FOOTBALL - MORRISON MUSTANGS
BY ERIC INGLES
eingles@shawmedia.com Steve Snider comes to Morrison finding a team ready to run. The speed that Morrison teams have been able to show off and rely on in recent years is still there, and Snider is excited to be able to tap into it. “I think we’re really going to run the ball well,” Snider said. “We’ve got a backfield with a lot of track guys and some wrestling guys that are tough, physical runners, and fast too. You look at Alex Anderson, Justice Brainerd, they’re two of our backfield guys and they were both on the 4x400 relay that took fourth in the state in June. Tommy Dauphin, he’s another track guy, a 200 and 100 runner. Kayden White and Logan Baker are both wrestlers.” Snider comes to Morrison from Orangeville, where he joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2013, then took over as head coach for the spring season in 2021, going 2-4. He was able to install most of the offense during summer work with the Mustangs. “The playbook is different and we’re learning it,” Anderson said. “I think we’re picking up on it pretty quick.” With so much speed on the field, Snider said he will be able to rotate players a lot more, keeping fresh legs on the field and allowing each player to make plays where they can excel. While much of the speed is back, the Mustangs do have a new quarterback, as Danny Mouw takes over after Nathan Helms graduated. “You look at him and you don’t think Brett Favre, you don’t think Aaron Rodgers,” Snider said. “He’s not a tall guy or anything like that, but he might be the most respected guy in the locker room.” With Mouw taking a leadership role on offense, Anderson and Baker have that role on defense as the Mustangs’ free safety and strong safety, respectively.
“The safeties in our defense make all the calls, do everything in the huddle,” Snider said. “They walked out there from Day 1 and they listen and they learn and they do everything right, and that gets the attention of their teammates.” Defense was one of the keys to the Mustangs’ resurgence a few years ago. When Morrison reached the quarterfinals in 2019, the Mustangs allowed a total of 81 points in 12 games, shutting out Fulton, Bureau Valley and Erie-Prophetstown in the span of four weeks and holding six other teams under 10 points. In the spring season, Morrison opened the campaign with a shutout win over Riverdale and held Newman to 14 points a couple of weeks later, but also allowed 34 points in a loss to Rockridge and 56 in a loss to Fulton. Anderson said a big key on defense is the size up front. “It’s a lot of big guys,” defensive lineman Tyler Shambaugh said. “A lot of guys have been playing since sophomore year, a few since freshman year, so it should be pretty good.” On defense, Snider brings in a philosophy of using non-contact tackling drills in practice, saving the hits for Friday nights while keeping players fresh later in the year. “There’s always doubters that say you can’t do it that way, there’s always the old-school coaches that [think] you have to beat on guys day after day,” Snider said. “Especially at a small school – I came from an even smaller school [Orangeville] – we don’t want to get beat down. We’re going to work on our form every single day, but we’re not going to beat on each other.”
Eric Ingles/Shaw Media
Morrison coach Steve Snider, far right, watches as the Mustangs go through a drill during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 11.
FAR RIGHT: Morrison’s Alex Anderson tries to pull away from a Newman tackler during a game this past spring. RIGHT: Morrison’s Thomas Dauphin hauls in a pass for a first down against Newman this past spring. Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com
MORRISON
Support Morrison Athletic Boosters; buy gas at Shell The Morrison Athletic Boosters has been chosen as the recipient of the Morrison Shell Gas Station’s Giving Pump Promotion. During the months of August and September, Morrison Shell will be donating 1 cent per gallon on pump one to the Morrison Athletic Boosters. Booster president, LuEllen Lee,
encourages everyone to support the program and get fuel at the local Shell station! Lee stated, “These funds are used for the boosters to support the MJHS and MHS athletic programs and needs.” The boosters regularly assist sports teams with equipment and other related athletic expenses. Most
recently, the boosters replaced the flags at the football stadium, recognized the track team with their state medals/plaques, installing a 3-sport/4year athlete sign in the gym, purchased bats for the baseball team, purchased electronic items and subscriptions for girls’ basketball and baseball, bought scale and mat tape for wrestlers, pur-
chased and hung softball and baseball state appearance signs at the sports complex, and purchased cheerleader senior gifts. That is just in the past few months! For more information, you are invited to the boosters monthly meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Sept. 8 at Happy Joe’s.
WHITESIDE NEWS Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Tuesday, Aug 17, 2021
New coach, same state-caliber speed at Morrison
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