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High school football: Morgan picked to finish atop 3A North region
An end zone marker is pictured before a football game held at Timpview High School in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.
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Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Picked to finish atop the 3A North this season is the Morgan Trojans. After falling a game short of the 3A championship a year ago, the Trojans will be looking to take the next step forward this season.
Morgan will have a new look on offense this year, with just two starters returning in junior offensive lineman Gage Denton and junior wide receiver George Thurston.
“One strength of our team is their competitive spirit and desire to be successful. That has led them to work hard in developing physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Morgan head coach Jared Barlow. “As the season starts and we are preparing for games, one area we need to constantly work on is our attention to detail. Little things matter, both on and off the field.”
Barlow knows that everyone is expecting big things out of his team this year. The only thing that they can do is control what they control and lean into what they do well while continuing to work on the weak areas of the field.
“Humility allows us to recognize that others have strengths, and they are working hard as well, both on our team and our competitors. We know that, and we try to prepare ourselves to give whoever we play the best version of ourselves. We can control what we do, and other peoples’ expectations of us is not one of those things we control. We just work hard to be the best version of us.”
While there are several players that Barlow is hoping will step up and carry this team this year, it’s not one individual that is going to determine the team’s success as the season goes on.
“The great teams constantly build and have great leadership. Leadership is found in many places, and we have some really good leaders,” said Barlow. “One group that we look to for leadership is our offensive and defensive lines. The work they put in and how well they perform has a drastic impact on how we perform as a team.”
The Cowboys have eight returning starters from a year ago, with four on offense and four on defense.
“We are really excited for this year. The kids have been working really hard in the weight room, and we hope it will show on the field this year. We lost a lot of good seniors from last year but have several good players back and look forward to seeing several new players show what they can do,” said Grantsville head coach David Millward.
After getting bounced out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals a year ago, Grantsville will have a tough task ahead of them if they want to be able to get past Morgan and the other tough teams in their region.
“Our region will continue to run through Morgan High School. I believe we have good coaches in our region, and I think each team will improve and make each week a challenge,” added Millward.
Grantsville has the pieces in place to make some noise in region this year. If the Cowboys can replace the production they lost and continue to improve as the year progresses, there is no reason why they can’t make a deep playoff run this season.
Coming in at No. 3 is the Logan Grizzlies. After seeing their season come to a close much sooner than they would have liked last year by losing in the first round of the playoffs, continuity is going to be key for Logan this year, with 17 total returning starters hoping to push the Grizzlies to the top this season.
“The team is excited for the 2027 season. With eight returning offensive starters, nine defensive starters, and returning both coordinators, we are excited to see what we can do. We have a tough non-region schedule and then get into a very good 3A North schedule. Each week will be a challenge, and we are looking forward to it,” said Logan head coach Nate Butts.
Butts believes the region is stronger than it has ever been and that his team will need to play their best football week in and week out.
“The 3A North Region is a very strong one. We are excited to be in Year 2 and compete against these schools. Each program is led by a great head coach who wants to build young men the right way. The Grizzlies feel honored to be in this region,” added Butts.
Likely to finish toward the middle of the pack, according to our preseason rankings, are the Ogden Tigers.
Much like Logan, Ogden saw their season come to a disappointing close early in the state playoffs a year ago.
Entering his 10th year with the program, Ogden head coach Terry Larsen likes what he has seen from his players during the offseason, and he believes they are destined for bigger and better things this season.
“We’re excited to continue building the foundation of our program. Our players have worked hard throughout the offseason and are buying into the culture and standards we’re establishing,” said Larsen. “We return experienced playmakers at the skill positions and have a talented group of young linemen developing in the trenches. We’re looking forward to competing every Friday night.”
Larsen knows there won’t be an easy game during the season, but he believes his team matches up well with any of the other teams in the region. He expects every week to present a new challenge and hopes his players will continue improving as the season progresses.
“Our region is highly competitive, with several strong programs and quality coaching staffs. We know every week will bring a new challenge, and we’re looking forward to competing throughout the season.”
After losing a big chunk of the team to graduation, it is going to be somewhat of a new-look team for the Cougars this year. Although the team will look much different, Union head coach Jordan Gurr has the belief in his returning seniors to lead the way this year.
“We’re looking forward to this year being a fun and competitive year. We took positive steps last season and even though we graduated a large amount of senior experience, this group has set an exciting tone across the offseason and into...
HighMorganNorthPickedMorgan TrojansAfterTrojansGage DentonGeorge ThurstonTimpview High SchoolProvoAug
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