CHSFL AA CHAMPIONSHIP
CTK 21
Holy Cross 14
Steve Morrison’s eyes lit up as soon as he looked over at the opposing sideline and saw the Holy Cross coaches signaling for the same play the Knights had just run.
“I knew it was going to be a slant,” said the Christ the King senior. “So I told myself to get into the slot and make sure I was there.”
He was, and Holy Cross quarterback Brendan Daly never saw him. Morrison easily intercepted the pass and ran it back 31 yards for the game-winning touchdown to give CTK its second straight CHSFL AA title with a 21-14 win over Holy Cross yesterday at Hofstra.
The key to the interception, however, may have come even before Holy Cross decided which play to run. Instead, Morrison pointed to his own coaches’ decision to switch the defense immediately prior to the decisive play.
“We wanted to confuse them,” Morrison said. “And I think we did.”
The Royals’ defense was able to do that throughout the second half. With CTK trailing 7-0 at the half, first-year head coach Kevin Kelly decided to switch the defensive scheme.
“Our defense has been great all year, but this was as good as it had been all year,” Kelly said.
It’s hard to improve on the six turnovers CTK was able to force after halftime, including the four Holy Cross committed on consecutive possessions.
The tide turned quickly, with Holy Cross fumbling away the second-half kickoff. Anthony Lazarus, playing despite a strained right knee, scored two plays later from 13 yards out to help CTK tie the game.
Holy Cross’ lone possession that didn’t end in a turnover resulted in a 30-yard TD pass to James McShane to tie the game at 14-14 with 6:00 to go.
But Morrison put CTK ahead to stay with his interception return and Elsmore Gabriel sealed the win with a sack and fumble recovery in the last minute.
“Big players have to make big plays,” Morrison said. “That’s what we’re out there to do.”
Still, he didn’t have any plans to be a hero when he stepped on the field for the decisive drive.
“We just wanted to stop them and get the ball back,” Morrison said. “But our coaches have told us that offense wins games but defense wins championships.”
And since CTK had failed to strike back after Holy Cross tied the game, throwing an incomplete pass on fourth down, Morrison’s play was all the more necessary. The offense’s struggles were largely a product of Lazarus’ injury.
“The coaches didn’t even want me out there,” Lazarus said. “But I had to play. It was hard at first, but after I got started and got in the zone and didn’t even feel it.
“And then when Steve scored that touchdown, I felt it even less.”