By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

After successfully clinching a berth in the Alabama Independent Schools Association class 3A state playoffs, the Morgan Academy Senators still have something to fight for.

The Senators (4-3, 3-2) will be at home when they play the Kingwood Christian School Lions (3-5, 1-3) Friday at 7 p.m. in a region contest that will help determine where they’re seeded in the playoffs.

The Senators will be facing a familiar spread-offense opponent in the Lions.

“It’s another spread-offense team,” said Brian King, head football coach at Morgan. “They’ve got some real good receivers. They run a lot of bubble screens and jet sweeps to try and get them one on one with defensive backs so they can utilize their speed.”

King said the fact that the Senators have played a number of spread teams in a row will make it easier for them to prepare for the Lions.

“It’s great that we’ve been going up against so many teams that run it (the spread) because we don’t have to change our practice plan as much,” King said. “We’re going to hone in on the technical things as far as keeping the outside contained, getting a good pass rush up the middle and working on our blitz packages.”

A win Friday would clinch the third seed in the AISA playoffs for the Senators.

One aspect of the game Morgan will rely heavily on is its running game, but King said the Senators will have to improve elsewhere as they get closer to the postseason.

“We’ve got to be able to throw the ball, and we’ve been working on that each week and getting a little bit better at it,” King said. “We’re going to try to do more and more these next three weeks to get ready for playoff time, so we can be more balanced because we’re not very balanced. We’re primarily a run team and teams load up the box on us and it makes it tough for us. We’re still able to do a good job blocking, but we’ve go to have another aspect in our offense.”