Evan Johnson kicked a late-game field goal to help Morgan County top East Jackson and advance in the state playoffs.
The moment wasn’t too big for Johnson, who nailed a 36-yarder with 14 seconds remaining to break a 49-49 tie. The two teams went back and forth in the second half, but Johnson’s kick solidified the Dogs’ 52-49 playoff win over the Eagles.
Morgan County coach Clint Jenkins was proud of his team’s perseverance, especially after it blew a 28-7 first-half lead.
“It was cool for Evan to have that opportunity,” Jenkins said. “Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win ugly games.”
Morgan County’s offense began a drive at the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter, with the game tied at 49- 49.
A few plays into the possession, quarterback Davis Strickland was picked off by an East Jackson defender, who raced down the sideline before being tripped up near midfield.
Strickland chased and brought him down to save the game.
Jenkins thought the play saved his team’s season, primarily because, if his starting quarterback hadn’t tackled the East Jackson defensive back, he would’ve likely scored and given the Eagles a touchdown lead with under four minutes left.
“He made a great effort, swiped at him,” he said. “The kid slips and falls, thank goodness, or it could’ve been game over.”
Morgan County’s defense held firm, forcing a three-and-out. East Jackson punted it away, and the Dogs’ offense went to work.
Strickland, who passed for 341 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception, connected with tight end Drew Ainslie for a long gain. Ainslie, a 6-foot-5 junior, hauled in the pass with the tip of his fingers and picked up yards after the catch.
Jenkins said the original plan was to try and score a late-game touchdown, but things changed quickly after Ainslie’s catch.
“We were planning on going on and trying to score, but the more we talked about it, the more it felt like we had it straight on,” he said. “There was no angle to it; it was straight, so we kicked it. The cool thing was that the defense held when they had to after the interception, the offense drove it back down, and special teams put the knife through the heart.”
The game wasn’t always neck-and-neck, though.
Morgan County raced out to a sizeable first-half lead behind a strong performance from Strickland, Ainslie, running back Christian Monfort, tight end Draco Frazzitta, and wideout Jaylen Elder. Each helped the Dogs lead 28-7 early in the game.
East Jackson trailed 28-13 at the break but came alive to start the second half, hitting several explosive plays on offense. The Eagles outscored Morgan County 22-14 in the third quarter, tying the game at 42-42 going into the fourth.
Luckily, the stars aligned for Johnson, who missed a field goal attempt earlier in the game, to take another try.
“For Evan to come in with the whole game on the line and knock it out, it says how much faith we’ve got in him,” Jenkins said. “Now again, it wasn’t pretty. We didn’t play well on defense, probably on all three levels, but sometimes you’ve got to learn how to win ugly. That’s what we talked about after the game. I’m proud of our fight and resolve.”
Monfort rushed for 231 yards and a touchdown. Frazzitta also carried it four times for 38 yards and a score. Ainslie totaled 180 yards on eight catches with a touchdown, while Elder also caught eight passes for 131 yards and three scores.
On Friday, Morgan County (10-1) will host Sumter County (10-1). The Panthers defeated Union County 31-6 in the first round.
“I feel like we can continue to work and fix the things we need to fix,” Jenkins said. “And you know, as long as they’re willing to come out and try to get better, we’ll keep getting better.