Morgan grounds out win over Grantsville

GRANTSVILLE — After moving the ball well in the first half with no touchdowns to show for it, Morgan came out blocking low and running hard in the second half to march to a 26-6 victory over Grantsville.

Jake Kinsey ran hard from beginning to end to total 106 yards and a touchdown. Kinsey and Ben VanCampen, who finished with 99 yards and a score, teamed up to give headaches to the Cowboys for four quarters.

After a great kickoff return by Kinsey, Morgan started moving the ball well. Beginning a drive in Grantsville territory, Morgan got a boost with an 11-yard run from VanCampen to get inside the Cowboy 20, but that is where the drive stalled and Josh Allen nailed a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Moving the ball well on their second consecutive drive behind strong running by VanCampen helped Morgan invade Cowboy territory again. Getting hammered with mostly run plays, Grantsville's defense stood tall in the face of the challenges, forcing Allen to make a longer 31-yard field goal for a six-point lead. That's where the lead stayed at halftime, thanks to a drive-halting interception by Grantsville's Ty Davis.

Getting yards wasn't the problem for Morgan, it was the challenge of crossing the goal line that the Trojans couldn't overcome in the first half.

"I told my players to come out and block low and run hard through tackles," said Morgan coach Kovi Christiansen.

That's exactly what the hard-nosed runners did for Morgan. Most of the Trojans' yards in the second half came after initial contact. Kinsey had two big runs of 13 yards each and then capped the drive with a four-yard sweep to the left side for Morgan's first touchdown.

Grantsville took to the air to get their offense going as Logan Paulich hit Austin Killpack with a long pass, then Killpack streaked down the sideline for Grantsville's first score of the game. With momentum on their side, Grantsville was unable to score on their next drive and gave Morgan the chance to put the game away.

Not wasting any chances, Morgan repeatedly broke tackles, especially VanCampen who ran straight into a crowd of Grantsville lineman and somehow shot out of the crowd and didn't stop until he crossed the goal line for a 39-yard touchdown to go up 18-6.

Eighty yards from sealing up the game for good, Morgan turned to Dayton Smith, who started the drive with a 38-yard run and capped the possession and the game with a four-yard score, running off right tackle for a 20-point lead late in the game.