Friday Night Lights 12-14-10

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

New Commit MI LB Desmond Morgan

Game 1. West Ottawa defeated Jackson 45-9. Video (Desmond is QB/LB #3 in White):

The Grand Rapids Press has a very brief rundown of his stats:

Desmond Morgan added 57 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Game 2. West Ottawa pasted Holland Christian 54-0. Stats:

Zac Boersema and Desmond Morgan scored two rushing touchdowns for West Ottawa.

Video link.

Game 3. West Ottawa beat Grand Haven 29-15. Morgan features heavily in the article:

Desmond Morgan wasn't worried about his team's sloppy start. He knew his West Ottawa football team had the fight in it to claw its way back against Grand Haven...

"We believe in ourselves," said Morgan, West Ottawa's senior quarterback and linebacker. "We never got down on ourselves, and that helped us a lot. Everybody stayed positive, and that really impressed me." ...

But West Ottawa blocked a punt that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Morgan near the end of the first quarter and got the Panthers going.

From there, Morgan hit sophomore wide receiver Ryan Verhelst on a 23-yard touchdown pass, then hit senior running back Zac Boersema on a 4-yard scoring strike that gave West Ottawa a 21-15 lead just before the half...

Morgan finished the game with 79 yards on 20 carries, and Boersema had 73 rushing yards on 22 carries.

"Our goal this year is to have everybody's back and make sure we stay together as a team no matter what happens," Morgan said. "I thought we did that tonight."

Badass picture above courtesy of the Holland Sentinel.

Game 4. West Ottawa beat Jenison 31-14.

Desmond Morgan threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Josh Wisbang and later ran in a 3-yard score of his own. Morgan finished with 196 total yards.

Game 5. Desmond missed the game with injury as West Ottawa fell to Rockford, 7-14.

Game 6. West Ottawa defeated Grandville 23-13.

West Ottawa is 5-1 for the first time since 2003. The Panthers bounced back from last week's loss to Rockford, and Morgan returned to West Ottawa's lineup after missing that game with an ankle injury. Morgan engineered scoring drives on West Ottawa's first two possessions Friday. Zac Boersema capped both drives with short touchdown runs...

Quarterback Desmond Morgan's 3-yard run capped the game's scoring.

Game 7. West Ottawa beat Hudsonville 38-20, clinching a playoff berth:

"It has been a letdown the past few years, but our goal at the beginning of the season was to make the playoffs," said senior quarterback Desmond Morgan, who threw a pair of touchdown passes. "And to get that sixth win feels great." ...

West Ottawa answered at the end of the first quarter as Morgan pushed his way over the goal line on third down and inches. Morgan hit Josh Wisbang with a 17-yard touchdown pass on third and long to put the Panthers ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.

Video:

Per the video, Morgan didn't play on defense, as he was coming off a shoulder injury and the team needed their quarterback too much to risk it.

Game 8. Game preview. West Ottawa fell to Muskegon 14-28.

Morgan finished with 55 yards rushing on nine attempts and Boersema had 57 on 16 carries...

[Muskegon Coach Shane] Fairfield was impressed with one West Ottawa slugger in particular — Morgan, who started his first game at middle linebacker in three weeks. “That kid can play at any college right now, and I’ve admired that kid,” he said. “That kid has inspired our defense, just watching him on film.”

He also had 22 tackles.

Game 9. West Ottawa pasted East Kentwood 50-14. Desmond ran for 34-, 15-, and 7-yard touchdowns.

Game 10. Pregame fluff. West Ottawa opened the playoffs with a 23-21 win over Grand Haven.

Facing a third-and-10 from their own 32-yard line, coach Jim Caserta reached into his bag of tricks and dialed up a reverse to Spencer Olson, who then turned and threw the ball back to Morgan, who was wide open on the sideline. He rumbled 22 yards for a momentum-changing first down.

Morgan later hit receiver Josh Wisbang on a big third-down conversion to the Bucs' 26-yard line. The Panthers got as far as Grand Haven's 14, but could get no farther, setting up Holmes' game-winning kick...

