MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County (4-1) returns this Friday after a bye to face the Academy of Richmond County (2-3) at home.
• Series History: Morgan County leads, 4-1.
• Last Meeting: Morgan County defeated ARC 21-14 in 2022. Friday night’s meeting between Morgan County and ARC is the Region 4-AAA opener for both teams.
The No. 7 Bulldogs had a bye last Friday while the Musketeers are coming off a loss to Lincoln County.
Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins believes ARC will come into Bill Corry Stadium ready to play.
“We played a 21-14 game at ARC last year and we ended up winning it, but we had to turn them away on defense at the end of the game,” Jenkins said last week. “Getting into ARC on film, they’ve got good skill kids with some size up front and they’ve scored a lot of points in a couple of games.”
The Musketeers are 2-3 this year with wins over Josey and Savannah. However, both of those teams don’t have winning records, and their losses are to Veterans, East Laurens and Lincoln County.
ARC went 4-6 overall and 1-4 in region play last season, missing the playoffs for a third straight year.
Even though the Musketeers have struggled a little this season, they’re trending in the right direction under first-year coach Keenan Grissett, who got the job two days before their second game.
Grissett has his team playing competitive ball, but ARC is just a young team after losing a lot of seniors in 2022. So, the coach is looking for some younger guys to step up and lead them to the playoffs.
ARC’s weak point has been finding consistency this season. In its two wins, the offense has scored 40-plus points and the defense has pitched a shutout. The Musketeers have then been blown out in two of their three losses, with the exception being a close 21-17 loss to East Laurens.
Veterans defeated ARC 42-6 in the season opener, while Lincoln County posted a 38-6 win over them last week.
While Morgan County may be the clear favorite to win, it must come out as it did in its last two wins over non-region opponents Hebron Christian and Monroe Area.
Jenkins doesn’t want his players to get complacent after back-to-back victories over top-10 teams.
“It’s not going to be a walk in the park,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to show up ready to play.”
The Bulldogs are ranked inside the top 10 of the Class AAA rankings for the first time in a few years, so they’re hoping to remain there with a win over the Musketeers this Friday at home in Madison.
Kickoff for the game between Morgan County and ARC is set for 7:30 p.m.