Morris tops Yorkville in battle of unbeatens

Updated: September 24, 2011 1:03AM

As showdowns go, it really wasn’t.

Visiting Morris capitalized on dominant field position early Friday and scored three times in the final 3:31 of the opening half to take a 35-0 lead at the break and cruise to a 35-7 win over Yorkville.

The matchup pitted two two of the five teams from the Northern Illinois Big 12 East Conference that entered Friday’s action unbeaten.

“Special teams and our defense put us in great field position and when you do that, it makes it easy on the offense,” said Alan Thorson, coach of the No. 24 Redskins whose average starting point for seven first-half possessions was the Yorkville 45.

Five of those drives resulted in touchdowns with Morris senior quarterback Austin Feeney and senior running back Jake Ruettiger leading the way. Feeney completed 12 of 17 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. Ruettiger ran 27 yards for a score on the Redskins’ opening play and added scoring receptions of 3 and 53 yards.

“It was nice to see Austin (Feeney) have a breakout game,” said Thorson. “We’ve been waiting for him to have this kind of game and I was very happy with his performance. And Jake, truthfully, we do mix it up, but he’s and excellent player and a special kid. He’s an explosive player.”

Defensive lineman Jimmy Pelnarsh set up the Redskins’ first score, grabbing a fumble by Yorkville’s Dan Scott out of mid-air and returning it 19 yards to the Foxes’ 27. Ruettiger took a pitch from Feeney and went around left end for the score. The first of five Fernando Del Toro extra-point kicks made it 7-0.

Morris added a six-play, 52-yard drive capped by Feeney’s 1-yard run early in the second quarter and then capped the half with an explosion that started with the defense stopping Yorkville on a fake punt on fourth-and-10 at its own 19, thanks to a tackle by defensive lineman Addison Shannon, who would later leave the game with a knee injury after taking a helmet to the joint.

Feeney connected with Ruettiger on the 3-yard score, the Redskin defense forced a punt and Ruettiger motored 53 yards and the ensuing kickoff was lost by Yorkville on a fumble and Feeney hooked up with 6-foot-5, 235-pound wide receivere Danny Friend on a 7-yard scoring pass.

“They have the size of a Class 7A or 8A team playing in a 5A-6A league,” said Yorkville coach Karl Hoinkes, who knows the Redskins’ history well, having coached against them at Oswego.

“I’d have to say that’s one of the three or four best Morris teams I’ve seen. The 2005 team was great and there were a couple in the 80s, but this one’s right up there. Talk to me in about seven weeks. They’ve got every base covered.”

Morris called off the dogs in the second half and finished with a 270-170 advantage in total yards.

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