4 Questions With Marietta Football Head Coach Richard Morgan
We spoke with Marietta football head coach Richard Morgan about his team’s turnaround after their opening loss to Colquitt County and their strengths heading into the rest of the season.
Q: After a tough loss to open the season, your team has bounced back with two big victories. What was the message after the loss against Colquitt County?
A: The message was to stop turning the ball over, and we needed to address our punting issues. We had four fumbles and a blocked punt against Colquitt and lost by 3. We fell apart because of our own undoing. That lesson was taken to heart, and we have dominated the second half of the last three games.
Q: Your offense is one of the best I’ve ever seen with Tyler Hughes and those receivers. Where does this group rank among the ones you’ve coached since you’ve been at Marietta?
A: Well, we graduated three D1 receivers and a D1 QB, and those guys started together for 3-4 years. But this group is showing a lot of promise and ability. I believe they will be able to carry our offense throughout the year. It will be interesting to see where we end up at the end of the year.
Q: The defense probably gets overshadowed a little bit because of the great offense. But, they really kept Camden County at bay last week, which allowed your offense to take over and win the game. What are your defense’s greatest strengths?
A: The defense plays together as one unit. Our goal is to play fast and physical. But these guys are also really intelligent, so they understand what offenses are doing and what we need to do.
Q: After winning the state championship in 2019, you lost a ton of seniors, and that, along with the pandemic issues, made last year a tough season for your team. That said, you brought back almost every starter from last season, 19 of 22 starters, I believe. Has what happened last season made the team realize how fortunate they are to get another shot at redemption this year?
A: Last year was difficult for everyone, not just us. But as a young team, we didn’t handle it well. This group is battle tested, and we play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders. You need to have an edge when you take the field. Last year provides us with that edge and a little bit of motivation.
Written by: Phil Jones
