MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County (7-1, 3-0 Region 4-AAA) hosts region foe Cross Creek (4-3, 1-2) this Friday at home.
• Series History: Morgan County leads, 3-0.
• Last Meeting: Morgan County defeated Cross Creek 49-6 in 2022. Class AAA’s No. 7 ranked Morgan County and Cross Creek are coming off byes this past week, so the Bulldogs and Razorbacks should be well-rested for this Friday’s Region 4 matchup.
Morgan enters the contest tied for first place in the region with Harlem, which it faces in two weeks. On the other hand, Cross Creek is fighting for a playoff spot in the last two weeks of the season.
While the Bulldogs are the clear favorite, head coach Clint Jenkins doesn’t want his team to look past the Razorbacks, who he said will be a tough matchup since they’re trying to clinch a playoff berth.
“They’re much improved from last year. Their record is 4-3, actually,” Jenkins said. “They had a forfeit game, too. I think they’re a good team. Got some good-skill kids and they are big up front.”
Cross Creek’s offense is a balanced attack, led by senior running back Caron Walker. He’s rushed for over 400 yards and scored more than six touchdowns while averaging nearly 5.7 yards per attempt.
However, the Razorbacks are young at the quarterback position, with freshman Brandon Wallace starting under center. He’s passed for 700 yards and four touchdowns but has also thrown nine picks.
“You’ve got a guy there that hasn’t played a lot. Being a freshman, he will be a little inexperienced,” Jenkins said. “Anytime you’re playing a freshman like that, you’re going to take some chances with the football. But they’ve been successful with him, too. We went through their offensive film this morning and started working on them last week. We will be ready.”
Cross Creek will face a tough test against Morgan’s defense, which is ranked one of the top-scoring defenses in Class AAA. The Bulldogs are only giving up 9.4 points per game this year.
Since the Razorbacks are a run-first team, their offensive line will have to play nearly perfect if they want to pull off the upset. Morgan’s Jamel Cox and UAB commit Antavious Elder get after it.
On the back end, the Bulldogs’ experienced secondary will try to limit Wallace. If the front seven can apply pressure, the defensive backfield can create turnovers and shut down Cross Creek.
Either way, at the end of the day, Morgan County is just trying to clean up a few things before facing Harlem on Nov. 3. The Bulldogs of Columbia County will face Salem this week on the road.
“It’s more about us than it is about them. It’s about how we execute, communicate, and do the things fundamentally we must do to win the game,” Jenkins said. “So, it’s a cliche answer, but it applies. Last week wasn’t a bye week. It was another opportunity for us to get better.”