Morgan County wasted little time making a statement in its 2026 season opener.
The Bulldogs (1-0) defeated Madison County 28-13 on Aug. 21 at home, using a balanced offense and a strong defense to build an early lead and withstand a second-half push from the Red Raiders.
“I thought we did some good things on offense, and we were able to move the ball,” Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins said. “Our kids did a really good job with our plan on defense versus the triple option, stuck to it, and were able to squeak out a good win over a good (Class) 5A opponent.”
Morgan County controlled the first half, taking a 21-0 lead into the locker room before Madison County responded with its first touchdown early in the second half. The Bulldogs ultimately answered enough to keep the Red Raiders from mounting a comeback and secure the 15-point victory.
Junior quarterback Gunner Braswell helped set the tone through the air, completing his first eight passes and finishing 8-of-11 for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also added 34 yards on seven carries.
Senior running back Alex Corrias powered the Bulldogs' ground game, carrying the ball 21 times for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
As a team, Morgan County rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Cole Wesley also turned in a big performance, catching five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. He also broke off a key run in the fourth quarter that helped put the game out of reach.
Jenkins said he has “high expectations” for both players throughout the 2026 season.
“(Alex) did a good job for us last year, and so the expectation for him coming into the year was that he was gonna be very productive, and he did so on Friday,” Jenkins said. “(Cole’s) catch-and-run put the game out of reach, and for him to split the defenders the way he did on it, it's just how you teach: You catch the ball, stick it and get vertical, and he did so.”
Jenkins named Wesley the Offensive Player of the Game because of his overall performance.
“Cole was a guy that played a lot for us last year, and he's kind of taking on a new role, playing some corner for us on defense,” Jenkins said. “He was really productive as well with receiving and had a good night on both sides of the ball.”
Madison County's triple-option attack eventually found some success after halftime, but Morgan County's defense continued to make enough plays to keep the Red Raiders from mounting a comeback.
“They're really tough to defend year in and year out, and it's a whole separate game plan when you're defending the triple,” Jenkins said. “Obviously, the more opportunities they get at your defense, they're gonna find some things that work in that offense. The quarterback running kind of on the following plays, he was able to find some cracks, and our secondary did a really good job supporting us on the edge.”
Braswell also impressed Jenkins in his first start of the season, particularly with his consistency in the passing game.
“We feel like Gunner's done a really good job running the offense in the passing game, and he's been really consistent,” Jenkins said. “One of the picks was a mistake that we threw down in the end zone, but then the other pick was off a tipped ball, where one of our guys tipped it first.”
While the Bulldogs left the field with a 15-point victory, Jenkins knows there are areas to clean up before next week's matchup against Class 5A Eastside. The Eagles are coming off a 41-21 win over Seckinger in Week 1.
Overall, Jenkins said the team's main goal is to “focus on themselves” ahead of its game against Eastside.
He called the upcoming matchup a “big challenge” and said both the offense and defense have adjustments to make during practice.
“As far as working on stuff, we're just gonna continue to work on us, finishing drives on offense, kind of winning on third down on defense, getting off the field, not letting people maintain drives,” Jenkins said. “So we have plenty of stuff to clean up on in all three phases of the game, and our guys will keep working on it.”
The Bulldogs will hit the road Aug. 28 to face Eastside in another non-league contest.