Kaneland Finally beats Morris


It was the biggest game in Kaneland's 40 years of football history. It had the excitement of the Super Bowl. It had the importance of a championship fight. It was Kaneland vs. Morris. It was the last time these two teams will meet for a long while, as the old Little Seven series comes to an end. And it was fantastic!

When the final horn sounded, Kaneland, who hadn't beaten Morris but once in 20 years stood as a 14-7 winner. The Kaneland student body poured onto the field. Head Coach Joe Thorgesen was given a cold shower and Morris fans where not hanging around to watch the celebration.

Emotions where running high. Kaneland players and fans were everywhere, cheering, hugging, crying, giving high fives. It was the kind of feeling you only experience a few times in life.

Prior to game time, thunderstorms blanketed the area and reappeared briefly during the game, making a slick field.

The slick field and little nervousness probably effected both teams as the game got off to a slow start. With 3:30 left in the first quarter, free safety Aaron Siebens came flying through the air and intercepted a Morris pass at mid-field giving Kaneland the early momentum break.

It took the Knights just seven plays to enter the end zone. Ryan West did what he does best--score points--as quarterback Eric Delaney hit him in the end zone with a little nine-yard pass for the first score of the game.

Matt Gladd kicked the extra point and the Knights were up 7-0.

Three plays into the second quarter, Shaun Wenz got Kaneland's second interception of the night at the Redskins' 36 yard line. Three minutes later, Kaneland moved to the one-yard line. From there Delaney crossed the goal line with a quarterback sneak.

"We blew open a big hole for him," said guard Brian Herra. "We told him he better score with the holes we made him."

"We were controlling the line," said offensive center Adam Wallace. "We were just able to keep pushing them back."

Gladd added the PAT, and Kaneland had a 14-0 lead with eight minutes left in the half.

The Redskins followed with their best drive of the game. From their own 22 they where able to move the ball to the edge of the Kaneland red zone (20-yard line), where Kaneland made an impressive stop.

Forced to a 4th and 3 from the 21, Morris opted for a field goal. Lining up, the Redskins appeared to have forgotten the kicking tee, and the would-be kicker, John Polanshek, began running to the sidelines yelling, "Get the tee. Get the tee." Head Coach Dan Darlington then turned to the bench and yelled, "Get the tee. Get the tee."

Someone then threw the tee onto the field, and while it was still in the air, Polanshek turned and ran down the sidelines towards the end zone. The center hiked the ball to the placeholder, quarterback Derek Ferguson, who dropped back and threw to Polanshek. The pass fell incomplete.

The trick play had failed and Morris was never to be trusted again.

When asked about the first half, Herra said, "You know, half way through the half, I looked up the field and I didn't see Morris. I just saw another football team."

It was true--the bigger Redskins were being pushed around by the smaller but speeder Knights. The Kaneland offensive line of sophomore tackle Bryan Staker and junior guard Keith Snyder was moving the left side of the line, while seniors Herra and B.J. Mires were making their own holes on the right side. Senior center Adam Wallace was blowing open the middle.

Kaneland's offensive unit Sack-O-Meter read zero and would be stuck there for the rest of the game, a salute to the effort of the offensive line.

Early in the second half, a fumble recovery by Shaun Wenz on the Morris 44 opened Kaneland's opportunity to pad its lead. Stymied in their drive, the Knights faced a 2nd and 13.

A Delaney pass was intercepted, but a holding penalty by Morris cancelled out the turnover.

Confusion prevailed, as officials had discussion after discussion. 22 minutes later and 30 yards in Morris penalties, Kaneland had the ball on the Morris 13-yard line.

On the Knights' second play, a pass to a wide open West went over his outstretched hands and was picked off by Polanshek at the one. He turned up field and ran 99 yards for a Morris touchdown. The extra point was good; and with four minutes to go in the third period, Kaneland was up 14-7 instead of a possible 21-0.

The Knights mounted their last offensive drive midway through the fourth quarter. Starting at their own 25, Coach Thorgesen let his offensive line go to work and put the ball in Kyle Schrader's hands, as he kept ramming the ball up the middle, burning the clock.

Continuing to move Morris backward, the Knights and "Scoobie" (as Schrader is affectionately called by his teammates), got all the way down to the Redskins' 14-yard line. And then Morris stopped the drive.

In came Gladd for a clinching field goal. But a never-say-die Morris team managed to block the kick. It was the Redskins' ball at their own 17 with only 3:14 left in the game.

Morris advanced to mid-field where sacks and penalties put them in a 4th and 23 situation. Electing not to punt, Morris tried the old hook-and-ladder play, but Kaneland took the hook out of the ladder and that was that.

A dripping Thorgesen said, "Rich (Kearney) had a great (defensive) game plan."

"Yea," added Rusty Pozen. "He had them down pat. He knew what they were doing and where they were coming from. Kearny had us so prepared. We were right there at every play. All we had to do was execute what he told us."

The Kaneland 'D' Sack-O-Meter registered at 4.

"We really feel blessed coming out of the Morris game with a win and no injuries," said Defensive Coordinator Rich Kearney. "I have been following football in the area for the last 20 years, I can't ever remember any team shutting out Morris defensively like we did."

"They (Morris football team) played a clean game," said Shaun Wenz. "People should know that the kids where fine. They were gentlemen at the end of the game and their key players had tears in their eyes."

"They were really not dirty. We had no problems with the players," supported Pozen.

Morris had an amazing 13 penalties for 100 yards, no sacks and five turnovers.

The win moved the Knights up to 8th in the state according to the AP poll. This placed them ahead of Minooka, which ironically is the team that will replace Morris on Kaneland's schedule next year.


Reprinted with permission of the Elburn Herald

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