Brown's big night keys Morgan Park win

Morgan Park's Daron Brown runs against Hubbard.
(Michael Fryer/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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Morgan Park quarterback DaRon Brown has battled injuries of his own, but when teammates Dominique Bell and LaCory Valentine went out, he knew he had to step up his game even more.

Brown ran for 118 yards and four touchdowns as the Mustangs defeated Hubbard 32-19 in a clash of Illini Prairie State powers Saturday night at Gately Stadium.

‘‘A quarterback should carry his team,’’ Brown said. ‘‘I just had to step up. This was the hardest we’ve played and we played like a team.’’

There was a sense of urgency for Morgan Park (4-3, 3-1), which was upset by Simeon 45-43 last week to fall a game behind in the conference race. The Mustangs played again without returning all-state defensive end Craig Drummond, who was on the sidelines in a jersey and jeans.

‘‘It was a combination of personnel and attitude changed,’’ said Morgan Park coach Lexie Spurlock, who said Drummond will play next week. ‘‘But we came out of this with too many bruises. We’ll be in ice all week.’’

With the Mustangs leading 12-7 at the half, 40-yard punt return early in the third quarter by Valentine put Morgan Park is business on the Hubbard 19. Four plays later Brown scored from 2 yards put. After a personal foul, Brown scored on a 18-yard quarterback draw and a two-point conversion to make it 20-7.

Hubbard moved the ball, but a fumble was recovered by Morgan Park’s Deion Robinson.

But the Mustangs returned the favor when a Brown pass was picked off by Devonta Avery and returned 40 yards to the 21. On the next play, Jerome Laseter scored to cut the deficit to 20-13.

But each time Hubbard blinked, Brown blinked back. He scored on a 1-yard run.

The No. 25 Greyhounds (6-1, 3-1) scored on a 6-yard run by Laseter with 7:04 to play. Then, Morgan Park drove the field. A 64-yard scoring run by Brown was wiped out by a holding penalty, but Brown capped the win with a 5-yard run.

With the two teams and Simeon tied for first with a week to go, the conference title and the best Public League playoff seed would go to Hubbard on the basis of defensive points.

On Morgan Park’s second possession, Hubbard’s William Taylor intercepted Brown, but a sack by Curtis Brown ended the threat. The Mustangs moved 75 yards on four plays capped by a 1-yard scoring run by Brown to go up 6-0. The big play was a 54-yard burst by Dominique Bell, who was soon sidelined with a sore ankle.

Early in the second quarter, Morgan Park got the ball at midfield after almost blocking a punt. Jajuan Lewis scored from 5 yards out for a 12-0 lead.

But the Greyhounds used a 45-yard run by Brandon Noland to set up 5-yard touchdown run by Laster. The kick made in 12-7. Hubbard had another chance when Joseph Plump recovered a fumble after a completion. But a holding penalty and a stiff defense ended that threat and sent the teams to halftime.