HIGH SCHOOLS : Football Playoffs : Some Tough Early Games Helped Temper Morse for Run at the Title

Football being a game of adjustments, Sept. 9 was as important a night as the Morse High School football team faced this season on its way to Saturday’s San Diego Section 3-A championship game against Orange Glen in Jack Murphy Stadium.

The opponent was Orange County power Mission Viejo, which would go 12-0 before losing in the Southern Section semifinals. Morse Coach John Shacklett recounts that night the way he would a bad date.

On Mission Viejo’s third play from scrimmage, Morse was burned for a 30-yard touchdown pass.

On the last play of the first half, lightning struck again. It was fourth and 15, and the Morse defensive line forced the Mission Viejo quarterback out of the pocket. But the ball went up and came down for a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Two plays. Two touchdowns. 14-0.

Morse scored a second half touchdown to make it 14-7. And then, with 6 minutes left, Morse drove from its 11 to the Mission Viejo 4 before quarterback Mike Liera was sacked--three times in a row.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Shacklett said. “Frankly, we should have won the game.”

Morse had won its opener the week before in Hawaii, 63-8, over St. Anthony’s. But Shacklett knew St. Anthony’s wasn’t anywhere near the caliber of teams the Tigers would face when they returned. He knew they had the potential to make a repeat trip to the 3-A championship game, where they had lost to Point Loma, 16-14, last year.

After the 14-7 loss to Mission Viejo, Shacklett also knew he had work to do.

“We found out a few things in that game,” Shacklett said. “We moved a couple of kids around after that. But that’s why I try to play a tough preleague schedule.”

Some coaches use the Betty Crocker formula of preleague scheduling: Find as many cupcakes as possible and fatten up on victories. Shacklett, though, uses another formula: Play tough competition before the league season begins. That way, you might get tagged with a loss or two, but by the time the games that count begin, the team is ready. And league champions make the playoffs.

“We’re not trying to crank it up in the first few weeks,” Shacklett said. “We want to build gradually.”

Everyone knew Ty Morrison (6-feet 4-inches, 221 pounds), one of the most highly recruited high school linebackers in the country, would be a standout this year. Offensive guard Michael Ivory (6-1, 240) and defensive back Darrell Lewis (6-2, 180), along with Morrison, were returning all-league selections. But three superstars certainly don’t make a contender.

“Coming into the season, I thought that we’d have a pretty good team,” Shacklett said. “But the key to our success this season has been the younger players coming along.”

Two of particular importance are sophomore defensive tackles Irwin Mendiola (5-9, 200) and Salua Poutoa (5-10, 270). Both have played well in 1988. Another pleasant surprise has been junior running back Jessie Campbell (5-7, 160), who, in replacing Larry Maxey, rushed for 1,044 yards and 15 touchdowns in 131 attempts during the regular season.

Aside from Mission Viejo, Morse’s pre-City Eastern League schedule this fall also included Chula Vista and Lincoln, both of whom made the playoffs, as well as perennial power Vista, which happened to be down this year. Morse defeated them all.

By the time Morse played Lincoln on Oct. 7, Shacklett had decided to install Jimmy Rose as the starting quarterback and let Liera play a supporting role. Morse defeated Lincoln, 29-8, and since then Rose and Liera have alternated, with Rose getting most of the work.

And finally, one other key moment in Morse’s 10-2 season: the wild, 35-27 victory Oct. 28 over Point Loma. The game was an important piece in the City Eastern League championship puzzle. It also brought out a vital element in a championship team: desire.

“We showed a lot of character in that game,” said Shacklett, who watched his team twice come from behind. “We showed the character needed to become a championship team.”

Saturday night at 8, Morse will have that chance.