Dunlap, Morton set to clash in key Mid-Illini football showdown Friday
· Yahoo Sports
DUNLAP, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- Friday night's showdown between Dunlap and Morton has Mid-Ilini Conference championship implications.
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But nobody quite ready to talk about that yet. Instead, the Eagles (4-0, 2-0) and Potters (3-1, 2-0) are just getting ready for a monster game at Dunlap.
"In games like this, things that seem like little things are big things. It's just stacking good plays together," said Dunlap coach Brett Cazalet. "I think whoever can do that, stack together good, solid plays, where you are winning more battles than you are losing (can win). That's the key for us."
Dunlap has beaten Metamora and Canton in Mid-Illini Conference play while Morton holds wins over Canton and Washington. The Potters would be undefeated if not for an opening loss at Mahomet-Semour.
But that loss may wind up being a big reason why the Potters are on a roll now. The normally quiet Brendan Petty gathered his teammates after that setback and talked to them about building a winning culture from within.
Petty, a star on Morton's basketball team that was one win away from advancing to state for the first time in school history in March, shared thoughts on how Morton's blueprint for basketball success could be used in football.
"He was excited about it. He's not always the most talkative guy but he was talking about what it's like to be special," said Morton coach Adam O'Neill. "He was talking about key things and I though what he had to say was interesting. He was talking about being together, cheering for each other and being connected."
Morton has won three straight.
"A lot of the winning culture we've had on the basketball side of things, has helped me translate to football. I told them that the closer we are as a group of guys just makes it easier for us to compete at the best level," said Petty, a wide receiver. "The closer we are makes everything way easier."
The Morton-Dunlap game Friday kicks off at 7:30 p.m. You can see the game at CIProud.com and the WMBD+ app.
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