Published: October 09, 2008 11:35 pm            

Mohigans facing North Marion on hot streak

MORGANTOWN — The only thing Morgantown High football coach John Bowers has lost lately is weight and he expects to keep it that way when his streaking Mohigans try to pin a 27th consecutive loss on North Marion in Rachel.

Bowers has lost in excess of 30 pounds on the NutriSystem diet, which is a whole lot better than losing football games. The Mohigans dropped their opener to Wheeling Park, then have come back to win their next five, including a character testing come-from-behind victory at Preston last week.

The Mohigans fell behind in this one 20-0 before they took their fifth snap of the game.

“The coaching staff needs to get a lot of credit because we kept it together. At that point, you could certainly get emotional, but none of us did. We just kind of coached. We figured out what we needed to do. The biggest part of that was the kids responded to the coaching. We didn’t lose our minds, so they didn’t,” Bowers said.

“It was still early enough in the game that we didn’t need to deviate from our game plan. We scored just before the half and then Bassam Abulaban takes it inside their 10. Two plays later, Joey Musick takes it in and that got us to within a touchdown,” Bowers said.

Musick has been something of an overlooked part of the Morgantown resurgence.

A sophomore, they spotted him last year with the freshman team where he scored about 25 touchdowns.

Musick is the kind of kid that Morgantown has been lacking recently.

“He’s a home run hitter,” Bowers said. “We haven’t had that kind of kid since Spencer Farley, really. He’s the one guy who has proved he can go 80 yards and score a touchdown.”

A quick strike threat changes everything about the Morgantown offense, which had been relying on pounding the ball or going through the air.

“When you turn around and hand him the football he’s got great vistion, he’s got great speed, he has great instincts. He’s got that ‘it’ that you can’t put your finger on. He’s got that ability to play football,” Bowers said.

What’s more, putting Musick and Abulaban together in the kick returning games makes the Mohigans extremely threatening.

Musick has two touchdowns in seven punt returns.

And while Musick even caught two passes last week, too, he isn’t yet a complete player.

“He’s still a little soft when it comes to blocking. He’s a little light because he has to block linebackers and defensive ends, but he’s learning,” said Bowers.

Certainly, North Marion doesn’t seem to have the kind of talent to stop Morgantown the way it is playing at present.

“They’re certainly not the North Marion of old. It’s a game we should win,” Bowers admitted. “We’re faster than them. We’re stronger than them up front. They’re a team that’s desperate. The kids would certainly like to give Coach White his 100th win.

“Stranger things have happened,” Bowers concluded.

        

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