Morgan County finished up its spring football camp with a scrimmage against Walnut Grove on Friday at Bill Corry Stadium.
The ‘Dogs got to lace up the pads and throw on their helmets for one final time this spring.
They looked impressive against the Warriors, outsourcing them by more than 30 points.
Regardless, Morgan County second-year head coach Clint Jenkins highlighted that the Dogs still have a “long way to go” before the start of next season.
“I feel like we’re a year better in a lot of ways, but we also still have a long way to go as far as schematics, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Jenkins said. “We played with great leverage and effort, but we didn’t do things right all the time. Overall, you can tell that we’ve come a long way since last year.”
He added that the effort, hustle and body language were all on display during the scrimmage.
“That’s what you want from your kids,” Jenkins said. “I was pleased, but again, we’ve still got a long way to go. I told them that we’re still climbing the mountain.”
Walnut Grove led 5-0 at the end of the first quarter; however, the Dogs responded in a big way during the second.
Morgan County settled for a field goal on its opening drive of the quarter after Talan Fuller’s rushing touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty.
Trailing 5-3, the Dogs’ defense then came up with a fumble recovery that shifted momentum their way. A few plays later, they were in the endzone as Fuller connected with wide receiver TJ Thompson across the middle for a touchdown.
Morgan County forced the Warriors to go three-and-out on the ensuing drive, which set up its offense with great field position as the clock ticked towards zero.
That’s when running back Jaydon Dorsey broke a couple of tackles and scooted past defenders for a 63-yard touchdown. That capped off the scoring for the Dogs in the first half as they led 17-5 heading into the locker room.
The second half was all Morgan County as it continued to roll against Walnut Grove. The Dogs added more scores and looked impressive while doing so.
Jenkins said he was happy to see his kids get to compete against another team.
“Last spring we didn’t have a scrimmage because I didn’t get here until April,” he said. “So, to be able to line up against another football team is important. Spring is all about evaluation, and Friday was a good way to assess our personnel. Doing that will help us set the depth chart heading into summer.”
He also gave credit to his players for buying into what the coaching staff is preaching.
“I think everything is coming together,” Jenkins said. “This kind of stuff takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. …I definitely think we are stronger heading into my second year … Regardless, we aren’t at the top of the mountain yet. We’ve still got to keep climbing and fighting to get better this summer.”