No. 1 Morgan secured a ticket to the 3A state finals after a strong second half propelled them past No. 5 Richfield for a 37-9 victory on Saturday, according to a November 7 report by the Standard-Examiner.
George Thurston recorded two touchdown catches of 27-plus yards to help the Trojans overcome a 9-point deficit following the first quarter at Zions Bank Stadium.
The Trojans began the second quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Owen Gilson to Thurston, providing the first offensive response after Richfield had scored nine unanswered points, including a touchdown run by Ngalu Taufatofua.
William Pace contributed a 92-yard touchdown run to help Morgan establish a 13-9 lead before halftime. In the second half, Morgan outscored Richfield 24-0 to seal the win.
Seth Turner added a field goal to extend the lead, while Thurston caught his second of three touchdown passes from Gilson to bring the score to 23-9 entering the fourth quarter. Richfield was unable to respond to Morgan's scoring, which included an additional 14 points in the final period.
Morgan has held a winning record against Richfield since 1940, leading the series 11-3. This victory follows Morgan's quarterfinal win last year and their 13-2 state title victory in 2024.
This marks the fourth time Jared Barlow has led Morgan to a 3A state title game since becoming head coach in 2020. The Trojans have reached the championship game six times in the last 10 years.
Morgan is scheduled to play in the 3A state finals on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Eccles Coliseum at Southern Utah University against No. 2 Juab or No. 3 Logan.
