Morgan gets defensive in 34-0 shutout of visiting Sky View

MORGAN — For 218 straight games, the Sky View Bobcats' offense seemingly scored at will.

On Thursday night, the Morgan Trojans defense stepped up to snap that streak, and keep the Bobcats out — again and again.

Quarterback Beck Sheffield tallied four total touchdowns, including three passing, all to wide receiver Lincoln Gilson, and the Morgan defense did the rest in a 34-0 thumping of Sky View on a windy night at Trojan Field.

After giving up a 16-yard gain to Bobcats tailback Xander Stokes on the first defensive play of the game, Morgan (2-0) clamped down and did not allow the Sky View offense to cross midfield until the final minute of the first half.

The four full first-half possessions for Sky View (1-1) ended in two interceptions, with one by Luke Bauerle, a turnover on downs, and two punts.

"It comes down to assignments and trust," Morgan head coach Jared Barlow said. "We expect (the players) to do their job. When we can work together as a unit like that, it takes pressure off and we can do some things."

Example A: The Trojans marched right down the field on their opening offensive drive, capping it with a 3-yard touchdown run by Sheffield for an early 7-0 advantage. Then, after Bobcat quarterback Jack Clark's second interception of the quarter, Sheffield found Gilson wide open on a post pattern to give Morgan a 14-0 lead.

The rout was on from there as Morgan was never seriously threatened — though Sky View had plenty of opportunities to dent the scoreboard in the second half.

The Bobcats' best drive of the night advanced all the way down to the Trojans 2-yard line before the Morgan defense shut the door with four consecutive stops, including a gang-tackle of Clark on a designed quarterback run that held him 1-yard short.

It made what came next inevitable, as Morgan went coast-to-coast on a 98-yard drive to cap the scoring with Gilson's third touchdown, a 30-yard strike from backup quarterback Cade Randall.

"We go up against one of the best offenses in the state every day in practice," Bauerle said. "Our guys up front, they're just up there making it easy for us safeties; we can stay on our man and go get that ball and force turnovers."

Those practices are making a difference in the first two weeks for the Trojans, who have outscored both Crimson Cliffs and Sky View, who are expected to challenge Ridgeline for the 4A title, by a combined score of 75-13.

After falling short in their title defense last season, Bauerle said he feels the Trojans are being underestimated because of the lack of returning production, which is only fueling the fire for another shot at the Manti Templars in the playoffs — a matchup that is becoming increasingly likely by the week.

"A lot of times you get divisions and selfishness start to creep in, but we have a group of kids that just hasn't let that happen," Barlow said. "That's one of the things I love about the Morgan community: We're passionate about what we do, and we're willing to do something for somebody else."

A preseason training camp hike up to the M above campus, where the team discussed the great tradition of Morgan football and what it meant for the town of Morgan, helped set the tone of the season, Barlow added.

Two years removed from a perfect 13-0 season, and after a dominant first two weeks, it's easy to see why the Trojans believe they can do something special once again, even as Skyline High, the No. 6-ranked team in Idaho, looms next week Saturday.

"It's hard not to want to be out there playing for them," Bauerle, a transfer from a 6A school, said. "Everybody in that locker room, they're brothers. And the community is in full support."

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