Washington helps coach go out on a high note in Mid-Illini title duel with Morton

MORTON — Morton started out Thunderstruck and ended up shellshocked as it was Washington and coach Darrell Crouch who went out on a high note in a Mid-Illini Conference championship game Friday at Carper Field.

The Potters ran out through 10 motorcycles with engines gunning, while AC/DC's Thunderstruck blared overhead and an 8-0 historic season was in hand, both grandstands packed and fans from both schools standing along the fence behind the end zone.

But 14 minutes later, Morton was down three touchdowns to Washington as the Panthers rolled to a 42-21 victory in the M-I title in a game between two state-ranked teams.

"This means so much to me," said Crouch after his ninth Mid-Illini title was secure in a long coaching career that will end in retirement after the upcoming playoffs. "It's emotional for me. To know this is my last team. To know I'm going to leave these players behind.

"We've planted some seeds here that I will never see grow. We expect this team to continue to run the way it always has, but for me, it's tough to know I'm at the end."

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Class 6A Washington (8-1, 7-0) and 5A Morton (8-1, 6-1) will both wait for playoff pairings to be announced on Saturday.

"We came out of the gates fired up and played hard, made some big plays and set the tone for this one early on," Crouch said. "This game, this moment, will be right at the top of my list of memories when I'm all done here."

Washington senior running back Kainon McQueary dominated, with 17 carries for 234 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Humphrey had nine carries for 131 yards and a 68-yard TD blitz up the middle.

And Elijah Papis rocked the Potters with a 37-yard pick-6 in the opening quarter.

"I read that pass and my eyes just got massive," Papis said. grinning. "He pump-faked, and I saw where it was going and he threw it right there. I caught it and just took off.

"That whole quarter was great for us."

A first quarter that defined a champion

It was a game of big plays and mistakes, and the pattern was set in the opening quarter.

Morton punted on its first two possessions.

Washington never trailed, taking a 7-0 lead when McQueary swept around the right edge on third-and-8 for 29 yards and a touchdown with 9:23 left.

Morton's Gideon Snyder recovered a fumble to stop a Washington possession, but on the next play, at 7:20 of the quarter, Papis delivered his pick-6 and it was 14-0.

Morton blocked a punt, but Washington later rolled to 21-0 when quarterback Humphrey kept the ball and burst through the line and off to the races for a 68-yard touchdown run down the middle of the field with 91 seconds left in the quarter.

"We have a play we call 'Power' and that's what it was," the junior QB said. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the blocking, it was so open for me. You never know how that play is going to work out. But that quarter we controlled everything, and our defense didn't let them back in."

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Hart did lead Morton to a TD in the final 32 seconds of the quarter, hitting GB Kruzick for 13 yards and Luke Schaff for 38 to set up Seandon Buffington for a 4-yard scoring run that reduced the damage to 21-7.

But the Potters never overcame the hole they started in.

Washington's defense had a pick-6, a sack, a fumble recovery and batted down three passes at the line in the game's first 14 minutes. Morton had a total of 65 yards on 19 plays, and had just 10 yards accumulated before its scoring drive in the final seconds of the quarter.

A lucky bounce for Washington

The Panthers had five fumbles (some on mishandled snaps), an interception, and a punt blocked.

Morton had four fumbles (some on mishandled snaps) and two interceptions — one thrown by running back Buffington on a trick play that ended the first half.

But the Panthers had some luck going for them.

On the opening drive of the second quarter, McQueary took a pitch and headed around the right edge, and fumbled. But the ball bounced right back up to him, he reeled it in and took off for a 53-yard touchdown and 28-7 lead.

Morton's quarter saw Hart fumble after an 8-yard gain — Noah Bell-Lorentzen recovered for Washington — and had the remaining two possessions blown up on sacks by Carter Prina (loss of 6) and Garrett Cox (loss of 14).

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Morton's Ian Collins recovered a fumble on the Potters 9 to kill what looked like a scoring drive by Washington.

Hart then ran 91 yards on a keeper up the middle for a touchdown to cut Morton's deficit to 28-14 with 8:30 left.

But its next possession met with a 12-yard loss on a fumble by Hart, then another sack by Cox.

Washington pushed to a 35-14 lead with 74 seconds left in the third quarter when McQueary spun, jumped and broke three tackles along an 18-yard touchdown run.

By the numbers

• Morton: The offense was missing four regulars due to injuries and illness. Buffington had eight carries, 20 yards and 1 TD. ... Hart had 14 carries, 78 yards and a TD. Hart was 15-of-26 passing for 200 yards, 1 TD and one interception. He added 14 carries for 78 yards and a TD on the ground. ... Kruzick had five catches for 110 yds and a TD. ... Morton had allowed just 66 points in six conference games before facing Washington.

• Washington: McQueary had 17 carries for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns. ... Humphrey added nine carries, 131 yards and 1 TD. The Panthers totaled 432 yards on 39 carries. ... Their defense had four sacks and three batted passes at the line. ... That defense had allowed just 25 points in six conference games before Morton put up 21 Friday.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Washington beats Morton to win Mid-Illini title