Grand Haven actually did a solid job slowing down Morgan, holding him to just 47 yards [and one TD] on 22 carries. He was more effective through the air, completing 7-of-13 passes for 73 yards.

"Both teams had their opportunities to win the game," [Grand Haven Coach Mike] Farley said. "Desmond Morgan is a great football player. These were two great football teams battling it out."

Article 2 is responsible for the Baby Rhino photo above.

Game 11. Pregame fluff on Desmond's presence in the lineup, after missing the first game against Rockford:

“Sometimes you’ve just got to take doc’s orders and take one on the chin on the sideline and root your guys on,” Morgan said of missing just his third game in four years as a varsity starter. “I had full confidence that they (could) win that game, and I have full confidence in them this time. It’s not about one guy, it takes the whole team.”

West Ottawa fell to Rockford, 13-35, ending their season in the second round of the playoffs.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Local fluff about Hart's prolific season. He entered Friday one touchdown short of the single-season state record. Game preview. Opponent gameplan and vice versa . Dr. Phillips beat Sanford Seminole 37-13.

Demetrius Hart became the leading scorer in state history with two touchdowns as undefeated Dr. Phillips unleashed its high-powered offense again and won 37-13 over host Seminole in a Class 6A football semifinal Friday night... Hart, a 5-9, 185-pound all-purpose running back, carried 17 times for 159 yards.

Hart spent most of the second half resting on the sidelines without pads, as the Panthers were in no risk of losing the game. Defensive fluff. Official stats below come from the Dr. Phillips website. Video:

Another highlight.

This week: Dr. Phillips will face Miami Central in the 6A State Championship game Saturday at 7 in the Citrus Bowl.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Game preview. Plant pastes Lakeland 48-6. No mentions of Posada, but Plant averaged nearly 10 yards/carry on offense.

This week: Plant will face St. Thomas Aquinas in the 5A State Championship game Friday at 7 in the Citrus Bowl.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Last week: Dallas fluff. Pregame fluff. SFM Offense fluff. Game preview. South Fort Myers fell to Miami Norland 28-44.

Crawford, the Wolfpack quarterback who is Lee County’s all-time leading passer, struggled under pressure from Norland’s athletic defense. Crawford entered Friday completing 73 percent of his passes on the season but was 12-of-26 for 196 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings.

Article 2:

“That kid — Sammy Watkins is a beast. Dallas Crawford is a beast,” said Norland defensive back Quincy Casimir. “They’ve got a great team. It was a great game.”

Based on the photos and video, Crawford wasn't helped by his wideouts, who dropped at least a couple passes (one of which was intercepted), and committed a pair of fumbles.

This week: South Fort Myers's season ends in the 3A State Semifinals.

Seasons Complete After the Jump

MI RB/Slot Justice Hayes

Hayes missed most of his senior season with a broken wrist. Grand Blanc finished 7-4 and lost in the second round of the State Playoffs to Lake Orion.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Fisher was 1st-Team All-District as a defensive end. Postseason fluff. Jake was named All-Divisions First-Team All-State (Dream Team).

OH OL Jack Miller

St. John's finished the season 11-2 with both losses to Toledo Whitmer (in the second in Round 3 of the State Playoffs). Miller was also named 1st-Team All-District, and the District Lineman of the Year. Also 1st-Team All-State.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Plymouth ended their season 11-3 and Runnners-Up in the State Championship. End of season fluff. Named captain of the all-metro first team. All-State Dream Team.

TX LB Kellen Jones

St. Pius X's season finished with a 10-3 record and a loss in the second round of the TAPPS playoffs. Jones finished with 110 tackles, 25 for loss, and 7 sacks, to go along with 3 fumbles forced, 2 recovered, and a punt block.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Brown was named All-District, and All-State at WR. Coach comments.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Cass Tech finished the season 12-1 with a loss in the State Semifinals. Named captain of the All-Detroit first team. All-State Dream Team.