MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County (3-1) welcomes rival Monroe Area (3-1) to Madison on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
• Series History: Morgan County leads, 30-23.
• Last Meeting: Monroe Area defeated Morgan County 37-13 in 2022. While Morgan County upset Hebron Christian 26-14 last week, Class AAA’s No. 7-ranked Monroe Area lost to Class A Division’s top-ranked Prince Avenue Christian 45-17 this past Friday.
The Purple Hurricanes come into Friday with a three-game winning streak over the Bulldogs, though.
“They’ll come in probably pretty upset how they played last week,” Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins said of Monroe Area. “They’ll be ready for us. They’ve won this series for the past few years, so they’re probably going to come in here pretty confident. It’ll be a big challenge for us.”
The ‘Canes are averaging 29.5 points per game through the first four weeks. On defense, they’re giving up 28.5 points per game, but that number got pushed up this past week against Prince Avenue. Monroe Area’s defense shut out Loganville and Cedar Shoals in the first two weeks of 2023.
Canes’ quarterback Dylan Hamby is the highlight of the offense. He’s a dual-threat as he’s passed for 268 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 194 yards and one score.
Monroe running back Darrion Manuel is also productive, rushing for a total of 670 yards and four scores. He’s rushed for the century mark in all four games and has hauled in three passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Manuel’s ability to carry the load for the Hurricanes has proven to be successful.
Morgan County’s defensive front of Jamel Cox, Antavious Elder, Landen Vickers and others will need to stop the run. If the Bulldogs can do this effectively, they will have a chance to come out on top.
Offensively, Morgan County needs to establish the run early behind the leadership of senior Jaydon Dorsey, who’s rushed for 487 yards and three touchdowns through the Bulldogs’ first four games.
The two-quarterback system of Talan Fuller and Davis Strickland will have to be mistake-free, too. The senior and sophomore have each had their moments this season running the Bulldogs’ offense.
According to Jenkins, his team will have to play consistently if it wants to pull off another win.
“Everything is about trying to play our best football in October and November. We’re still tweaking this thing,” Jenkins said. “We’re still moving guys around and trying to figure out who we are. Monroe is another big challenge for us. They’re coming in and are another top team we will face. They’ve been a perennial playoff team and have done a great job, so we need to be ready.”