Morgan County’s football team will hit the gridiron this Thursday for a preseason scrimmage at Cherokee Bluff.
The Bulldogs will travel to Flowery Branch to face the Bears, who they’ve scrimmaged against the last two years.
Morgan County head coach Clint Jenkins is ready to see how his players perform after an offseason full of workouts and camps. He acknowledged the scrimmage against Cherokee Bluff will be a test for his team.
“The scrimmage will be an evaluation of where we are and will help us identify things we need to continue work on,” Jenkins said. “That part of it never goes away, especially because you’re always trying to get better. This an opportunity to go up against a good opponent and see how we stack up.”
Morgan County has spent the past several months practicing against each other, but this is the team’s first real chance to face an opponent in a real game-type situation.
Cherokee Bluff, a Class AAAA program, went 4-6 last season, but faced tough competition. The Bears return a good number of starters, and Jenkins knows head coach Tommy Jones will have his team ready to play.
“Tommy is a good friend of mine. We were together at Dacula,” Jenkins said. “We know each other, and you like to scrimmage people you trust. That’s a big deal for us. We know [Cherokee Bluff] will be big up front and hard-nosed. For us, it’s a good test, especially at the line of scrimmage. They’re always a tough bunch.”
Jenkins’ main worry isn’t about Cherokee Bluff, though. He is more concerned with how his players will perform. He and his staff have prepared their players the best they could and are now anxious to see the results.
The Bulldogs’ coach said he’s most excited about seeing how some position battles play out against the Bears.
“We’ve still got some guys battling for spots and playing time,” he said. “On the offensive line, we’re trying to figure out who our best five are and what’s the best combination.
“We’re also still trying to figure out rotationally who can help us out on defense. Who can continue to add to what we’re trying to do? Depth is always an issue at our level. The more guys we feel can give us some time on Friday night, the better off we’ll be.”
Last season’s results against Cherokee Bluff paid dividends, as the Bulldogs went 10-2 overall, won a region championship, and secured their first playoff victory in over a decade. The team hopes to top that success this year.
After the scrimmage, Morgan County’s season opener will be at home next Friday, Aug. 16, against Warren County.