Morse Has Kick at Finish : Big Game: 42-35 victory over Point Loma clinches City Eastern title.

Morse’s 42-35 City Eastern League victory over third-ranked Point Loma might not seem such a big deal to William Zumwalt or Brett Callan a few years or weeks from now or even, for that matter, on Monday morning. But Zumwalt, a Point Loma tackle, and Callan, a Point Loma receiver, were feeling the sting as the final seconds faded and the sun set at Morse Thursday.

Zumwalt was walking the sidelines, kicking yard-line cones and yelling: “Aaaaaaaagh.” Minutes later, Callan was crouched on the field, staring at the ground until somebody’s dad finally came over and told him things weren’t really all that bad.

All the while, there was a celebration on the other side of the field, where players from fifth-ranked Morse were soaking up every minute of a victory that gave them the league title, a victory that had seemed so unlikely late in the fourth quarter.

In the final 2:40, Morse (8-2, 5-0) went from good to great, and Point Loma (6-4, 4-1) went from great to good. At least that’s the way Point Loma Coach Bennie Edens expressed it to his team. “We did a good job,” he said. “They did a great job.”

With his team trailing, 35-28, Morse quarterback Teddy Lawrence led his offense 50 yards in seven plays and scored on a keeper with 1:10 remaining. Coach John Shacklett opted not to go for the two-point conversion, and David Gambill’s PAT tied it, 35-35.

“I’d been thinking about it for about a quarter,” Shacklett said. “If I would have had enough time to take another shot at (scoring), I would have gone for two.”

As it turned out, it didn’t matter. Tiger defensive back Chris Jones took care of things.

First down, 38 seconds remaining. Point Loma quarterback Danny White (18 of 31, 332 yards, three touchdowns) drops back, turns and throws toward the left sideline for Callan. Jones steps in front, intercepts and finds his plans to take the ball to the end zone interrupted by Callan, who pushes him out of bounds at the Point Loma 31.

While teammates were still telling Jones, “You’re the man,” on the sidelines, Lawrence hooked up with wide receiver David Dunn over the middle. Dunn (four receptions, 177 yards, three touchdowns) grabbed the pass, ran for the right sideline and saw he could make it to the end zone. Touchdown.

Lawrence, who competed six of 15 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns--was still shaking his head about all this long after it was over.

“Just a wild game,” he said. “Back and forth. Touchdown after touchdown.”

The game-winning pass?

“I thought it was high,” Lawrence said.

“Remember, I like ‘em high, baby,” Dunn said.

“He’s a basketball player,” Lawrence said.

What can’t be forgotten in the drama of the final minutes was the rest of this game. There were 897 yards total offense--474 for Morse, 423 for Point Loma. There was Morse’s fake punt in the second quarter, on which Lawrence said he saw “some dude coming up the middle” and elected to sprint left and throw a pass to Kevin Nolan, who turned it into an 80-yard touchdown.

There was also Point Loma running back Marlin Manasa’s pass in the second quarter. He took a pitch from White and lofted the ball to J.J. Stokes (seven receptions, 222 yards, two touchdowns) for a 41-yard scoring play.