Morgan County opens its 2024 season this Friday night at home against Class A Division II’s Warren County.
Last week, the ‘Dogs scrimmaged Cherokee Bluff on the road and are now transitioning to the regular season.
Morgan head coach Clint Jenkins believes Warren County will present his team with many challenges. The Dogs’ coach acknowledged the Screaming Devils’ athleticism at multiple different positions on either side of the ball.
“They’re athletic in some spots and big upfront with some good-looking kids,” Jenkins said. “It should be a good matchup.”
Warren’s specialty last season was running the football. The Screaming Devils returned their top four rushers – Cedarius Johnson, Tra’shad Mathis, Jamarion Darden, and Noah Merriweather - from this past year.
Morgan’s defensive front, led by Navy commit Draco Frazzitta, will have its hands full. Others, such as Jatavious Ward, Tristen Folds, Brody Jenkins, and Drew Ainslie, will also be tasked with helping stop the run.
Offensively, the Dogs will rely on quarterback Davis Strickland to lead. He will be responsible for getting the ball to playmakers such as Frazzitta, who is also tight on offense, Jaylen Elder, Christian Monfort, and others.
Jenkins wants to see his team run the ball better after it struggled on the ground in the scrimmage.
“I didn’t feel like we ran the ball well. Going back to the spring game, we struggled to get it going,” he said. “It’s another thing we’re working on, shifting some guys around and trying to figure out the best combination.”
Monfort and fellow junior Jordan Gordon will carry the load for the Morgan’s backfield. Jenkins knows others will step up and also hopes the Dogs’ veteran offensive line can bully around the Screaming Devis’ front seven.
Warren didn’t impress on defense, giving up an average of 25.3 points per contest in 2024. The Screaming Devils played mostly underclassmen on defense last year, so they enter Friday’s matchup with a lot of game reps.
“In the scrimmage against Cherokee Bluff, we did a good job against the run,” Jenkins said. “But we struggled in the secondary. We’re replacing three of four guys, with Jaylen (Elder) as the only returning starter.”
Luckily for Morgan, Warren is a run-first team. The Screaming Devils totaled only around 300 passing yards last year.
Last season, Warren County went 3-7 overall under head coach Steven Simpson. The Screaming Devils hope for a better outcome entering Simpson’s fifth year. They’ve missed the state playoffs the last two years.
However, it might be challenging for Warren County, especially since Morgan County is coming off a 10-2 season with a trip to the second round of the postseason. The Dogs return several starters on each side of the ball.
Regardless, Jenkins doesn’t want his players to overlook the Screaming Devils. He will make sure his guys are ready.
“We sat there and looked at them on film. And they’re sneaky good. They’re fast and big in some spots,” Jenkins said. “I don’t think that’s hard to see on film. Our guys are excited about opening at home, but we’re definitely not going to take this one for granted. As far as we’re concerned, they’re the Kansas City Chiefs.”