“Pound the salt.”
Morton coach Mac Mishler said the phrase came from offensive coordinator Rob Gardner, and hearing those words made senior running back Dashawn Woods smile — because he knows what they mean.
“Just running the ball,” Woods said.
Senior running back Martel Kelly was even more precise.
“Running the ball straight down the middle,” Kelly said.
Morton’s offense pounded plenty of salt on Friday night. Kelly and Woods led a ground game that churned out 345 yards during the Governors’ 35-20 road win against Munster in a Class 5A sectional semifinal.
It did take Morton (5-4) time to get that ground game doing. Munster (2-8) took an early 12-7 lead on a pair of touchdowns by junior wide receiver/defensive back Evan Dennis, who scored on a 60-yard interception return and an 83-yard kickoff return.
But the Governors led 21-12 by halftime and added two more scores in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
“Our offensive line has been solid in the run game for the majority of the year,” Mishler said. “We made some mistakes that gave them points and slowed down our rhythm. But as the game wore on, we got in that groove of running the ball.”
Kelly finished with a season-high 181 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Most of that yardage came in the second half after Woods — who had 128 yards and two TDs — suffered a sprained left ankle late in the first half and did not return to the game after attempting one carry in the second half. They were running behind an offensive line that has been together for multiple seasons, but neither Kelly nor Woods were in that position one year ago.
Woods spent last season racking up 1,436 all-purpose yards at Hammond Central, where his older brother Jordan was a multisport star, and transferred to Morton over the summer. Kelly was at Morton last season but played cornerback with then-senior Dontell Harris Jr. as the No. 1 running back.
Woods was an obvious addition to the backfield once he arrived, but Kelly’s spot came as a personal request, according to Mishler.
“Martel was a corner for us the last few years, but he came to us in the offseason and said he wanted that opportunity to carry the load,” Mishler said. “With the two of them, we’ve managed to replicate those same numbers that Dontell gave us.”
Woods and Kelly had similar offseason schedules in preparation for the expected increase in workload.
“I was going to the gym every morning with my dad,” Woods said.
The soft-spoken Kelly said he was “getting bigger for running the ball” over the summer, but Mishler intervened to ensure Kelly’s commitment wasn’t downplayed.
“He’s modest, but Martel is a weight room warrior,” Mishler said. “He’s been a full-time kid in the weight room during our offseason programs since he was in eighth grade.”
All that strength training helped prepare Kelly for the specific offensive strategy Morton used in the second half while Woods recovered from the sidelines. Woods said he expects to be ready for the sectional championship game.
“They’re both quick, fast dudes,” Mishler said. “Martel is a little more of an inside runner at times, and that’s where we were headed tonight.”
But season-best numbers weren’t on Kelly’s mind following the win. Instead, he was eyeing the next opponent, Merrillville, which ended Morton’s season in 2023.
“This meant a lot to me,” he said. “But I’m thinking about Merrillville now.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
