Gideon Snyder (36) and the Morton Potters celebrate a play against Pekin in the second half of their Week 5 high school football game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Morton. The Dragons edged the Potters 27-24.
MORTON — Gideon Snyder is training for mixed martial arts. But the player teammates nicknamed Jean-Claude Van Damme saw his Morton team submit to a ground-and-pound attack from Pekin.
The Dragons came in and sent workhorse running back Ty Jackson and 260-pound fullback Landon Erxleben and others to 57 rushes for 276 yards and three touchdowns and hang on for a 27-24 Mid-Illini Conference win Friday at Carper Field.
Morton (1-4, 1-2) was up for the battle but ran out of time, scoring a touchdown with 3.7 seconds left in a bid for a comeback. A handful of clutch plays proved to be the difference.
“They were overloading, trying to run it right up the gut at us,” Snyder said. “A stop here, a break there, this was a very winnable game for us.”
Training for a shot in MMA
Snyder is a 6-foot, 180-pound outside linebacker and tight end in his final prep season. He is also considering a shot at mixed martial arts.
“I have no idea when I might fight,” the 18-year-old said. “I’m still in training, still new to it. I was training in the summer, before football, at Peoria Athletic Club. I’m in a class for it there, and when they think I’m ready they’ll try to find a fight for me.”
Imagine his parents dealing with not only having a son playing football, but also perhaps fighting in MMA.
Week 5 coverage: All the scores | Highlights and recap | Top performers
“My mom doesn’t love it,” Snyder said, grinning. “She’s OK with (MMA) as long as she doesn’t have to watch. I like it. It’s you against another man, head to head, fighting. You’re in there alone. I watch other fighters, Conor McGregor is my favorite, I love his style.”
Snyder’s…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ihsa-football-scores-morton-linebacker-062759200.html
Author : Journal Star
Publish date : 2024-09-28 06:27:59
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