Hobbled Morris, defense star in Devils' win

Jeff Davis, Sports Editor | Hinsdale Doings | Published September 7, 2006

Hinsdale Central senior running back Steve Morris showed his speed last spring as a state track qualifier in the 100-meter dash and 400 relay.
  
On Friday, Morris showed he can run fast even with a dislocated right ankle.
The injury didn't stop Morris from making a nifty cutback move on the way to a 57-yard touchdown run that gave the Red Devils a 14-0 lead in their eventual 28-7 victory over Willowbrook in a West Suburban Conference crossover game in Villa Park.
   
Morris suffered his injury two days before the game when he ran into offensive line coach Gary Gamen during practice.
   
"When I woke up (the next morning), I couldn't stand on it, and I spent all day icing it. Then (Friday) in gym class we were playing softball and I ran to first base, and it seemed to be doing good," said Morris, who heavily taped his ankle and put a brace on it. "I really didn't have much circulation in my foot. I couldn't feel it the entire game.
   
"But especially after my performance last week, I was really happy. Last week, I was having a big problem with cutting back the ball, which is exactly what I did on my touchdown run, so it worked out pretty well. (Center) Kevin Cruwys knocked out about three guys on the cutback block."
   
Despite Morris' TD run and the Red Devils' high point total, Hinsdale Central (2-0) continued its slow progress adapting to new coach Mike DiMatteo's new triple-option offense while the defense turned in another stellar performance ‹ just like in its season-opening 16-0 win at Evanston.
   
The Red Devils' first TD was set up by John Melbourne's second interception of the season, the third came on junior Troy Laing's 91-yard kickoff return and the last was after Willowbrook (0-2) couldn't convert a desperation fourth-and-10 in its own territory.

Hinsdale Central lost a fumble and threw an interception on its first two possessions in the second half. That helped Willowbrook hang around long enough to make things interesting in the fourth quarter ‹ for a few seconds, anyway.
   
The Warriors appeared to grab some momentum with a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Curtis Hudson to a wide-open Peter Bonner to cut the gap to 14-7 with 9 minutes, 38 seconds left.
   
But before Willowbrook had even stopped celebrating, Laing returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards straight up the middle for a TD for a 21-7 lead.

"That was probably the best blocking I've ever seen on one of my kick returns," said Laing, a former freshman B player who now starts at cornerback. "I've been returning for three years, and the team just picked out the tacklers real well. I would have been a bad kick returner if I didn't take that for a touchdown. We knew if we got that one, then the game was over."
   
But not before Willowbrook dropped a potential touchdown pass. Hinsdale Central's Jack DiNardo later sacked Hudson on a fourth-and-10 at the Warriors' 38, and Red Devils quarterback Zach Leathers closed out the scoring with a 5-yard TD run with 1:23 left following his 26-yard, third-down gain.
   
Willowbrook actually outgained Hinsdale Central 239-213 by running 72 plays to the Red Devils' 31 that resulted in only seven first downs. Still, with the Warriors keying on Hinsdale Central fullback Mike Imke, Leathers gained 100 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns and runs of 24, 25 and 26 yards.
 
"We really felt good about our offense coming into the whole thing because we felt like we were starting to get our rhythm," DiMatteo said. "What it reminds me of is a car that wants to start, but it's just not quite there yet. We've got a lot of inexperienced kids who have not seen some of the things that they're seeing before in our offensive scheme. It's not an easy scheme to learn. When it clicks, it really goes. We will continue to get better, there's no question."

Hinsdale Central's defense is certainly picking up the slack. It gave up 18 first downs but allowed the Warriors only seven plays longer than eight yards. Willowbrook, which had some success with short passes, only got inside the Red Devils' 32 twice, resulting in a missed field goal and their TD.
   
Linemen DiNardo (10 tackles, sack, 2 for loss) and Jon Rogowski (7 tackles, sack, tackle for loss), linebackers Matt Kajmowicz (12 tackles, 2 for loss) and Rory Cassin (9 tackles, 2 for loss) led the way.
   
"Our coach told us that our defense is going to have to carry us the first couple games, and the defense has been up to the challenge," Rogowski said.

Hinsdale Central's defense got going in a hurry as Melbourne intercepted Hudson on the third play of the game at the Warriors' 45 and returned it to the 21. Four plays later, Leathers scored on a 4-yard keeper.
   
After a three-and-out by Willowbrook, Morris broke his TD run on the Red Devils' next play, giving them a 14-0 lead on just five offensive plays.
   
"I ended up being in the right place at the right time," Melbourne said of his pick. "I think it totally took the momentum away from them and put it fully in our hands. It just kind of set the tempo, and our offense took it off of that, got the defense going, got us all excited."

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