BATH

You can have the best laid out plans to stop your opponent, it’s executing such plans that wins or loses the game.

The Freeport Falcons knew Morse was going to run, and run the Shipbuilders did, amassing 414 yards on the ground and running to a 44-20 Class C South victory in high school football action at McMann Field on Friday night.

“We run hard,” said Morse coach Jason Darling. “It was about the big guys up front.”

Austin Baltazar led the way with 195 yards on the ground, while Parker Onorato legged 134 yards in the victory. Each had a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Freeport opened the game with an efficient seven-play drive, using Hunter Demers, Adam Ulrickson and Josh Burke to run the ball at the Shipbuilder defense. Burke rattled off a 35-yard run up the middle and three plays later scored on a 1-yard keeper. The extra point was blocked and the Falcons led 6-0.

Morse went right to the ground on its opening drive, using Baltazar and Onorato exclusively. Onorato broke a 20-yard run deep into Freeport territory before being pushed out by Freeport’s Jack Sawicki at the F-12. On the next play Baltazar ran it up the gut for the score. The junior also converted the 2-point conversion for the 8-6 lead.

After each squad stalled out on its next offensive drives, Freeport took the ball on its own 19-yard line with seven minutes remaining in the half and looked to strike quickly. Following a 26-yard scamper by Burke, the senior quarterback found Matt Foss racing down the sideline, connecting for a 55- yard touchdown pass. After Ulrickson’s 2-point conversion run, the Falcons led 14-8 with 5:22 remaining on the clock.

Starting at their own 42 yard line, the Shipbuilders put together another scoring drive, primarily all on the ground. Using the mixture of Onorato and Baltazar, with a little Sebastien Tibbetts sprinkled in, the home team drove inside the F-10. Quarterback Corey Larmon hit tight end Karl Shumaker for a 9-yard strike for the score. The 2-point conversion pass failed and the game was tied, 14-14.

The Falcons attempted to move down the field in the final 40 seconds of the half, but Morse’s Alex Martin had other plans. The senior defensive tackle sacked Burke and assisted on another to squash any Freeport chances.

“Whenever anyone makes a good play, it feels good,” said Martin, who finished with seven tackles and one-and-a-half sacks.

Morse strikes

The Shipbuilders opened the half with four straight runs, gaining five yards on each and moving the chains for a couple of first downs. Larmon found Onorato between two Freeport defenders for a 28-yard gain deep into Freeport territory. Two plays later, Baltazar found paydirt, scoring from 17-yards out. Baltazar again rushed for the 2-point conversion and the home team led 22-14.

After a quick three-and-out by the Falcons, Morse went back to work, keeping the ball on the ground. Starting on their own 18-yard line, the Shipbuilders marched 82 yards on nine plays, scoring on a 5-yard run by Onorato. Following the 2-point conversion, Morse led 30-14 with 1:46 left in the third.

“Of course we knew they were going to run, they have some very talented backs,” said Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre. “It was blatantly obvious they were going to run, but we’ve got to stop them.”

Freeport breathed a little bit of life late in the third quarter when Burke found Foss once again. This time the duo connected on a 65- yard completion before being tackled at the Mo-1 by Onorato. Burke scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play. The 2-point conversion failed and the Falcons trailed 30-20.

Opening the fourth quarter, Morse faced a third-and-six on the F-43. Baltazar broke to the right side for eight yards and a key first down.

“Our big guys (offensive line) played their butts off tonight,” said Darling. “They take a lot of pride in matching up with the guy right across from them.”

Four plays later, Onorato scored his second touchdown by racing the Freeport defenders to the goal line and squeezing inside the right pylon for the score.

“Running behind the guys we were running behind, that’s what did it for us tonight,” said Darling. “Lucas Osterhout, Alex Martin, Ihsan Myers, Hunter Raedel, Trevor Santiago and William Carrolton are our line. “We have a lot of confidence to run a lot of plays behind those guys.”

Trailing 36-20, Freeport moved the ball, taking advantage of a pair of Morse penalties. But, the drive stalled with six minutes remaining.

“We know they watch tape and that they know we’re weak in the center because we go outside,” said Martin. “We adjusted and put an end to that.”

The Shipbuilders finished off the Falcons and the clock with their final drive. After converting on a third-and-nine when Larmon found Onorato on a slant resulting for a 30-yard gain, Tibbetts scored five plays later from 3-yards out, and with the 2-point conversion, Morse led 44-20 with one minute left.

Morse controlled the ball in the second half, running 37 plays to Freeport’s 19.

“They pushed us back more than we pushed them,” said St. Pierre, whose Falcons return home to take on Gardiner this upcoming Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Burke finished with 132- yards passing with two touchdowns while gaining 78 yards on the ground, rushing for two more scores for the Falcons. Demers picked up 29, while Ulrickson added 20 on the ground. Will Gormely paced the Freeport defense with nine tackles, while Garrison Thompson added eight tackles before leaving with a lower back injury.

Tibbetts finished with 53 yards and a score for Morse, which hosts 4-2 Lake Region in a big game this upcoming Friday at 7 p.m. Larmon completed 4-of-5 passes for 66 yards and a TD pass.

Morse 44,
Freeport 20

At McMann Field in Bath
Freeport—68 6 0—20
Morse — 8 6 16 14 — 44
First quarter
F — Josh Burke 1 run (kick failed).
Mo — Austin Baltazar 12 run (Austin
Baltazar run).
Second quarter
F — Mike Foss 55 pass from Josh
Burke (Adam Ulrickson run).
Mo — Karl Shumaker 9 pass from
Corey Larmon (passed failed).
Third quarter
Mo — Austin Baltazar 17 run (Austin
Baltazar run).
Mo — Parker Onorato 5 run (Austin
Baltazar run).
F — Josh Burke 1 run (run failed).
Fourth quarter
Mo — Parker Onorato 11 run (pass
failed).
Mo — Sebastien Tibbetts 1 run
(Sebastien Tibbetts run).
Records — Morse 5-1, Freeport 1-5.
Up next for the Falcons — This
upcoming Saturday at home against
Gardiner, 2:30 p.m.
Up next for the Shipbuilders — This
upcoming Friday at home vs. Lake
Region, 7 p.m.