MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The 2014 high school football season was a bit bizarre and certainly out of the norm for Morgantown.
The 4-6 Mohigans, usually a Class AAA playoff lock, lost five of their final six games – a stretch that included surrendering a 26-15 lead to Martinsburg with four minutes to go, a 19-point loss at Class AA power Wayne, a one-point loss to nine-win Wheeling Park, a seven-point loss to Musselman and an overtime loss to arch-rival and 10-win University.
“You know what? (Missing the playoffs) was kind of cool,” said Morgantown coach John Bowers. “Because this offseason has been dynamite. I wanted to see what kind of (drive) we had as a coaching staff, as a parents’ organization and as a team — our kids have responded greatly.”
Injuries played a role in those 2014 setbacks, but could actually benefit the 2015 Mohigans as several younger players received valuable experience. Morgantown has 13 players that have started a game offensively and 14 players with starting experience defensively.
“We played way too many kids last year, probably a year early,” Bowers said. “They really could have used a full season on JV, but because we were so decimated with injuries, they had to get baptized by fire.”
Morgantown will have to replace graduated senior Ethan Goldcamp (837 yards passing, nine touchdowns) at quarterback and rising 6-foot-2 senior Zayne Hern has stepped in nicely. Hern last year threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns in limited action.
“He looks fantastic, he really does,” Bowers said of his new starting QB. “He looks confident, he looks fluid. The thing I like about Zayne is that he’s a gunslinger – he’ll throw two picks, but then come right back, it doesn’t bother him. He’s doing great.”
Senior receiver Kody Shearer and senior Jonah Campbell also had productive summers for the Mohigans. Shearer is the leading receiver back, finishing fourth on the team last year with 118 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches. He also led the Mohigans defensively with three interceptions.
A couple other returning standouts include 6-foot-2 junior running back/linebacker Maverick Wolfley, along with running back Dashon Thomas, back for his senior season.
Wolfley finished with 544 yards and five touchdowns on 82 carries last year, while Thomas led the way with 831 yards and six touchdowns on 150 carries.
“He’s just an absolute beast physically,” Bowers said of Thomas. “I want to give him the ball and let him rumble a little bit.”
Wolfley, meanwhile, led the Mohigans last year with 105 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss.
It’s a renewed sense of overall team chemistry, though, that has Bowers the most optimistic after talented Morgantown teams in both of the past two seasons ultimately failed to live up to expectations.
“For the first time in a couple of years, we have a team,” Bowers said. “They love each other. We have to kick them out of the weight room. They keep me after practice so they can push sleds – I haven’t had that in a while.”
Gone from the schedule this year is that matchup with Wayne, but new-comer to the schedule Riverside will visit Morgantown on October 16. The Mohigans will also have back-to-back trips to the eastern panhandle on September 25 and October 2, at Martinsburg and then at Musselman.
All of Morgantown’s home contests have been moved from up from 7:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. kickoffs.
2015 MORGANTOWN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK | TEAM | DATE | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | vs. ANACOSTIA (DC) |
August 28 | ||
2 | vs. BROOKE |
September 4 | ||
3 | at PARKERSBURG SOUTH |
September 11 | ||
4 | vs. WASHINGTON |
September 18 | ||
5 | at MARTINSBURG | September 25 |
6 | at MUSSELMAN |
October 2 | ||
7 | vs. WHEELING PARK |
October 9 | ||
8 | vs. RIVERSIDE |
October 16 | ||
9 | at JOHN MARSHALL |
October 23 | ||
10 | at UNIVERSITY | October 30 |
11 | BYE WEEK |
November 6 | ||
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