Morris stays alive in postseason race with 50-22 win

The Morris Eagle varsity football team kept their dreams of competing in the postseason in 2023 alive last Friday with a 50-22 win over the Westville Yellowjackets.

The double-digit victory came in District 2A-7 action at the Larry Bookout Field in Morris and was the Eagles’ first district win of the 2023 campaign and snaps a 4-game losing streak.

In order for the Morris gridiron squad to earn a postseason berth this season, they will need to come away victorious in their final two regular-season games against county rivals – this Friday at Beggs and next Friday at home against Okmulgee – and have Sperry lose its final two regular-season games at Okmulgee this Friday and at home against Beggs next Friday.

Friday’s road game at Beggs is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. at Tate Field at Golden Demon Stadium.

In last Friday’s district meeting with Westville, the visitors drew first scoring blood with an 18-yard TD run by Zeke Edmisten at the 6:27 mark of the first quarter. Isaac Vann’s successful conversion run gave the Yellowjackets the early 8-0 advantage.

The Eagles answered with 1:03 remaining in the opening frame on a 3-yard scamper by Trey Daniels. The try for two was unsuccessful to send the district contest to the second stanza with the Morris squad trailing by two, 8-6.

Daniels put the Eagles in front, 12-8, with a 4-yard TD run at the 8:15 mark of the second quarter. The senior QB then found Bobby Baker on the conversion attempt to extend Morris’ lead to 14-8.

Westville knotted the score at 14-14 with an 8-yard run by Jadon White with 4:17 left before halftime, then the Eagles took a 22-14 lead into the intermission following Robert Woods’ 6-yard TD run and Daniels’ successful conversion run at the 2:40 mark of the second quarter. Woods’ short TD run came after the Morris wide receiver scooped up an Eagle fumble on a run attempt and raced into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

The Eagles had a chance for a double-digit margin at halftime, but had TD runs of 90 and 84 yards, respectively, erased by Morris penalties.

The visitors opened the second-half scoring with a 13-yard TD run by Edmisten and successful conversion run by Britton Jacob with 7:23 left in the third quarter, knotting the score at 22-22.

Cruze Lawson’s 36-yard TD run twenty seconds later and Daniels’ successful conversion pass to Baker put the Eagles on top for good, 30-22, then Daniels closed out the third-quarter scoring with a 34-yard TD run at the 1:41 mark for a 36-22 Morris advantage with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

With 9:47 remaining in regulation, Daniels pushed the Morris lead even further, rocketing down the field 84 yards to paydirt. Koen Burgess completed the conversion pass to Baker following Daniels’ long-distance score to make it a 44-22 contest.

The final tally for the Eagles in the district win came on a 26-yard run by Gage Adkins at the 5:54 mark to put the finishing touches on Morris’ 50-22 victory.

— Morris 50, Westville 22

Westville: 8 – 6 – 8 – 0 (22) Morris: 6 – 16 – 14 – 14 (50) — First Quarter Westville – Zeke Edmisten, 18-yard run (Isaac Vann run); 6:27 Morris – Trey Daniels, 3-yard run (Pass Failed); 1:03 — Second Quarter

Morris – Daniels, 4-yard run (Bobby Baker pass from Daniels); 8:15 Westville – Jadon White, 8-yard run (Run Failed); 4:17 Morris – Robert Woods, 6-yard run (Daniels run); 2:40 — Third Quarter

Westville – Edmisten, 13-yard run (Britton Jacob run); 7:23 Morris – Cruze Lawson, 36-yard run (Baker pass from Daniels); 7:03 Morris – Daniels, 34-yard run (Run Failed); 1:41 — Fourth Quarter

Morris – Daniels, 84-yard run (Baker pass from Koen Burgess); 9:47 Morris – Gage Adkins, 26-yard run (Run Failed); 5:54