Manti fails to get touchdown in 42-0 shutout by Morgan last Friday
MORGAN—Manti football took the field in Morgan having not scored a touchdown on the Trojans in three years, and unfortunately for the Templars, that didn’t change.
The Templars ran into a wall against the Morgan Trojans, netting less than 100 total yards of offense as they suffered their third-straight loss last Friday in shutout on the road, 42-0. Manti moved to 2-3 on the season, wrapping up non-region play in the process.
This game was the last of a three-game stretch against the top three team in the 3A North Region, the same stretch Manti played last season. Their loss to Morgan was not only by the exact same score as last season, but the box score was only a touchdown shy of being the same as well, as Morgan scored all their points before halftime.
As much as Manti’s performance this year has shown an improvement over 2021, Morgan quickly showed that they’ve gotten better, too. Nearly a third of all of Morgan’s tackles against the Templars were for a loss (TFL).
In the absence of starting quarterback Kayson Douglas, who is out because of con- cussion protocol, sophomore Maison Starkweather started his first varsity game. It was a heavy struggle against Morgan’s powerful defense as he completed 7 of 18 passes for 48 yards with an interception. The Trojans sacked Starkweather five times for a total loss of 28 yards.
Starkweather’s top target was junior Reggie Frischknecht, who made just two catches for 17 yards. Senior running back Larsen Pogroszewski led the run game with 11 carries for 37 yards.
Despite the final score and Morgan’s 345 total yards, Manti did some nice things on defense. Sophomore Lincoln Alder had two of Manti’s four TFL’s, and senior Scott Lee nabbed an interception off Trojan backup quarterback Beck Sheffield.
Coach Cole Meacham could not be reached for comment.
The Utah High School Activities Association (UH- SAA) released its first rating percentage index (RPI) rankings Monday. The Templars are currently ranked No. 9 in 3A out of 12 teams.
Having made it through the gauntlet of their last three weeks, the Templars’ region schedule offers a respite, as they’ll play one of only two region home games this Friday, taking on the Carbon Dinos, the last-place team in 3A.
