M-Club Messenger Would you be one, who dares to try, When challenged by the task; To rise to heights you’ve never seen, Or is that too much to ask… You will be proud of what you’ve done, When at the close of day; You look back on your battles won, Content you came this way! –From “The Challenge” by Dr. Heartstill Wilson, a locker room poem that inspired the 1974-1975 basketball team
Colby Henderson led the NAIA with 11 interceptions during the 2011 season. He returned an interception for a touchdown to help spark the Mustangs’ memorable come-from-behind victory at Midland. Photo by Dr. Gene Knudsen 1971.
Amazing Mustang comeback stories By Dr. Sharon Ocker
“It ain’t over till it’s over.” This popular saying is often credited to former Yankee baseball star Yogi Berra, although others have also been said to be the author. Regardless of the source, sports fans know that it is very true. There have been some signature comebacks in the rich history of Morningside athletics. One occurred just this past fall, when the Mustang football team pulled out a victory over Midland that seemed out of reach with only a few minutes to go. I was in Fremont, Neb., for the game, and it was truly amazing. Midland entered the game unbeaten, thriving with the addition of a number of transfers, including a seasoned quarterback from Eastern Washington named Greg Panelli, who had his way with the Morningside defense, throwing a host of sideline passes with such speed and accuracy that we couldn’t seem to stop him. Midland’s defense was inspired, too, holding the Mustangs to just 73 yards through the first three quarters. The Warriors led 21-3. Preston Ives had a nice kick return to the Midland 38-yard line. Seven plays later, freshman Kyle Nikkel, filling in at quarterback because of an injury, hit Dillon Robinson with a 20-yard scoring pass. It was 21-10 with 12:09 remaining, but it still looked pretty bleak. Then Panelli went to the well once too often. Morningside’s cornerbacks had been playing soft on defense all afternoon, but Colby Henderson, who led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in interceptions with 11 during the 2011 season, played closer, saw a pass coming, picked it off and ran it in from 20 yards out. The score was 21-18 with 4:07 remaining on the clock. After the kickoff, the defense held and the Mustangs took over on their own 40 with 2:59 left in the game. A 10-yard pass from Nikkel to Colby Rohde and a 15-yard personal foul penalty got it close enough for freshman Zach Maxey to kick a 47-yard field goal to tie the game. Now 54 seconds remained. But Panelli threw two passes – one long and one short – to get Midland back in the lead at 27-21 with 20 seconds left. However, they missed the point after. As Yogi said, it still wasn’t over. With time running out, Nikkel threw a 50-yard “Hail Mary” into the end zone. Three defenders fought for the ball with Kyle Schuck, but the Mustang wide receiver somehow came down with it. Maxey kicked the extra point, and the game ended with
Morningside on top, 28-27. Another fabulous comeback for Morningside was a basketball playoff game in March of 1975. It happened in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where Morningside came back in the last minute to defeat hometown Iowa Wesleyan by scoring six points in less than 60 seconds. That doesn’t sound like much of a miracle today, but back then there was no 3-point shot. Iowa Wesleyan’s Larry Gunn was at the foul line for a one-and-one. He missed. Morningside raced down court and missed a shot, but Marvelous Marv Munden 1976, who had 26 points for the night, scored off a rebound. With 21 ticks left, Iowa Wesleyan’s Tom Dickens missed yet another free throw. This time, Doug Marx 1977 missed a jumper, but big Dave Schlesser 1975 tipped it in. There were 10 seconds left. After a timeout, second-year coach Dan Callahan called for a “big man trap,” with Schlesser fronting the throw in. Wesleyan panicked and threw a long pass to half court that was headed out of bounds. Their guy tried leaping in the air to save it, but threw it to Joe Longo 1977. Longo relayed it to Munden, who spied Dan Pomerenke 1975 open in the corner. Pomerenke drove the baseline and put up the winning layup as time expired. Schlesser finished with 27 points, and in doing so, set a new Morningside single-season scoring record. Others who played that night included Owen Lomax 1979 and Herb McMath 1976. That Morningside basketball team punched its ticket to the NAIA National Tournament, where it lost in the first round to WisconsinParkside to finish the season with a 17-12 record. There were many sweet memories that season, but none was better than the win in Mount Pleasant. Paralleling these great comebacks was one I witnessed at the Kansas Relays in 1960. A runner whose name I don’t recall was competing in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He led to the first water barrier, but fell in the drink and everyone passed him. He regained the lead, but again fell and was behind. By the time the fifth “wet” barrier was reached, with the same result, the crowd was really into it. It happened twice more, but at the last hurdle, he got up and won the race to tumultuous applause. Talk about not giving up.
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