HAMMOND I It was ground and pound from the start as Morton used their versatile rushing attack Friday night to subdue Clark 54-22 in the opening round of Class 4A Sectional 9
Early on, it was evident that the game was going to be determined by which team could better impose its physicality on its opponent as both teams tried using big blocks up front to clear the path for frequent handoffs.
With Morton in possession of the ball to start, they quickly moved up field before scoring on a 4-yard run from senior Eleazar Henderson.
Clark showed some resiliency, answering 20 seconds later on a 70-yard TD run from junior Matt Ramirez. The Pioneers then took the 8-7 lead with a two-point conversion by senior Eugene Walls.
Thanks to the Governors' offense, that would be the Pioneers' last lead of the night. Morton used its dynamic offense to score early and often. On the next possession, Morton used a combination of passing and rushing before capping off an impressive drive with an 18-yard Henderson run.
With two more first-half scores on both a pass from senior Jimmy Glidewell and a run by junior Torey Armstrong, the Governors headed into half with a 28-14 lead.
With Clark in possession of the ball to start the second half, the team was able to put an impressive drive together that lead all of the way to Morton’s 10. Despite the initial promise, the drive stalled out due to Morton's staunch defense.
Morton strung together a 90-yard drive, capping it off on a 20-yard run from senior Kendall Huff. Henderson added a 15-yard TD, and the Governors rolled into the semifinals.
The Governors meet E. C. Central in the semifinals.
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