Rich Morgan is leaving after 14 seasons at Oscar Smith to become the Head Football Coach at Marietta in Georgia.
More in the story below...
Story - Morgan to Marietta
More in the story below...
Story - Morgan to Marietta
News Rich Morgan Leaves Oscar Smith for Marietta (GA)
- Thread starter matthew328826
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Between Oscar Smith and Ocean Lakes, that's two big openings down there in the 757 and neither were what they have become till their respective coaches arrived on the scene. I know this in large part depends on who the schools are able to land to fill those voids but do you feel the programs are such now that they will be able to rebound or do you feel a power shift down there?
Well this will defeintly hurt the 6A schools out here and with Morgan leaving and Coach Scott at Bishop Catholic with over 20 scholars to give a year BSCHS just gonna take all the 757 best players to that 1 school. It sad seeing these 2 guys leave the programs because it was a great rivalry between the 2 best 6A programs on this side of the state. Now how many kids who were gonna play at Smith for coach Morgan now wanna to apply for a scholar at BSCHS ? Anyways it's was great to have a guy like Morgan around the area he's one of the reason the Southside and all 757 was put on the map for football !
A lot will hinge on who Ocean Lakes and Oscar Smith hire. But certainly both have large shoes to fill. There's probably more concern on the Ocean Lakes side of things than Oscar Smith for the moment, given that some of their key players (ex: Khalan Laborn and Tank Land) have already stated that they will be transferring to Bishop Sullivan to play for Coach Scott.
In the case of Oscar Smith, if they don't lose any significant players, they have the pieces to remain a title contender, but on the same token, Morgan is the main reason why they became a program that was nationally-ranked.
As far as the rest of Tidewater goes, I'm not sure I concur with the rhetoric going around that football in this area is crumbling. Lake Taylor is still very much a power in 4A having won a couple of state titles and being one extra point away from capturing a third. They're not going anywhere. This also give some others an opportunity to step up. I'd keep an eye on Western Branch - a team in the Southeastern District that has been close, knocking on the door and just basically banging its head on the Oscar Smith wall for a few years now.
The 757 is all about big boy football in 5A and 6A. I think people will start to see a drop now, because more kids are gonna end up transferring to play football at private schools. It's just like what's been happening with basketball around here too and why the bigger schools haven't made as much noise and won at states against the Richmond and NoVA schools the last 3-4 years. Many more of the top players are moving over to private schools, which didn't use to be the case. Maybe this season will prove me wrong in March, but I only saw five teams from the 757 ranked in the latest Top 10 for both 5A and 6A. I bet this could eventually happen with football too.
I live on Marietta and I have heard nothing but good things about him. I am going to go to his introductory press conference next Wednesday. Do y'all have any info on the type of offense and defense he runs? My kids are in the Marietta youth program which of course he will now be the head of. Hopefully he will have as much success down here as he had up there. Thanks.
Offense: Multiple pro-I
Defense: Has used both 3-4 and 4-3. Aggressive with blitzes. Both zone and man to man.
Accepts nothing less than a player's best both on and off the field. Kids will be pushed hard. Very hard.
