MORRISON – For the first time since 2019, the Morrison Mustangs can put their longtime rivalry game trophy with Fulton in its trophy case for at least a year.

Morrison regained possession of the Wooden Shoe on Friday with a 31-21 win over the Steamers at E.M. “Bud” Cole Field.

The Mustangs (2-6, 2-6 NUIC) came back from trailing 21-17 to score two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes. Senior Brady Anderson’s second rushing score of the night at 11:06 came from 66 yards out, marching along the right hashmarks to go up 24-21. With 5:11 left in the game, senior Carson White threw his second touchdown pass, this one to senior Collin Renkes from 9 yards out.

Fulton’s last drive to get to within single digits was stopped at the Morrison 29 with 1:19 to play when sophomore lineman Noah Stout came up with a strip and fumble recovery to seal the win – and traveling trophy – for the Mustangs.

“We really wanted to bring the heat and bring the intensity,” Stout said. “We just had to go out there and not make as many mental mistakes. We were prepared for Fulton. We were mentally and physically prepared for them.”

The Mustangs got on the board first with Anderson’s first touchdown run at 4:54 of the first quarter. Fulton freshman Wyatt Connor countered with a 44-yard touchdown run at 2:46 to tie it at seven.

Joshua McDearmon put the Mustangs ahead with a 42-yard field goal into a light wind for a 10-7 advantage with 10:26 left in the first half, and that score remained at the half.

Touchdowns alternated among Fulton’s Blaze Damhoff on a run, McDearmon on a reception from White, and Connor, who put Fulton (2-6, 1-6) back up 21-17.

“It came down to the guys executing the plays that we had and playing defense very soundly,” Morrison coach Nathan Vandermyde said. “Fulton’s a tough team and we knew it was going to be a tough game going into it and they played well.”

The Wooden Shoe trophy was created many years after the Lincoln Highway rivals played their first game. According to a written history by the late Mustangs coach and athletic director Gus Linke, who helped create the trophy in 1977, “the purpose was to provide motivation to the intense football rivalry and lend a sportsmanship flavor to the strong Dutch heritage of both communities.” The wooden shoe itself came from Morrison High custodian Ralph Keiser.

The Bowl went on a hiatus after the 2021 spring season when Fulton left the Three Rivers Conference for the NUIC, which has a 9-week conference schedule. When there was an opening in the NUIC after 2023, Morrison joined that conference and the game was resurrected.

“It feels good and I’m really happy for these guys to get the experience of bringing the Shoe back,” said Vandermyde, a Morrison alum. “Now that we’re in the NUIC, it’s bringing the rivalry back and that’s really great.”

Morrison leads the all-time series 58-30-5; a record that includes playoff games in which the trophy is not up for grabs – such as when the two faced each other in a 2023 Class 1A playoff opener in Morrison, a 34-12 Mustangs win.

“It was all teamwork,” White said. “We worked together well and everyone was hyped up and we played good team football.”