Class AA’s No. 2 Morgan County remained undefeated following a close scare Saturday afternoon on the road against Westside of Macon.
Morgan is now 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the region. The Dogs defeated the Seminoles 35-32 in the region opener for both teams. The game was played a day late due to the post-storm effects of Hurricane Helene.
“This was a game where we had to find a way to win,” Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins said. “We faced some adversity, and I was proud of how our kids handled [it], but we’ve got some things that happened to us [that we can fix] from all sides. But it was a gift to our guys, so I was really proud.”
Westside put Morgan in a precarious position midway through the second quarter when the Seminoles jumped out to a 12-0 lead. Westside scored two touchdowns on runs of 80 and 68 yards for the early lead.
The Dogs also struggled offensively earlier in the game. They stalled out twice inside the Westside 30-yard line, turning the ball over both times after failing to convert fourth downs.
Finally, in the middle of the second quarter, Morgan’s offense put together a scoring drive. Junior quarterback Davis Strickland connected with senior wide receiver Jaylen Elder for a 14-yard score.
However, Westside’s offensive unit responded on the next drive. Led by dual-threat quarterback James Neville, the Seminoles drove downfield and reached the end zone again on a five-yard rush.
Strickland put his team back into contention on the next possession as he answered with a 34-yard strike to junior wide receiver Ty Tillery for a touchdown. At the intermission, the Dogs trailed Westside 18-14.
Morgan took its first lead midway through the third quarter. Running back Christian Monfort helped move the chains on the ground, setting up Strickland to find Tillery for a 12-yard passing score.
However, the Dogs still had no answer for Westside’s offense. The Seminoles scored again, retaking a lead into the fourth quarter, and then extended it with another touchdown to make it a two-score game.
Trailing 31-21 midway through the fourth, Morgan’s offense dug its heels deep and mounted a comeback.
Strickland made big-time plays down the stretch and scored on a short quarterback keeper.
After a critical stop on the next possession, Strickland threw the go-ahead touchdown to Elder. The Dogs retook the lead and never gave it up, securing the win and reaching 1-0 in region play.
Strickland was extremely productive, completing 20 of 29 passes for 300 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in the win. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior signal-caller also rushed for a score.
Jenkins was proud of Strickland’s effort as a team leader, providing the spark the offense needed in the win.
“Davis did a great job and made a couple of [key] throws when we needed them,” he said. “But I’m proud of our team. We continued to fight, scrap, and find a way to score to go up. Our defense was able to hold them at the end. We did what we had to do to win the game.”
Overall, Jenkins was pleased with his team’s effort after they did not give up when faced with adversity.
“[The win] says a lot about our culture,” Jenkins said. “It’s tough in here. Our first year here, I don’t know we’d been able to do that. It says a lot about our kids and their buy-in. And, again, what our coaches do daily to get that buy-in for our kids. I think it’s just a great team win. Our coaches have done a fantastic job because you can’t do this alone. There’s got to be a collective effort.”
Morgan County will return home this Friday to face Rutland (0-6, 0-1). Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.