Preview of September 28 Morgan County Football Games
Wartburg vs Cumberland Gap
By Terry Futrell
Fresh off their 58-14 win over Sunbright, the Wartburg Bulldogs turn to Class 2A Region competition against Cumberland Gap this week. The Bulldogs have won their last two outings but are winless against 2A opponents.
Wartburg’s second-half struggles earlier in the season appear to have gone away – the Bulldogs proved against Oakdale and Sunbright that they can play four full quarters of hard-nosed football. Wartburg now has a balanced pass-run attack and can burn opponents with big plays. Against Sunbright, the Bulldogs had pass plays of 68, 21, 24, and 80 yards, three of which were for touchdowns. The Bulldogs also had big rushing plays good for 71 and 21 yards, as well as a 50-yard return. The Bulldog defense held Sunbright scoreless throughout the second half.
A big positive for Wartburg was the first appearance this season of Tyler Davis at quarterback. Davis was injured in a preseason scrimmage, but gave every indication that he is now fully recovered. While he played only briefly in the fourth quarter, Davis ran the ball twice for 11 yards and a touchdown. Davis’ presence holds promise for an even more dynamic offense, affording stellar athlete Josh Moore more opportunities as both a runner and receiver.
Class 2A Region 2 opponent Cumberland Gap Panthers have a 3-2 overall record, but are winless against 2A opponents, having lost to Oneida and No.1 ranked Meigs County. Against Meigs County, the Panthers could muster only 48 yards total offense and a single touchdown scored against the Meigs County reserves. Meigs County was essentially able to move the ball at will against the Panther defense using a balanced attack similar to Wartburg, amassing 127 yards rushing and 152 yards passing in the first half.
Wartburg certainly appears to have the offense to be successful against the Panthers. If the Bulldog defense plays as well as they did against Sunbright, Wartburg should rack up their third victory of the season, a feat not accomplished since 2012.
Kickoff is at 7:30 PM at Wartburg.
Oakdale vs Sunbright
By Terry Futrell
The Oakdale Eagles, 1-4 on the season, hosts the winless Sunbright Tigers in a game that is critical to both teams. The loser moves to the bottom of Class A Region 2 with little chance of recovery considering the tough schedule ahead for each team.
It has been a tough year for the Oakdale Eagles with only __ players on the roster, making it impossible to even practice a full 11-on-11 offensive or defensive scheme. Still, the Eagles play with heart and will be a stubborn opponent for the Tigers. Using both Eli Solomon and Garrett Miller at quarterback, the Eagles will mix it up offensively with both running and passing plays. The big uncertainty for Oakdale is their ability to play hard for four quarters against Sunbright’s big, strong line and much larger roster.
Against Wartburg, Sunbright’s offense was dominated by the play of John Wayne Freels and Ethan Hammock. Freels can both pass and run effectively, gaining 65 yards in eight carries against Wartburg and completing four of ten passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Hammock ran the ball 17 times for 72 yards and a touchdown against Wartburg, as well as reeling in four passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Sunbright will most assuredly test Oakdale’s secondary, which will likely be the key to which team wins this game.
Kickoff is at 7:30 PM at Oakdale.
Coalfield vs Midway
By Greg Addington
Coalfield steps back into region play Friday night hosting Midway for homecoming on Rochelle Field. Coalfield and Midway are tied for 8th place in the latest Associated Press Class A poll. Coach Keith Henry’s Jackets will be eager to get back into the win column after dropping last Friday’s game at Marion County 26-16 while the undefeated Green Wave triumphed at Tellico Plains 39-8.
In last week’s contest in Jasper, the Jackets took the early lead on an Anthony Foster six-yard touchdown run and also got a 34-yard field goal from senior kicker Wyatt Withrow, but trailed at intermission 12-10. The second half was not kind to the Jackets as Marion County received a strong performance from quarterback Toney Sampson and lost quarterback Lance Byrd to an injury early in the fourth. Coalfield still was able to rally and put points on the board with a two-yard Peyton McKinney touchdown run only to see Warriors respond with a Toney Sampson 12-yard score to end scoring for the night. The leader for the Jackets on both sides of the ball was senior running back/linebacker Jonathon Woodward who ran for 126 yards on ten carries and had 11 tackles on defense.
The Green Wave ride into Rochelle Field on Friday night with a spotless 5-0 record with wins against Rockwood, Monterey, Oakdale, Unaka and Tellico Plains. However, the Green Wave finishes their regular season with region contests from here on out. Offensively, Midway is led by their senior quarterback Jason Taylor who throws to a stable of capable receivers led by seniors Hunter Mims and Cyrus Clark. Against Tellico Plains, Mims scored three touchdown passes from Taylor. Junior Andrew Burton is the main threat on the ground, but Taylor is also a running threat out of the spread formation. Defensively, the Green Wave runs the 4-3 as their base defense.
This is a key game for Coalfield’s playoff aspirations and could go a long way to determine seeding. The Jackets and the Green Wave face off on Rochelle Field at 7:30 Friday night.