By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

Only two minutes and 16 seconds into Friday night’s game against Edgewood Academy, Morgan Academy already found itself in a 21-0 hole. Once the Wildcats were rolling, there was no slowing them down.

Top-ranked Edgewood Academy (4-0) won its 63rd consecutive game and kept the nation’s longest 11-man football win streak intact with a dominant 68-18 victory over the Senators (1-3). Although Morgan was overmatched, the team fought until the end.

After being outscored 55-0 in the first half, Morgan bounced back to edge Edgewood 18-13 in the second half. The Wildcats had shutout their previous two opponents and made it clear early on they planned on doing the same to Morgan.

Thirteen seconds into the game, the Senators trailed 7-0 after Edgewood’s Jackson Tate took the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Edgewood recovered its ensuing onside kick.

“We started slow. You can’t have that against a good team,” said Morgan head coach Jake Wingo.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke dished the ball to Tyler Price for a 5-yard touchdown on the Wildcats’ first drive to extend the lead to 14-0. Morgan fumbled the kickoff return, and Rourke hit Daniel Green with 9:44 left in the first quarter for a 24-yard touchdown.

Wildcats’ head coach Bobby Carr was impressed with what he saw in Rourke against Morgan.

“His football IQ is extremely high and he’s going to make somebody a really good quarterback in the future on Saturdays,” Carr said.

Rourke finished the first quarter with 286 passing yards and five touchdowns. He connected with Maurice Young for a 37-yard touchdown at the 7:32 mark, hooked up with Tyler Price for a 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 3:38 left in the first quarter and hit Kelvin Lucky for a 22-yard score.

Edgewood led 42-0 with 1:24 still remaining in the first quarter. Rourke tossed his sixth and final touchdown pass of the game at 8:29 in the second quarter on a 16-yard strike to Tate.

Price carried it in from 3 yards out to give the Wildcats a 55-0 lead into halftime.

Morgan’s defense came to play in the third quarter. JR Wood forced a fumble with a big hit in the backfield, and Jackson Henderson intercepted a pass from Edgewood’s Tripp Carr. Henderson also led Morgan with 82 yards receiving.

“[Henderson]’s been a big-time leader for us this year and he’s continued that,” Wingo said.

Sam Brackin scored Morgan’s first points on an 11-yard run with 3:18 left in the third quarter. Woodham Kemmer rushed for two touchdowns for the Senators in the fourth quarter, giving Morgan the most points scored against Edgewood since Aug. 20.

“Woodham’s going to give you 100 percent every play and he did a good job. He had some good hard runs,” Wingo said.

Carr was impressed with the way the Senators fought late in the game.

“Hats off to Coach Wingo and his staff for keeping his guys ready and playing for four quarters,” Carr said.

Wingo said he hopes his team can build towards the type of program Edgewood has built.

“We’re striving to get our program in that direction,” Wingo said.

Morgan hosts Tuscaloosa Academy next Friday. Edgewood will head back home against Lakeside.