MHS Gears up for Fall sports
Aug 01, 2024 12:50PM ● By Liisa London Mecham
The MHS Golf team will open play on Aug. 20 to defend their 2023 State Title. Morgan Coach Dennis Peterson is opening his 19th year as the golf coach. The team proudly displays their 2023 trophy after the final tournament last fall. Photo courtesy of MHS Golf Team
As Morgan Valley residents and their children enjoy the last few weeks of summer before the official first day of school on Aug. 20, Morgan High athletes are gearing up for their tryouts and their first competitions. Morgan High athletes will compete this fall in girls volleyball, football, girls tennis, girls soccer, boys golf, and boys and girls cross country. In addition, the members of the drill team and cheerleaders have been practicing almost daily all summer to be prepared to support and entertain at the fall sporting events.
It’s a flurry of athletic activity at the high school amidst the return of students to classes. Most of the sports will hold their first competitions several days before the first bell rings. In order to be prepared for these early competitions, teams have been holding summer workouts and open gyms to help athletes hone their skills for the coming seasons. Morgan’s “Olympic Sports” return several experienced head coaches with proven track records. None of the coaches has been at Morgan less than 10 years and have built solid programs with feeder programs to develop young athletes. In 2023, the boys golf team won state while the volleyball and tennis teams claimed second. Both cross country teams ran well with young teams (boys finished 5th and girls 11th) and will be looking to improve their state finishes this season with increased experience.
Girls Volleyball
Morgan opens the volleyball season on Aug. 15 at home against a tough SkyView team. The Trojans are coached by Coach Liz Wiscombe who is beginning her 38th season at Morgan High and 45th year of coaching high volleyball! Wiscombe will be joined by Julia Fisher, Janell Thurston, Marcie Wells, Vicki Walker, and Hannah Farr as assistant coaches.
Girls Tennis
Coach Katherine Hadley will begin her 11th year leading the Trojan girls tennis team. She will be assisted by Heather Dutson. The team will open on Aug. 12 at home with a match against Syracuse. Hadley reports that the team is “looking great.”
Boys Golf
Veteran Coach Dennis Peterson will lead the boys golf team this year as they look to retain their 2023 State Title. Peterson, who is in his 19th year at the helm of MHS golf, will hold tryouts on Aug. 5 at Round Valley Golf Course, and the team will have their first competition, a tournament in Vernal, the first day of school, Aug. 20. Their next event, the Cooper Cup, will be Aug. 23, making for a busy opening week of school for the golf team.
Girls and Boys Cross County
Coaches Brennen Fuller and Bryan Weir will return to lead the boys and girls cross-country teams again this year. Fuller is opening his 12th year coaching at Morgan, and Weir celebrates his first decade as an MHS coach with this season. The team held XC Camp starting July 29 and will open their season Tuesday, Aug. 6 at the Park City Invite. Saturday, Aug. 10, they will compete at the Premiere Invitational at the Cottonwood Complex in Salt Lake.
Football (see season preview in last week’s edition).
Girls Soccer (see season preview in this edition). λ
