Greeley – A lot was going through Blake Morgan’s mind when he broke around the right side of the Greeley West offensive line Thursday night.
The Spartans were nursing a two-point lead over rival Thompson Valley with five minutes remaining in fourth quarter, and Morgan was just looking for a first down and to stay inbounds.
Morgan got that. He also picked up some redemption along the way.
“Already twice this year we had lost in the last two or three minutes,” Morgan said. “So we were having trouble finishing. I was really just thinking of getting it done.”
With a block from receiver Eric Bergmann, Morgan picked his way down the sideline and burst 65 yards to the end zone to cap a 23-14 Class 4A Northern League victory at District 6 Stadium.
It was Morgan’s second big run of the game as he finished with 214 yards on 16 carries to lead the Spartans (7-2, 6-0), ranked No. 6 in The Denver Post/9News poll, to their fifth straight victory.
Morgan set up Greeley West’s opening touchdown in the first quarter with a 60-yard run, when he was pulled down at the Thompson Valley 4. In the fourth quarter, the 170-pound junior fought off two would-be tacklers to hit the end zone.
“I wasn’t going to let anybody catch me,” said Morgan, who also had a fourth-quarter interception.
Fifth-ranked Thompson Valley (8-2, 4-2) lost for the first time in four games. The Eagles leaned on their defense most of the game but were doomed by three big plays – Morgan’s two runs and a 38-yard touchdown pass to Seth Bunting in the third quarter.
“It was just a slug-it-out game,” Greeley West coach Mark Roggy said.
The win gives the Spartans at least a share of the Northern title, and they can clinch it outright with a loss by Loveland today or by beating the Indians next week.
