Morgan County’s offensive tandem of quarterback Talan Fuller and wide receiver TJ Thompson hooked up four times in a 49-6 victory against Cross Creek on Friday night.
Fuller completed 11-of-13 passes for 265 yards, a season-high four TDs and one INT. Thompson totaled six catches for 180 yards and all four of Fuller’s passing scores.
“Talan was very proficient. TJ also broke the reception record at Morgan for TDs in a season,” Bulldogs’ head coach Clint Jenkins said of Thompson’s 12 TD catches this season. “That’s a big deal to have a school record.”
The record was previously held by current University of Georgia basketball player Jailyn Ingram.
Morgan County’s run game also was productive. Senior Jacere Cooper, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season a few weeks ago, rushed for a team-high 146 yards on 16 attempts. Junior Jaydon Dorsey also scored two TDs in the win.
The Bulldogs’ defense was clicking, too, holding the Razorbacks to just six points.
Their special teams unit also had a great night as junior kicker Tyler Smith went 7-for-7 on extra points and senior cornerback Reggie Ross had a kickoff return that went for a TD.
Morgan County (7-2, 4-0) will face Harlem (8-1, 4-0) for the Region 4-AAA championship on Friday in the regular-season finale for both teams at Bill Corry Stadium.
The Bulldogs of Madison defeated the Bulldogs of Harlem last year to claim the No. 4 spot as they snuck into the Class AAA playoffs. So, Harlem will be looking for revenge. The winner of this matchup will be the No. 1 seed and the loser the No. 2 seed.
“We were down 22 [points] in the first quarter and had to win by 10 to even get in the playoffs," Jenkins recalled of last year’s meeting between the two schools. "We kind of wrecked our bracket because we were able to beat them 39-29. So, that was a pretty cool night, but Harlem will remember that. Harlem has got about everybody back from that team last year, so I am sure they’ll come in ready to play.”
The Bulldogs rely a lot on their run game and senior tailback Jason Williams. He’s rushed for 1,017 yards on 135 attempts (7.5 yards per carry) and 17 TDs through nine games. Their passing attack is dangerous as well. Senior quarterback Ryan Newman has completed 54 percent of his passes for 950 yards, 10 TDs and five INTs.
Harlem has a pair of senior wide receivers, Jonathan Howard (29 catches, 588 yards, seven TDs) and Jackson Rockefeller (13 catches, 205 yards, three TDs), that are Newman’s favorite targets. Also, senior Jordan Bowers is also a deep threat.
“They’re a big-gap scheme, power-counter type team,” Jenkins said. “Number 20 (Williams), we saw him last year. He runs really hard and has a good balance. Kind of a slasher-type runner. He does a great job. They’ve got a receiver, too, number 16 (Howard) that’s a deep threat. It looks like he’s got some wheels and has hurt some people. They want to get the ball to him, but they’ve got a couple of other guys on the perimeter as well. So, they’ve got some good players, and have a really good team.”
The last time Morgan County won a region title was in 2017 under former head coach Bill Malone. The Bulldogs hope to reach glory again this Friday against Harlem.
According to Jenkins, though, “this is just another game.”
“We’ve had a couple of good weeks of practice, but we’re trying to keep our heads down. Stay focused. We’re really not looking forward,” the second-year Bulldogs’ head coach said. “It’s a next play, next practice [mentality]. I think our kids have done a great job because it’s a challenge. This game is important because it’s the next one. It’s another game, but obviously, it is important for seeding in the playoffs.”
Morgan County entered the playoffs this year as the No. 4 seed with a 4-6 overall record. The Bulldogs could finish the season 8-2 overall record with the win over Harlem on Friday. They could also enter the playoffs with a 7-3 overall record and the No. 2 seed.
The last time a Morgan County team won more than seven games was in 2017 under Malone when the Bulldogs finished 9-1 overall but lost to East Hall in the first round of the playoffs. The current team has already matched the 2019 squad’s total of seven wins.
Either way, Jenkins has seen a lot of progress since taking the job last spring.
“We were 4-6 and lucky [to be in the playoffs last year]. Our kids and coaches have done a really good job of buying into what we do,” he said. “How we practice, how we meet, position-wise. They’ve done a really good adjusting, and like I’ve said, transition years are really hard, no matter where you are. But, for us, the region championship, it obviously means the No. 1 seed. You want to stay on top of the bracket. If you want to make playoff runs, you’ve got to stay on top of the bracket to even have an opportunity, so that was one of our biggest goals coming into the year.”
Morgan County and Harlem kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Friday for the Region 4-AAA title.