Bulldogs knock off No. 7 Monroe Area

Morgan County (4-1) upset Class 3A’s No. 7 Monroe Area 35-17 this past Friday in a non-region game.

The win was special for the Bulldogs, who had not beaten the Purple Hurricanes since 2019. Now, after consecutive top-10 wins, Morgan is up to the No. 7 spot in Class 3A rankings this week.

Morgan head coach Clint Jenkins had a huge grin on his face following the final whistle on Friday.

“Really good win for us, really good win for our program. I thought it was the most physical game we have played in this year,” Jenkins said. “They had the state’s leading rusher and are a good football team. I’m proud of our guys. It was a battle. It was also great to see our players fight through that back-and-forth adversity and not fold, that is great to see. I am so proud of them.”

Morgan’s win didn’t come easy as the first half saw several lead changes, with the Bulldogs on top 21-17 at the half. However, they came out in the last two quarters and shut the Purple Hurricanes down.

Jenkins highlighted there were a few times his players could’ve given up, but they kept on fighting.

“They just kept battling, battling and battling,” Jenkins said. “It’s another good win over a quality opponent. That’s two in a row. Coming off two good weeks against two good teams, I am proud.”

Morgan got on the board first on its opening drive. Senior quarterback Talan Fuller tossed a 34-yard strike to sophomore wideout Dallas Dickerson, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead after the PAT.

Monroe answered on its ensuing possession, though, as ‘Canes senior running back Darrion Manuel went the distance on the first play from scrimmage with a 60-yard rush around the edge for six.

Morgan County didn’t back down either as it scored in a matter of plays on the next drive. Fuller hooked up with Dickerson for a 41-yard pass, which set up Jaydon Dorsey for his first of three scores on the night.

Dorsey took a handoff and punched it up the gut of Monroe’s defensive front, scoring from a yard out. Tyler Smith missed the PAT but the Bulldogs led 13-7 at the 6:51 mark of the first quarter.

The Canes’ final touchdown came on their third drive. Manuel and quarterback Dylan Hamby led them down the field in a matter of plays. Hamby capped off the possession with a rushing score.

Monroe led 14-13 entering the second quarter, but it didn’t last long. After forcing a three-and-out the Canes got the ball back, hoping to extend their lead, but Dorsey had other plans.

He recovered a fumble and took it 78 yards to the house as senior Landen Vickers stripped the ball out of Hamby’s hands. The touchdown put Morgan on top 21-14 with 9:21 left in the half.

The Bulldogs then never gave up the lead as their defense pitched a shutout in the second half. Dorsey also added two more scores on the ground, preserving the huge victory for Jenkins’ squad.

Dorsey finished with a team-high 93 yards and three rushing scores. Fuller passed for 87 yards and a touchdown on 4-of-7 completions. Dickerson hauled in three passes for 81 yards and a score.

Defensively, senior cornerback Trevon Rhodes led with eight total tackles. Vickers totaled eight tackles and a forced fumble while senior safety Zach Moore had five tackles in Friday’s win.

Morgan’s season looked in question after losing to Greene County on Aug. 25, but the Bulldogs have completely flipped the script in the last three weeks and are on a high note heading into a bye week.

According to Jenkins, he’s seen his team get a “whole lot better” as it has wrapped up non-region play.

“We took a lot of things [from the Greene loss] that we were able to learn from. That’s what you want to do,” Jenkins said. “Going out of it, we knew we would go either one of two ways off that loss. We could’ve tanked or we could’ve learned from our mistakes, which is what our coaches and players have done. We’ve taken the high road and I am extremely proud of our kids for that.”

The ‘Dogs are 4-1 heading to the bye week. After such a strenuous stretch, Morgan County can relax and reset before its final five games of 2023.

“This break comes at a perfect time. We’ve played two tough games the past two weeks,” Jenkins said. “Our culture is starting to come around, though. Our kids are starting to believe in themselves and what we’re trying to do conceptually. Schematically, they’re also starting to understand what our program is about, which first and foremost, is that we want to be physically and mentally tough.”

The Bulldogs will face the Academy of Richmond County (2-2) to open up region play on Sept. 29.