Morgan defense needs only 1 score to earn win

MORGAN — Give Morgan's stingy backline any kind of lead, and it usually will defend the advantage.

The third-ranked Trojans didn't play particularly well in the opening half of their Region 10 tilt with Wasatch on Wednesday, but after getting a late first-half goal from Kyle Walker they picked up their play.

And the defense returned to its usual dominant self.

Morgan's defense largely held Wasatch in check after halftime, and the result was a 1-0 win.

"I think their team was outplaying us (in the first half), and then we got that goal in," first-year coach Teresa Davis said. "And I don't know how we got it in, but we got it in. And then we just picked it up from there."

Wasatch — behind talented attackers Skyler Bamgartner, Mathew Wheatley and Mack Adams — carried most of the first-half play and had a couple of golden opportunities to open the scoring. However, neither chance was taken, and the Wasps paid dearly just two minutes before the break.

From the right side, Walker — responsible for leading Morgan's offensive attack — beat a defender and fired his shot past Wasatch 'keeper Tyson Day.

From there, Morgan's defense improved to keep the Wasps from finding the net. It was the Trojans' third straight shutout to begin Region 10 play.

In total, Morgan has six shutouts this season, and it's only conceded three goals in eight games.

And while there's still room for defensive improvement, the Trojans' backline is quickly blossoming into one of Class 3A's best.

"We definitely need to put some more in the goal, but our defense is strong," senior sweeper Ben Poll said. "We base just about everything off our defense."

Three games into Region 10 play, Morgan sits atop the early table with nine points, leading Uintah by three points.

There is a huge amount of work ahead — Morgan still must play all five of its league road games — but there's no question the Trojans are focused on putting themselves in a position to win Region 10.

"We've been playing together for around 10 years now. We know each other enough," Poll said. "We're all just about on the same page, so we should be able to crank out the results and hopefully win a region championship and go on to state."

Meanwhile, Wasatch will look for continued improvement. The Wasps have struggled early but showed signs Wednesday that they're headed in the right direction.