Mark Morris denies Hockinson a first win with 18-14 victory

There was a moment when the Hockinson Hawks were on the verge of what seemed like their first victory of the football season.

Mark Morris, however, was having none of it.

The Monarchs defense stood tall with an interception for a touchdown, another pick coming in the end zone and then a goal-line stand with five minutes to play to hold off the Hawks 18-14 in the 2A Greater St. Helens League matchup on Friday at Hockinson.

“There’s a feeling we built something special here,” Mark Morris head coach Mike Peck said after hugging all of his assistant coaches.

Mark Morris (3-4, 3-2) is tied for third place in league with games against Woodland next week and the regular-season finale with rival R.A. Long.

“We are in good position for the playoffs,” Peck said. “Just need to keep winning and get better.”

Hockinson (0-7, 0-5) has three losses by four points or less this season, but the Hawks looked prime for a first victory by taking a 14-12 lead into halftime.

Junior Leniel Sutton scored both touchdowns for the Hawks on passes from senior quarterback Aiden Donowitz. The first was on an 18-yard pass with 2:50 left in the first quarter, and the second on a 15-yard pass to cap an impressive 15-play, 80-yard drive that ate up all but the last 21.9 seconds of the second quarter.

The drive was made possible by sophomore Jack Robinson’s interception of Mark Morris quarterback Nathan Stephens.

The second half was full of penalty flags, rain showers and some big plays on defense from Mark Morris freshman Avery Elliott.

It was Elliott’s interception for a touchdown on a tipped ball that was briefly in the hands of a Hockinson receiver in front of the Hawks’ sideline that put the Monarchs ahead. After some juggling, Elliott grabbed the ball and took off 45 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:23 to play in the third quarter.

Elliott came up big again as the rain came down at the beginning of the fourth quarter with an interception in the end zone on a Hockinson third-down play that was overthrown.

The Hawks forced a Mark Morris punt following that interception and began what looked like a go-ahead touchdown possibility. With 7:42 to play, Donowitz started the Hawks’ drive from their own 30 by connecting with Zachary Chung on a pass play that Chung ran down the sideline to the Mark Morris 8.

Hockinson hurt itself with two penalties, a quarterback sack and then on fourth-and-goal, an incomplete pass in the end zone. Mark Morris was able to run out the final 5:25 to get the victory.

Donowitz finished with 223 yards passing and the two TDs, while Chung caught three passes for 103 yards.

“Anyone knows Hockinson is not an 0 and 6 team,” Peck said. “They’ve been in every game, but maybe one. We knew it would probably come down to one play in the fourth quarter.”

Mark Morris running back Kenneth Mullen Jr. got the hard yards for the Monarchs, leading all rushers with 100 yards on 19 carries. And Deker Bartell scored Mark Morris’ first TD on a 13-yard pass from Carter Huhta on the Monarchs’ second possession of the game.

————

MARK MORRIS 18, HOCKINSON 14

Mark Morris     6             6             6             0—18

Hockinson       7             7             0             0—14

First quarter

MM — Deker Bartell 13 pass from Carter Huhta (kick blocked)

H — Leniel Sutton 18 pass from Aiden Donowitz (Owen Donowitz kick)

Second quarter

MM — Avery Elliott 53 run (run failed)

H — Sutton 15 pass from A. Donowitz (O. Donowitz kick)

Third quarter

MM — Elliott 45 interception return (pass failed)

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Mark Morris: Kenneth Mullen Jr. 19-100, Nathan Stephens 4-18, Elliott 2-53, Luke Bilger 1-4, Huhta 1-(minus 5); Hockinson: A. Donowitz 6-43, Sutton 7-13, Zachary Chung 1-14, Kyle Alexander 1-9, Noah Tadema 1-6, Jake McKee 2-4, O. Donowitz 1-3, Easton Weber 1-(minus 4).

PASSING — Mark Morris: Huhta 9-17-0-67, Stephens 5-8-1-22; Hockinson: A. Donowitz 13-34-2-223.

RECEIVING — Mark Morris: Bartell 6-47, Danniel Kobayashi-Gallagher 4-33, Eddie Booth 2-19, Mullen Jr. 2-(minus 2). Hockinson: Chung 3-103, Madsen Richardson 2-60, Sutton 3-51, Tadema 3-28, Alexander 1-0.