Morgan advances

Published 12:00 am Sunday, November 14, 2004

The defending AISA class 3A state champion Morgan Academy Senators moved a step closer to repeating Friday night by edging a very good Pike Liberal Academy team 10-6 in their first-round playoff game at Morgan Field.

Coach Robert Gartman’s signature brand of smash-mouth football proved supreme again as Josh McAteer and Jeremy Smith controlled the tempo and the clock. Jonathan Slagel, Brian Gomes and Blake South led the defensive charge against a Patriot offense that came into the game with high marks.

Both teams struggled early, but threatened to score midway through the second stanza. Both came up empty as a result of turnovers.

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Pike’s much heralded quarterback Andrew Fulmer passed and ran his 8-2 squad deep into Senator territory. On second and 10 from the 19, Eric Pilcher stepped in front of Fulmer’s pass at the 5-yard line to squash the drive.

McAteer then took a pitch around left end 57 yards before Liston Conrad made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Patriot 23-yard line. The Senators moved inside the 10, but an errant pitch by Smith gave the visitors the ball back at the Morgan 18. The Patriots were unable to move as Slagel and South had tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

With good field position at the Pike 48, Smith hit Pilcher for 18 yards and Will Summerlin for a 34-yard jaunt that led to the first score on the night.

Behind Donnie Hogg and Slagel, McAteer punched it in from three yards out. Smith’s PAT gave the Senators a 7-0 lead going into halftime.

The Senators (9-2) played tough, sound defense and keep-away, grind-it-out offense in the second half to try and put away the gritty Patriots.

Smith’s 34-yard field goal at the 10:28 mark of the fourth period appeared to seal the win at 10-0.

But Pike coach Brian Seymore’s team and Fulmer would not go quietly. The Patriots went no-huddle and pecked away at the Senator secondary. Fulmer found Sam Sellers for 24 yards on a fourth-down play to keep Pike alive.

Six plays later Fulmer connected with Dean Anderson behind the Morgan secondary for a 29-yard score with 4:25 remaining. Rhett Rhyne stopped Fulmer just short of the goal line on the two-point try.

After Morgan recovered an onside kick, the Patriots’ defense stuffed the Senators and forced a punt. Fulmer moved Pike within striking distance, but a big sack by Clayton Cogle and a pass breakup at the goal line by Smith left the Patriots with one shot with six seconds remaining.

Pressure forced Fulmer to throw early and McAteer intercepted the Hail Mary try in the end zone as time expired.

The Senators advance to the second round and will travel to undefeated, top-ranked Bessemer Academy on Thursday night. “I think somebody can beat them, and that could be us,” Gartman said. “We’re going to try and keep it close until the fourth quarter and see what happens.”