Morgan Park’s bread-and-butter play goes through Charles Bournes. “We call our main running play, 28-T, and it was open all night,” the Mustangs’ senior running back said.
Bournes rushed for 111 yards on 19 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown on a seven-yard run as Morgan Park outlasted Raby 14-6 in overtime in a second-round Public League playoff game Thursday night at Hanson.
In overtime, Morgan Park had the opening possession and Bournes ran up the middle for three yards on first down. On second down, he hit the hole, bounced outside and found daylight for the touchdown.
“I just made my cut, and I saw the opening and I went there,” he said.
Bournes accounted for both of the Mustangs’ touchdowns. He connected with Timothy Smith on a 22-yard scoring pass midway through the third quarter to give Morgan Park (6-5) a 6-0 lead. He also carried the ball 16 times for 97 yards in the second half as the workhorse back for the Mustangs.
On the touchdown pass, Bournes lined up wide and surprised the Raiders by breaking free on a go route. “We just tried to confuse them with some crossing patterns, and it worked out well,” he said.
Raby quarterback Chris Covington was hampered by a recurring knee problem that has troubled him since Week 7, yet made a big play when the Raiders needed him. But otherwise, he was unable to plan on his right foot and find his receivers.
Covington completed 8 of 33 passes for 177 yards and a 34-yard touchdown to Jaymison Strawder that knotted the score at 6-6 early in the fourth quarter. Covington re-aggravated his knee injury late in the first quarter and sat out the entire second quarter.
Morgan Park’s defense made back-to-back-to-back defensive stands to pull out the victory.
Raby had consecutive possessions inside the Mustangs’ five-yard line after blocking a punt and Jeff Galloway returning an interception 35 yards.
“Our defense has carried us the whole year,” Bournes said.
Morgan Park forced Covington to go 0-for-7 on those final two drives of regulation. On the final play of regulation, Covington appeared to find a receiver in the back of the end zone, but the officials ruled the receiver stepped out of the back of the end zone in catching the ball.
Raby (7-4) got a reprieve when Morgan Park was called for defensive pass interference on third down on its overtime possession. Covington’s injury hampered his mobility and he could not plant off his foot in throwing the ball.
Morgan Park broke up Covington’s final pass to secure the win.
