Morris rebounds in style, beating Ottawa 59-0

MORRIS – Coming off a crushing loss last week to Rochelle, Morris had everything going for it Friday in a 59-0 victory over Ottawa to head into the homecoming weekend happy and likely wrap up a spot in the IHSA playoffs.

Despite the score, the game started a bit shaky for both teams, as they exchanged punts on their opening possessions.

However, Morris quickly found its rhythm, taking control with an offense led by sophomore quarterback R.J. Kennedy, who was making his first varsity start in place of junior quarterback Brady Varner, who was out with an injury.

Morris struck first with a 13-yard touchdown run off a read option play by Kennedy, followed by a 5-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Caedon Curran. For the Pirates, things took a turn for the worse on their third possession when a tipped pass was intercepted by Morris senior defensive back Brett Bounds, who returned it for a touchdown.

Morris was up 21-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter and continued to add on in a variety of ways.

Kennedy dazzled in Morris’ no-huddle offense and completed 7-of-8 passes for 136 yards and four touchdowns through the air, also adding the 13-yard rushing touchdown on his only carry of the game.

“It feels great. I felt like we had a really good week of practice,” Kennedy said. “The team rallied behind me, and we just got the job done.”

Ottawa’s offense struggled throughout, managing just one first down in the first half. Notably, senior Weston Averkamp, who typically lines up all over the field as a receiver, running back and Wildcat quarterback, was held in check, finishing with six carries for 23 yards and two receptions for 4 yards.

“Morris had a really good game plan, and they were keying in on some of our guys,” Ottawa head coach Chad Gross said. “We couldn’t get anything going, because they were just causing havoc in our backfield.”

Morris showcased its up-tempo, balanced offensive attack both on the ground and through the air. The hosts racked up 378 yards from scrimmage, most of that coming in the first half when the starters were still in and the clock was not running.

Gross discussed the challenges posed by Morris’s no-huddle offense and the difficulties in preparing for it.

“It’s very challenging. We try to replicate it in practice as best as we can, typically running three plays at a time on our scout team,” Gross said. “However, you really can’t simulate it effectively unless you’re doing it consistently.

“Coach Thorson and his staff just do a great job of identifying weaknesses and exploiting them. If you’re not perfectly aligned, even for a split second, they’ll take advantage of that.”

Morris head coach Alan Thorson praised his team’s resilience in light of the injury to Varner.

“When [starting quarterback Brady] Varner went out, the team didn’t flinch,” he said. “They just stepped their game up, and I’m proud of how they played tonight.”

Ottawa has now lost five consecutive games and will conclude its season by hosting Rochelle next week followed by a road matchup against St. Bede in the final week of the regular season.

Morris has likely secured a playoff spot with this victory, but will aim to improve its seeding in the IHSA playoff bracket as it hits the road in its final two games of the regular season against Sycamore and Byron Center, Michigan.