Hornets to host Morley Stanwood in post season opener Friday

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

It’s certainly an exciting time for the Harrison football team. The Hornets (7-2 overall) host Morley Stanwood (3-6) on Friday, as the team’s battle it out in the first round of the Division 7 playoffs. This is the first time hosting a playoff game since 2017 for the Hornets, who last won at home in the post-season in 1999.

“We are pretty excited, not just to be back in the playoffs but also to be playing at home,” head coach Jamie Lipovsky said. “We always go into each season with a couple of goals, one goal is to win the Division 2 Jack Pine Conference title and we ended up taking second, so we didn’t do that but the second goal is to make the playoffs and the kids were happy that we were able to succeed at that goal and make the playoffs. It is an added bonus that we get to have a home game.”

The Mohawks have three wins this year, coming over Lakeview (28-7), White Cloud (52-0) and Grant (42-20). Three of their five losses came by two possessions or less, and the fact that they are in the post-season despite a sub-500 record indicates just how strong of a schedule they played this fall.

“We talked to our kids (Monday) and while they may below .500 they are a quality opponent,” Lipovsky said. “They know how to paly football, they played a tough schedule with a lot of bigger schools, and those bigger schools have won a lot of games and gave them a lot of points, so that is how they ended up in the playoffs.”

Plus, there’s the old adage that records are thrown out the window come post-season time.

“It doesn’t matter if we are playing them or someone that is 9-0, in football you have to play your best,” Lipovsky said. “Any level of football, if you don’t show up you are going to get beat. They run a similar offense to us, so wea re going to find out how we are going to stop our own offense, essentially.”

That means there could be running plays galore during Friday’s matchup; as both teams look to win the battle in the trenches to spring their ground games; and ultimately gain control of the game.

“Anytime you are playing a team that is ground oriented like ourselves, it is going to come down to the guys up front,” Lipovsky said. “It is going to be a slugfest among those handful of kids and we’ll see who wants it more, who can create space for their backs and get their team into the endzone.”

The Hornets last won a playoff game in 2020. If things go their way Friday, they can claim a home post-season victory that has been a long time in the making.

“I like our chances, our kids are going to be ready,” Lipovsky said. “They had a really good practice on Monday, they know what is at stake. The last time we won a playoff game at home was 1999, so it is time to break that drought.”