Michael Morrissey and Preston Earl usually have garnered top billing during Stevenson’s wildly popular eight-week run in Lincolnshire this fall, and with good reason.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound Morrissey, a linebacker, is the son of ex-Bears linebacker Jim Morrissey, whose eight years included stints alongside Mike Singletary and Ron Rivera.
Earl, a 6-3, 210-pound quarterback, is the son of Robin Earl, for seven seasons a Bears fullback and tight end.
And yet, Morrissey and Earl like nothing better than sharing the limelight with a supporting cast that has fashioned an 8-0 record and the No. 4 ranking heading into Friday night’s North Suburban Lake showdown with No. 7 Warren (8-0) in Gurnee.
“Kyle Crowley is having an unbelievable season,” Morrissey said of the defensive tackle averaging 16 tackles per game over the last six weeks. “He is an amazing athlete and also a hockey player. You don’t find many tougher kids than Kyle.”
Morrissey gets excited recalling how much he enjoyed watching defensive end Alex Fitch perform with his band “Essex Avenue” at a concert last weekend at the Downtown Congress Theatre.
In addition to playing the piano, Fitch carries a 4.3 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and scored a 33 on the ACT.
Safety Benny Morrison, who transferred from Warren after his sophomore year, is a 6-3, 195-pound hitter who joins Morrissey and leading receiver Andrew Johnson in the Patriots’ three-receiver sets.
Morrissey doesn’t hide his admiration for two-way lineman Jim Hardy, a 6-5, 235-pound athlete who is also the president of the school’s renowned freshman mentor program that annually helps attract more than 1,000 visitors to Stevenson.
Earl, who has passed for 1,430 yards with 10 touchdowns, is grateful for the offensive balance provided by running backs Michael Breckheimer and Carl Johnson, who have combined to rush for 1,372 yards and 29 TDs.
“Breckheimer has developed into the ideal high school running back–built low to the ground,” Earl said of the 5-7, 186-pound senior. “He’s like a bowling ball and rolls over people. But he also has breakaway speed. Last week against Lake Zurich, I threw him a little dump pass and he took it 83 yards to the house.”
Then there’s Johnson (33 catches, 679 yards, 2 TDs), who didn’t play football until his sophomore season..
Morrissey, who has his father’s quickness and knack for reading plays, has 62 solo tackles with three interceptions, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and more than 300 yards receiving.
“He has a similar style to the way I played,” Jim Morrissey said. “But he’s a better athlete than I ever was at that age.”
There will be some high-flying theatrics Friday night. Warren features Division I running back Mitchell Moore (14 touchdowns), game-breaker Marvin Bembry (11 TDs), 6-4 QB Joe DeVries (1,310 yards passing and 13 TDs) and the 6-3 receiving tandem of Marcus Lewis and Matt Mose, who have combined to catch 53 passes for 1,021 yards and 10 TDs.
“This will be the biggest game I’ve ever played in high school,” Earl said. “I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is like. One thing we haven’t faced yet is adversity, and Warren will be a great challenge for our team.”
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bsakamoto@tribune.com
