Despite gritty performance, Morgan Academy suffers third loss

Despite showing lots of grit, the AISA Class AAA Region 2 Morgan Academy Senators suffered their third loss of the season in a heart-breaking 38-30 loss to non-regional opponent the Patrician Academy Saints at home on Oct. 3.

With the loss, the Senators fell to 4-3 overall and remained 1-1 in regional play.

The Senators were down 20-0 with about 30 seconds left in the half. But with third-and-goal from about the 1-yard line, Alex Johnson ran for a touchdown and then hit Speedie Pernell for a 2-pass play to make it a 20-8 game.

The joy did not last long when Patrician answered to make it a 26-8 game with 1.7 seconds left in the first half. 

The Senators continued to fight with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Alex Johnson to Rhett Thomas and 2-point run by Johnson to make it a 26-16 game early in the second half.

Patrician pulled ahead 32-16 with 3:04 left in the third quarter. But Alex Johnson scored on an 8-yard run with 55 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 32-22 contest.

Patrician scored their final points of the night late in the third quarter to make it 38-22 lead.

But Morgan finished all the scoring with a 40-yard fumble return by Pernell for a touchdown and 2-point run by Alex Johnson with 2:22 left in the game to make the final 38-30 in favor of the Saints.

Things will not get easier for the Senators when they host powerhouse regional opponent Lowndes Academy on Oct. 10. The Rebels are 6-1 overall and 3-0 in regional play.