During last Friday’s scrimmage, Morgan County’s passing attack was on full display against Walnut Grove.
The Dogs aired it out when the running game against a tough Warriors’ defensive front didn’t work. Rising junior quarterback Davis Strickland completed 10-of-16 pass attempts for 168 yards and three scores in a win.
In an interview with the Lake Oconee News, Morgan County head football coach Clint Jenkins made an exciting reference to legendary football icon Hal Mumme, one of the founding members of the Air Raid offense.
“It’s not like we’re going to air it out all the time like a Hal Mumme offense, but we did what we needed to do in the scrimmage to score,” Jenkins said. “That’s not going to be who we are all the time, although we’re going to mix things up. We’re just going to do what’s best personnel-wise. We couldn’t get our running game going last Friday, and that’s a credit to Walnut Grove, but we found some success through the air.”
Strickland’s ability to spread the ball around to his pass catchers was the difference in the contest. He completed touchdown passes to three different teammates – Dallas Dickerson, Drew Ainslie, and Jaylen Elder.
Others, such as Ty Tillery, Hudson Reed, and Draco Frazzitta, also positively impacted the passing game. Morgan County’s depth and skill at the wide receiver and tight end positions showed against Walnut Grove.
“We’ve got a quarterback who has a strong arm, understands the playbook, and can make great throws,” Jenkins said. “We’ve also got a few deep threats, possession guys, and legit tight ends that Davis can throw to.”
The Warriors’ front seven on defense kept the Dogs’ running game, spearheaded by veterans Christian Monfort and Jordan Gordon, in check. But they couldn’t stop their opponent from finding success over the top.
Strickland, who completed 62 percent of his pass attempts, wasn’t perfect but was very effective. Despite not completing several of his passes, the rising junior signal caller stood tall in the pocket and showed poise.
“That’s all you can ask for,” Jenkins said. “Davis has got the confidence after getting some valuable reps last year.”
However, Morgan County’s performance against Walnut Grove wasn’t perfect, and Jenkins knows his team has “a long way to go” before next year. He expects to fix his team’s errors before the start of the season in August.
After wrapping up spring ball last Friday, the Dogs return to the field on June 3. They have a summer full of activities to prepare them for next season and hope to win a second straight region title in the fall.
“We’ve got a long way to go before next season, but that’s the good thing about summer. We have time to fix those few mistakes,” Jenkins said. “We didn’t run the ball well tonight, but again, credit to Walnut Grove.”