MADISON, Ga. — Morgan County is back in the state semifinals behind a defense that has defined the Bulldogs’ season, marking the program’s first final four appearance since its 2019 state championship.
“We’re a defensive program; that’s where we hang our hat,” head coach Cody Anderson said. “If teams can’t score, they can’t win. Credit to our kids, they’ve bought into it.”
The Bulldogs’ defensive intensity has been their driving force all season. Since Dec. 30, they have held 17 opponents to 50 points or fewer — a streak that continued in their 62-40 quarterfinal win over Thomson on their home court Wednesday, which advanced fifth-seeded Morgan County to a semifinal matchup against No. 16-seed Therrell on Friday at Legacy Arena in Douglasville.
Morgan County, which entered the playoffs ranked No. 8 in 2A, disrupted Thomson’s offense with aggressive double teams and trapping schemes that forced turnovers and created transition opportunities. Morgan County also made a key defensive adjustment after halftime.
Thomson’s leading scorer, Markevion Jones, scored 15 of the team’s 20 points in the first half, but Morgan County’s defense limited him to seven points in the second half.
Freshman guard Trey Carter led Morgan County with 16 points, but he said the team’s defense is what continues to set the Bulldogs apart.
“I feel like we’ve got the best defense in the state,” Carter said.
That defensive mentality is reinforced every day in practice, Carter said, and is built around the program’s four C’s — connection, competition, composure and consistency. Anderson, who has been coaching the Bulldogs since the 2022-23 season, said the program’s emphasis on consistency extends beyond the court.
“We talk so much about your capabilities are not what you can do on any given day — it’s what you do every single day,” Anderson said. “Our kids practice this way, they lift this way and they go to school this way. Those are ID traits for us.”
The winner of the Therrell-Morgan County semifinal will advance to play the winner of KIPP Atlanta-Butler in the 2A state title game on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m.
Alyssia Hamilton is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
