Sweet Home football survives Grand Island
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter
For a while on Saturday, looked like Grand Island was going to defeat Sweet Home but one late miscue cost the Vikings the game.

Sweet Home sophomore Deshanaro Morris jumps over the goal line to score the Panthers' first touchdown against Grand Island on Saturday. Sweet Home came from behind to win 14-10 at home. Morris scored another Sweet Home touchdown and recovered a fumble. Photo by Amy Krawkowiak Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Panther sophomore Deshanaro Morris recovered a Grand Island fumble with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter and scored 15-yard touchdown five plays later to lift Sweet Home to an important 14-10 come-from-behind home win.

Grand Island tried to run the option but defensive tackle Steve Phillips hit Viking back Alex Webb to force a fumble. Morris beat out a couple of Viking players to recover the ball at the Sweet Home 40.

"I wanted it," said Morris. "The defense stepped it up. Now we're 2-0."

"Obviously, we made a mistake in a crucial situation," said Grand Island coach Dean Santorio. "But we still have to find a way to stop them."

Morris also scored Sweet Home's first TD, a three-yard run in the second quarter that brought the Panthers to within three, 10-7.

Grand Island did what it wanted to on both sides of the ball early in the game. On offense, quarterback Matt Klock threw quick slants to receiver Alex Neutz (four catches, 75 yards; 16-yard TD catch in first quarter) and pounded the ball with Webb (23 carries, 82 yards) and Eddie Weiser.

Defensively, Grand Island held Sweet Home to seven points in the first half. Neutz intercepted a Casey Kacz pass at the Sweet Home 20 with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter that set up a 26-yard field goal by Greg Feathers.

"We did everything we had hoped to do," said Santorio. "We wanted to keep the clock moving and felt we could run the football and pick up first downs. When we had to throw early, we threw for completions for first downs and a touchdown. The fumble was the only time when we made a crucial mistake."

"They had a great game plan and executed it very well," said Faller. "We also made some mental mistakes. I don't know if we were as focused as we should have been but we seemed out of synch. Everything we executed last week (34-14 win at Lancaster) was kind of nonexistent this week until the end."

Sweet Home finished with 247 yards of offense. Marcus Johnson led with 18 carries for 107 yards.

Kacz completed 7 of 15 passes for 86 yards.

Morris and Nick Christman each had three tackles and five assisted tackles to lead the Sweet Home defense. Christman and Andrew Hopkins each recorded a sack. John Elliott made four tackles and assisted on two other tackles.

The Panthers look to go 3-0 when they play at 2 p.m. Saturday at Starpoint.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com