Morse Gets Fast Start to Climb Past Hilltop

Hilltop players didn’t know what hit them immediately after taking the field against a much faster and more physical Morse team in the first-round of the 3-A playoffs at Hilltop High Friday night.

Morse rolled to a 44-22 victory and will play Vista in the quarterfinals. The Tigers (7-4) got there via the big play. Five of their six touchdowns came from at least 35 yards out and two came on 66-yard plays.

Quarterback Cary Taylor opened the scoring on a keeper, sneaking past the Hilltop defensive line, and then dodging tacklers for a 51-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter.

Taylor finished with 70 yards rushing on only six carries. He threw for another 75 yards, completing four of six passes.

His first pass of the game went for 66 yards. Receiver Dwain Bostic slipped by the only defensive back on the left side before catching the ball 40 yards from the end zone and ran it in from there.

But Morse’s real strength was on the ground. Conan Smith carried 15 times for 216 yards. He also scored touchdowns on runs of one, 35 and 66 yards.

On his one-yard score early in the second quarter, Morse’s offensive line blew away Hilltop’s defensive front so overwhelmingly that Smith, expecting to jump over a pile, didn’t realize he was two yards into the end zone when he leaped into the air.

Gary Taylor, Cary’s brother and the county’s No. 3 rusher, picked up 196 yards on 20 carries. His only touchdown was on a run of 41 yards.

While Morse was dominating on the ground, Hilltop (8-3) was trying to catch up through the air. Quarterback Jorge Munoz finished with 289 yards, completing 17 of 33 passes. He threw for three touchdowns, all of which were hauled in by Bobby Lugo. Lugo finished with 219 yards on eight receptions.

Hilltop was within seven after Munoz and Lugo hooked up for their second touchdown, 21-14, with 1:10 remaining in the half when the Lancers tried an onside kick. They botched it and gaveMorse the ball 27 yards from the end zone.

Five plays later, a Jorge Suffle field goal of 29 yards gave Morse a 10-point lead at halftime, but more importantly, it took away Hilltop’s budding momentum.