Top-ranked Morris efficient, dominant in 41-0 dismissal of Woodstock North

MORRIS – The Morris football team ran just three offensive plays throughout the second and third quarters Friday evening versus Woodstock North.

A recipe for disaster?

Not for the current Associated Press’ No. 1-ranked team in Class 5A.

Morris owned the ball for only six minutes and eight seconds in the first half, but still came away with a 41-0, Kishwaukee River/Interstate Eight White Division homecoming victory over the Thunder. The home squad tallied 27 offensive points in the first followed by two special-teams scores in the second stanza that secured the running clock.

“From a special teams standpoint, we weren’t very happy with our performance last week against Kaneland,” Morris coach Al Thorson said. “So we put a lot of work into it this week to get it back to the level we wanted to be at, and we did.

“I was also happy with how we came out so quickly offensively and got off to a huge lead and never look back. But credit to our defense as well.”

Morris (4-0, 2-0) held Woodstock North (1-3, 0-2) to 109 yards of total offense, including minus-2 during the first period. Junior fullback Kaden Combs (20 carries, 96 yards) accounted for all but 13 of his team’s yardage total, as the Thunder just couldn’t match what Morris had to offer.

“We knew we were coming down here to face a huge challenge, and I hoped we’d give them a better game in the first half, but it didn’t work out that way unfortunately for us,” Woodstock North coach Matthew Polnow said. “We came out flat, and they hit us with some great offense in the first quarter, and then their special teams took over in the second.

“We’ll just try to improve next week in practice before a key matchup for us versus Woodstock.”

Morris took the first possession of the game and rambled 71 yards on five plays to score when junior quarterback Carter Button (four carries, 42 yards) rambled to paydirt from 19 yards out at 9:56. Esteban CiFuentes’ point-after kick was true.

Then after holding the Thunder to no yardage on their initial possession, Morris countered with an eight-play, 48-yard drive that resulted in a Jacob Swartz’ 3-yard touchdown jaunt at 5:40. After another three-and-out for Woodstock North, Button (two completions, 46 yards) would come up big again this time with his arm. Under heavy pressure, Button got nailed in the pocket with a huge hit but still connected with senior Will Knapp for a 37-yard post play at 2:26 that gave Morris a 21-0 advantage.

“It was a vert[ical] play to Will, and I saw their guy coming, and I just kind of lofted it,” Button said. “I saw him last second and took a big shot to the ribs, but I was OK, and Will made a great catch.”

Swartz (seven carries, 74 yards) scampered home after a 25-yard touchdown run as time expired in the first period to give Morris a 27-0 lead.

Then the Morris special teams took over. On Woodstock North’s first possession of the second quarter, senior Sam Reddinger blocked a Thunder punt. Senior Gage Phillips scooped up the remains and tallied from 40 yards away to give his squad a 34-0 advantage.

Junior A.J. Zweeres would not be outdone. After toting the ball 71 yards on a punt-return touchdown which was called back due to an inadvertent whistle and personal fouls, Zweeres took the next punt after the huge delay and raced 70 yards to the house with 53 seconds to go in the first half.

“I thought I had scored on my first return, but there was all kinds of confusion on what happened,” Zweeres said. “So we got in the huddle and we all said we were gonna do it again, and it happened. It was pretty crazy for sure having a touchdown on two punt returns in a row.”

The Class 5A top team will travel to La Salle-Peru (3-1,2-0) next Friday in hopes of becoming playoff eligible.

“I’m not big into rankings, but we did talk about it before the game,” Thorson said. “I thought our kids played like a No. 1-ranked team tonight and really stepped up.

“I’m pretty happy with this group after four weeks.”