Morgan County prepares for ‘very athletic’ Miller Grove
Morgan County kicked off the postseason on Nov. 14, hosting Westside of Macon in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
The two teams had already played earlier this season, with the Dogs winning 56-14 on Sept. 26. However, this time was much different, as Morgan County defeated the Seminoles 29-8 in a tighter game.
“It’s always hard to play somebody twice, because people get to know you along with what works and what doesn’t,” Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins said. “When you’re in the playoffs, that ratchets things up because everybody knows what’s at stake, and so you’re gonna get people’s best game there.”
The game remained scoreless until halfway through the second quarter, when senior running back Christian Monfort rumbled into the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. The Dogs took a 7-0 lead after the PAT, and that was the score at the half.
To open the third quarter, Monfort added another touchdown via the ground to push the score to 14-0 after the PAT. The West Georgia commit finished the night with 103 yards on 11 carries with two scores.
Morgan County linebacker Jordan Gordon then recovered a fumble forced by Drew Ainslie and returned it for a touchdown. The Dogs attempted a two-point conversion and succeeded, as quarterback Davis Strickland ran it in, extending their lead to 22-0 with 7:37 left in the third quarter.
Strickland finished the night completing 13 of 21 attempts for 182 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown pass came later in the third quarter, as he tossed a 25-yard strike to Cole Wesley for the score.
From an offensive standpoint, Jenkins said the team “stalled” at times, including in the first half and toward the end of the game.
“We had a chance to score right before the half and weren’t able to do it, and just weren’t as consistent as we have been on offense in previous games,” Jenkins said. “Coming out of the half, we needed to take it down and score; I feel like we had a good third quarter and we were able to get a little bit of separation.”
The Dogs’ defense took action early in the first quarter when junior safety Grant Smith intercepted a pass from the Seminoles’ senior quarterback Paul Risper.
Jenkins mentioned that he was happy with his team’s defensive performance and that they played well for the majority of the evening.
“Grant (Smith) did a good job getting that interception, and that was a good deal because the unit was deep in our territory,” Jenkins said. “(During the play,) Brody Jenkins actually pressured the quarterback, and hit him to (force the turnover).”
No. 4 seed Morgan County (11-0) moves on to face No. 13 Miller Grove (9-2) in the second round. The Wolverines defeated No. 20 Spencer 20-9 last Friday to advance to the Sweet 16.
With the upcoming matchup against Miller Grove, Jenkins said it is essential for the Dogs to take action quickly in the game.
“We need our offense to score consistently like they have all year, get off to a fast start, and take the opportunities to score; Miller Grove is really athletic, and so we need to limit their explosive plays,” Jenkins said. “For our defense, we can’t let the ball go over our heads, and can’t give them quick scores; so we must take away some of the things that they do well.”
Overall, Jenkins believes that returning to the regular practice routine will benefit his players, since they are not going into a bye week this time. He is convinced that the team will do its best to prepare, since another game isn’t guaranteed.
“We’re competing in the playoffs, and so there’s no tomorrow if you don’t win,” Jenkins said. “I think our guys know what’s at stake, so they’ll prepare.”