Big plays on defense, Andre Crews’ three TDs give undefeated Simeon a Battle of Vincennes win against Morgan Park

Simeon running back Andre Crews had a “mishap” before the Battle of Vincennes on Saturday and wound up without his customary No. 4 jersey.

He wore No. 38 against Morgan Park, so the Wolverines’ running game didn’t look quite the same numerically or production-wise in the first half.

But the Simeon defense stepped up and scored twice early. Then Crews came alive in the second half to lead the No. 5 Wolverines to a comfortable 42-22 win against the No. 24 Mustangs at Gately Stadium.

“At this point everyone realizes Crews is one heck of a running back so they load up to try and stop the run,” Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said. “Morgan Park came out with a great plan to try and stop it but we eventually got the offensive line rolling. They are probably the most important part of our team this year, the heavy guys up front.”

Crews had 20 carries for 179 yards with touchdown runs of three, 21 and 75 yards.

“We just had to make sure that the offensive line got to the second level,” Crews said. “When that happened there were holes for me to get through.”

Simeon’s defense made several crucial plays early to keep Morgan Park from finding any momentum. Junior defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler was dominant for the second consecutive week. He recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to put the Wolverines up 7-0.

Then in the second quarter, Beeler blocked a punt to set up Crews’ three-yard TD run and make it 21-8. He also had a pair of sacks and multiple tackles for a loss.

“He is working his tail off and practices like he plays,” Culbreath said. “I have to take him out of practice sometimes because he only has one speed.”

Safety Andrew Beasley had a 45-yard fumble recovery touchdown in the second quarter for the Wolverines.

Morgan Park (7-1, 4-1 Red-South) is significantly younger than Simeon (8-0, 5-0) and entered as the underdog, despite both teams being undefeated.

The Mustangs pulled within 28-14 of Simeon on a 22-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Marcus Thaxton to Tysean Griffin midway through the second quarter.

Crews ripped off the 75-yard touchdown five minutes later to seal the win. He’s still waiting on his first college scholarship offer despite being one of the best players in the area.

“I’ve heard from Cincinnati, Michigan and Michigan State but no offers yet,” Crews said.

Simeon quarterback Keshaun Parker was 5 for 11 passing for 122 yards with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Ashley.

Cincinnati recruit Malik Elzy caught three passes for 68 yards and had an interception for the Wolverines.

Thaxton was 12 for 30 passing for 174 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for Morgan Park. Griffin had 22 carries for 87 yards and three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Simeon clinched the Red-South conference title with the victory but has more than just city glory in mind.

“We know they have a good team and good players but we wanted it more,” Crews said. “We have a team of seniors that have been together all four years. We want that state championship and we are going to get it by any means.”

A suburban officiating crew was brought in to do the game, which is unusual. The game was originally scheduled to be played Friday night and broadcast on television but was moved to a Saturday afternoon slot last week.

“This was good for the city,” Culbreath said. “I love seeing everyone out. There are so many bad images of the city out there so to be able to come out and do this with both sides of Vincennes is great. Everyone was a class act.”