Morgan County played Oconee County on Friday, Aug. 29, in its third game of the season.
The Dogs whipped the Class 3A Warriors from start to finish, securing a 35-14 win to remain undefeated.
Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins was pleased with several areas on both offense and defense. He believes the team made multiple adjustments, following its close 14-7 lead at halftime.
“I thought our kids played well, our running game [was good], and our offensive line played very well,” Jenkins said. “So that really helped us kind of control the second half and put the game away.”
The Dogs made a statement early in the first quarter, when senior Jacoby Simmons took a reverse and rushed 77 yards to the end zone on the team’s first play from scrimmage.
“Jacoby had a great run to start the game off, with obviously a long run and good speed,” Jenkins said. “It’s exactly the way you want to get the game started.”
Morgan County senior running back Christian Monfort then scored his first touchdown of the night late in the first quarter, with a 2-yard run into the end zone, bringing the score to 14-0. He has become a key player on the offense this season and leads the team in touchdowns.
Monfort carried the load on offense, rushing for 239 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. He scored his remaining two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a total of 10 on the ground this season.
Morgan County’s offense used a run-focused strategy to counter the Oconee County defense. The Dogs gained 407 yards in total, with 347 rushing yards coming on the ground. The Dogs only passed for 60 yards in the lopsided win.
Quarterback Davis Strickland completed 12 of 16 pass attempts, throwing for a touchdown and an interception. Junior fullback Brody O’Neal hauled in a touchdown pass and led in receiving with two catches for 13 yards.
Alongside the offense’s eventful night at Oconee, Jenkins credited the Dogs’ defense for its overall performance, and said the defensive backs played their “best game so far.”
“I thought we did an outstanding job with our defensive front with adjusting and being able to finally get some of that [offense] stopped a little bit,” Jenkins said. “The secondary really played a heck of a game back there against some good receivers, and so I’m just really proud of that whole group,” Jenkins said.
With the recent game, Jenkins believes the Dogs have made multiple improvements since the beginning of the current season, and are making progress “week by week.”
“Different teams have different attacks, and so it’s good for us to have some adversity, and to see how we handle it,” Jenkins said. “Defensively, [Oconee County] had some different stuff that we hadn’t seen yet, and I credit them and their offensive staff; they have a good football team, and to go over there and win in Watkinsville is a big deal.”
Morgan County (3-0) will next play its rivalry game with Greene County (0-2) on the road on Sept. 5. The Dogs will then return home to Bill Corry Stadium on Sept. 12 to face off against Cedar Shoals.