Annawan-Wethersfield’s Drew Haverback closes in on Morrison quarterback Colton Bielema. (Photo by Michael Berry)

Trailing 13-6, the Morrison Mustangs had a first and goal at Annawan-Wethersfield’s 8 with just 1:26 left in Saturday’s Class 1A playoff game.

Running backs Carson Strating, Brady Anderson and Chase Neman had led a Mustangs drive that began at their 7 with 7:34 left in the game. Morrison expected those runners to finish the drive with a game-tying (or winning) score.

But it wasn’t to be. Three running plays took the ball only to the Titans’ 3-yard line and from there, quarterback Colton Bielema’s pass was incomplete.

And Annawan-Wethersfield had held on for a 13-6 win that sent them to the third round of the playoffs. The Titans will meet perennial Class 1A powerhouse Lena-Winslow; the time and date of that game had not been announced Saturday evening.

Annawawn-Wethersfield had relied on a powerful offense led by running back Zeb Rashid and quarterback Dillon Horrie that averaged 34.7 points a game this season. Their lowest points total was 20 in their one loss of the season, to Stark County.

Until Saturday. The Mustangs, whose season ended at 9-2, did the best job of containing Rashid of any team the Titans had faced this year.

But Rashid still got free from Morrison’s defenders for a 10-yard touchdown run with just 48.9 seconds left in the first half. Landon Sauer’s PAT kick was blocked, leaving the score at 6-0 Titans.

Morrison wasn’t content to go into the locker room down a touchdown at the half. Aided by a holding call and a pass interference penalty on Annawan-Wethersfield, they drove for their only score of the day, a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bielema to Blake Adams that ended with double zeroes on the clock.

An Annawan-Wethersfield tackler tries to slow up Morrison’s Brady Anderson with a tug on his jersey.

The Mustangs also missed the extra point, leaving the halftime score at 6-6.

To start the third quarter, Morrison drove to the Annawan-Wethersfield 6 but the drive stalled and they missed a field goal attempt to leave the score at 6-6.

A long run by Horrie and two runs by Rashid put the Titans at midfield. From there, a series of Rashid runs and Morrison penalties ended with Rashid’s four-yard run for what turned out to be the winning touchdown just 20 seconds into the final quarter.