MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown’s aggressive defense made all the difference Friday as the Class AAA No. 16 Mohigans blanked Class AA No. 11 Fairmont Senior at Pony Lewis Field, 14-0.
Although the Mohigans (4-2) did not turn them into points, Morgantown forced two key turnovers in the fourth quarter.
It was only the third time Fairmont Senior’s been shutout since 2015 in what was the Polar Bears’ first matchup with Morgantown since 2010.
The Mohigans allowed only 122 total yards to Fairmont Senior (4-3), including 77 on the ground. The Morgantown defensive line caused havoc and disrupted FSHS quarterback Brody Whitehair.
“We played well up front,” Morgantown coach Sean Biser said. “We have been working hard, and we kept coming up short. I thought we had a great week of practice. That is the position I coach, and those guys come to work daily. I am proud of them and thought they played well against a great team.”
Morgantown got the ball rolling thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run from Caleb Nutter late in the first half. Nutter would finish the game with 80 yards on 23 carries.
Both defenses stepped up following the game’s first touchdown and Morgantown would not score again until the closing minutes of the third quarter when sophomore AJ Thomas broke numerous tackles and found the end zone from 15 yards out, allowing the home team to double its lead.
Fairmont Senior knocked on the door on two fourth-quarter possessions, but Morgantown’s defense stood firm. The first instance came when Drew Boczek read Whitehair perfectly and tipped a pass in the air that allowed Thomas to bring in an interception.
Thomas continues to piece together strong performances and finished with 69 yards on eight carries in addition to his defensive contributions.
“He has been playing defense a lot for us recently,” Biser said. “We got those other guys like Marcus [Ullom], Keonn [Mallett], Broderick [Washington], [Caleb Nutter], and Bobby [Powell]. Those guys have been carrying the load, and AJ has been working hard and learning the plays. We felt comfortable enough to put him in. He worked hard this week. AJ has given those other guys a breather on the other side.”
Fairmont Senior was again in position to score later in the fourth, but a fumble by the Polar Bears with 5:47 left brought an end to their hopes.
“They are a great double-A team,” Biser noted. “They have always beaten triple-A teams, and I thought our kids played well.”
The Mohigans have pitched two shutouts this season — the first time since 2016 Morgantown team has accomplished multiple shutouts in a season.
“Coach [Adam] King does a great job getting these guys ready to go,” Biser noted. “He has a great game plan each week. Our kids buy into what he is doing. They believe in him and the rest of our coaching staff.”
Morgantown rushed for 224 yards and was able to control the line of scrimmage to establish its ground game.
“I have a play sheet full of pass plays, but when we started making runs, I told myself that if it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it,” Biser said. “We hit them early on. We had two opportunities that got away from us trying to throw the ball. We were running the ball so well, and I told myself we were going to keep running the ball.”