By Jack Lydon
The Morgan Park Mustangs (10-1, 7-1) took care of business against the Walter Payton College Prep Grizzlies (8-3, 7-2) on Friday evening at Gately Stadium in IHSA 5A playoffs defeating the Grizzlies 28-0. The Grizzlies were able to move the ball and keep the ball away from the Mustangs high octane offence but never threatened to score.
It was an uphill battle for Payton on Friday against Morgan Park. The Mustangs came into the game 9-1 with their only loss to neighborhood powerhouse Simeon Career Academy. Morgan Park’s senior running back Orlando James opening the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
Aided by multiple Morgan Park penalties, the Grizzlies put together a couple efficient drives. Payton senior quarterback Kyle Osterman connected on some effective flat passes for a couple first downs. Standout Payton senior wide receiver and safety Charlie Newton will be playing football at Columbia next year.
Morgan Park was efficient in the second quarter. A safety and two touchdowns on two possessions. The two-minute drive by Morgan Park at the end of the first half was the turning point of the game. “We screwed up at the end of the half. We didn’t convert on fourth down. And they ended up scoring,” said Payton head coach Craig Knoche.
The second half was all Morgan Park. Payton couldn’t do much. Morgan Park’s pair of running backs Seth Cyrus and Orlando James ran the ball well breaking tackles up and down the field.
It was a remarkable 7-2 regular season for academically focused school northside CPS magnet school with losses only to DePaul Prep and Lincoln Park. Payton is widely considered the best high school in the State of Illinois, including U. S. News and World Report. The relatively new school, founded in 2000, with approximately 1,200 students, has an impressive football record, qualifying for the state playoffs each year since since 2011. Even so, this is the first year that the Grizzlies have and advanced to the second round with their 42-0 pounding of ITW-Speer last week.
The Grizzlies have struggled with numbers all season, dressing only 35 players for the game. The typically understated Payton head coach Craig Knoche downplayed the successful season. “We want to be able to compete and win IHSA playoff games,” Knoche said.
Morgan Park is probably the second-best football team in CPS behind Simeon. The Mustangs made the news in September. A fight broke out late in the game against Kenwood that resulted in 18-20 ejections and suspensions. CPS officials, fearing that might be trouble between fans of the two schools, moved the game to Lane Stadium on the northside. Despite the suspensions, Morgan Park had only one loss and that to neighboring 6A powerhouse Simeon Career Academy.
Morgan Park will face Nazareth next week in the 5A quarterfinals.
