to lead the backfield is junior Brady Anderson, a unanimous first-team all-conference pick last year at running back after rushing for 1,026 yards and 17 touchdowns on 86 carries. The speedy back was also a Sauk Valley Media co-track athlete of the year last spring.
“I want to see him continually get better. Keep mastering his craft,” Vandermyde said of Anderson. “He’s the running back that has the most varsity experience in the backfield, so he’s going to be the one that guys look to to know the assignments. I kind of put it on Brady that he needs to be able to communicate that to them.
“He’s got to be the leader in that backfield.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/SEBKMKSY6JDEHCD2BXT7NIIOQQ.jpg)
Senior Colton Bielema is back under center at quarterback after throwing for 800 yards and 12 TDs with a 54% completion percentage.
Vandermyde intends to mix things up between run and pass.
“He came through big for us in some big moments,” the coach said of Bielema. “There were some really big throws in the Princeton game that helped propel us to coming out on top.”
Vandermyde also listed seniors Austin Boonstra (OL/DL), Donny Reavy (FB/DL) and Tyler Peters (OL/DL) among his top players.
He understands the increased competition this season. There is not a week off in the NUIC.
“We’ve got to be fundamentally sound with our responsibilities and doing our individual jobs week in and week out, because in the NUIC, there’s no easy game,” he said. “Everybody is a tough opponent; everybody is vying for that playoff spot.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but I think our guys are going to be up for that challenge and welcome that challenge.”
He expects every team’s best shot as the new team on the block. But the Mustangs are used to playing hard.
“I think it’s very similar to the style of football that we play, as well,” Vandermyde said. “It just feels like kind of a natural fit. There’s a lot of smashmouth football, there’s big hits, there’s big boys out there. I think we should fit right in. It should be a fun year.”
Schedule: Aug. 30 Lena-Winslow; Sept. 6 at Galena; Sept. 13 at Galesburg; Sept. 20 at Du-Pec; Sept. 27 Forreston; Oct. 4 Dakota; Oct. 11 at Stockton; Oct. 18 Eastland-Pearl City; Oct. 25 at Fulton.