By Ronnie Gallagher
rgallagher@salisburypost.com
MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan was down 14-6 to a Davie County team that seemed to be hitting on all cylinders and it was still in the first quarter.
West was 0-1. The fans were having doubts. Somebody had to do something.
Jarvis Morgan did what any senior leader would.
He stepped up.
Morgan ran underneath a Connor Edwards pass that was good for 66 yards. It set up a touchdown and was the Falcons’ first big play in what turned into a 45-32 West victory.
“I was thinking, ‘We had to find some way to get something going,” Morgan recalled. “ After I caught that pass, it seemed like momentum switched our way.”
It was Edwards’ only pass of the night and it left Morgan and coach Scott Young beaming.
“I didn’t think Connor would get it to me like that,” Morgan said with a smile. “It was one heck of a throw.”
“The one thing I’m proud of, Connor threw a pretty ball,” Young said. “That was a play the kids wanted themselves.”
It was another example of Morgan’s leadership. The 6-foot-2 wide receiver noticed Davie was cheating up, guarding against the run. Morgan told Young that during a break in the action.
“They were smart enough to see the coverage,” Young said. “Jarvis thought he could get behind the guy — and he did.”
That early catch was just the beginning for the Division I recruit. He finished with seven receptions for 180 yards.
Morgan also found the end zone. With 1:32 left in the half, he hauled in a 19-yard scoring pass from Zay Laster. While Edwards was 1-for-1, Laster was 10-for-10. And much of the credit goes to Morgan, who gave his signal-callers confidence.
“We’ve got young quarterbacks as far as experience,” Young said. “They need a security blanket. We need guys like Jarvis, Tyler Stamp and Louis Kraft to be those security blankets. Jarvis was the other night.”
Morgan was pumped up at halftime when West led 25-20.
“I felt, ‘I’m not done. I’ve still got some more in me,’ ” he said.
Then he proved it with a 42-yard catch from Laster that set up the second half’s first score and gave West some breathing room, 32-20.
“I hope he feels that way every week,” Young grinned. “When you throw it out to him and he makes plays, your confidence grows.”
Morgan felt redemption from the opening week when Mooresville ended West’s nation’s best 46-game winning streak.
“People were saying ‘The streak is over. The streak is over,’ ” Morgan said. “It was one game. It’s not what West Rowan can really do. Our job here is to win state championships and be the best team we can be.”
Salisbury is up next as the two defending state champions square off at Ludwig Stadium on Friday. West goes in confident after the win over Davie, according to its top receiver.
“Now, people can quit saying West Rowan’s off the map,” Morgan said. “What happened is in the past.
“This is now.”