Morris Knolls vs Northern Highlands Preview

By: Steven Ciaglia

Halloween was last Saturday, but something else has been haunting the Morris Knolls football program for much longer. Last season, the 4-5 Golden Eagles travelled to Allendale to take on the Highlanders on Halloween. They weren’t spooked, but they were defeated 42-28.

That was the end to a disappointing season, where Morris Knolls underperformed despite the abundant talent of the team. This season, Coach Gallagher’s squad has improved to 7-2 in the regular season. The Golden Eagles are coming off a win over Summit, taking care of them with a score of 42-21. The Golden Eagles compiled 339 rushing yards, with senior quarterback Ryan McDonald putting four touchdowns on the board. 

Northern Highlands, the two-seed in the North 1, Group 4 sectional bracket, defeated Woodbridge 35-6. The Highlanders had two 100 yard rushers in Michael Strandes and Tucker Kanning. Quarterback Jack Branagh had 99 yards on the ground himself. The defense kept Woodbridge out of the endzone until just two minutes and three seconds left in the game. Their defensive dominance is one Morris Knolls is well accustomed to.

The Eagles’ key to victory will be on the ground. Ryan McDonald, Lucas Zuravnsky, and Gavin Toland have been standouts. Zuravnsky has 927 rushing yards on the season, and will look to break the 1,000 yard mark this week. He has 15 touchdowns as well. Ryan McDonald has 16 touchdown runs and 798 rushing yards this season. Toland has 646 yards and nine touchdowns himself.

In the air, Ryan McDonald has 31 completions on 54 passing attempts, racking up 5 touchdowns and 551 yards. Brayden Hallik has been the team’s number one receiver, having two touchdown receptions and 196 yards, with Bret Szurko adding 129 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensively for the Golden Eagles, Anthony Evaristo leads the team with 7 sacks. Sean Morris has the most TFLs with 6. As a whole, the Golden Eagle defense has compiled 16.5 sacks and 30 TFLs. Lucas Zuravnsky has the most interceptions for the team this season, having three on the year.

It will be crucial for the MK run game to be fully effective. More specifically, creating space for McDonald and Zuravnsky to have big runs and swing momentum. The defense also has had better success against the run.That may be a strength for Morris Knolls, as Northern Highlands primarily runs the ball. This season, Highlanders’ running back Tucker Kanning has 1,020 yards and 11 touchdowns. The number is almost two times that of the next highest rusher, QB Jack Branagh, who has 527 yards.

However, the Northern Highlands offense is two-dimensional. Branagh has 839 passing yards with 54 completions on 109 attempts. The team has seven receiving touchdowns, with senior Doyle Flatt having four on 406 reception yards.

That can be an issue for Morris Knolls. Against a throwing Chatham team, the Golden Eagles struggled to contain the pass and allowed 267 passing yards. For Morris Knolls to win, they need to stop the passing game and focus on having a strong run defense. On offense, they have to beat the Northern Highlands pass rush. The Highlanders have 47 tackles for loss and 15 sacks this year, and have proven to be able to neutralize opposing offenses.

Morris Knolls has a difficult challenge ahead, playing on the field that ended their season just over a year ago. One might as well call these Golden Eagles the Ghostbusters, because whatever spirits of last season they have faced so far have been vanquished. Allendale waits to see if another ghost can be conquered.