Barrett Morrissette leads Young Past Morgan Park

Updated: October 20, 2011 8:15PM

It was poetic justice for Barrett Morrissette.

After his first-half touchdown was negated by a penalty, the Young senior running back scored on a fourth-quarter, 24-yard touchdown run in powering the Dolphins’ 7-6 upset of Morgan Park in a first-round Public League playoff game Thursday at Stagg.

Sophomore kicker Adam Durudogan’s extra point proved the difference with just over nine minutes remaining.

Morrissette set up the scoring drive by recovering a Morgan Park fumble. Durudogan completed the upset with an interception in the closing moments.

Morrissette finished with 71 yards on 22 carries for the Dolphins (5-4).

“I was going to try and break the run the outside, but the guy in front of me slipped and I just took off,” Morrissette said. “I just told everybody to have faith, to keep working hard and make things happen.”

Morgan Park (4-5) had its four-game winning streak snapped. Star running back Charles Bournes returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for the Mustangs’ only score.

“With the kickoff I was just trying to get my team pumped up, and I was able to do that,” he said.

Otherwise, Morgan Park struggled offensively as the Dolphins limited them to negative-1 yard offense in the first half.

“We’ve struggled the whole year moving the ball offensively,” Bournes said. “I blame a lot of what happened out there today on the conditions. You couldn’t get anything going in the middle of the field or get a firm grip.

Young senior cornerback Dan Finger recorded two interceptions for the Dolphins. His second-quarter interception appeared to set up Morrissette’s touchdown, but it was negated by a holding penalty.

Finger’s second interception in the fourth quarter thwarted another Morgan Park possession.

“We had a good game plan for them defensively,” Finger said. “We knew what they liked to do offensively. The defense went out and made the plays.

“Everybody in the city knows about Morgan Park football, and this is a huge win for our program and what we’re trying to do at Young,” he said.

Morgan Park had a final chance following a Young quick-kick on third down that gave the Mustangs possession at the Dolphins’ 49-yard line. Bournes’ 13-yard burst appeared to give the Mustangs first and goal, but it was wiped out by a holding call.

On play later, Durudogan recorded the game-clinching interception as Morgan Park failed to register a single completion.

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