CAMDEN – The Morgan Academy Senators showed Thursday night they are ready to pick up where they left off as Alabama Independent School Association Class 3A football champs in a 24-0 blanking of the Wilcox Academy Wildcats.

Josh McAteer scored two touchdowns, kicked a field goal and added a pair of extra points as the Senators shut out the defending AISA Class 2A state champions.

Morgan Academy got on the board first with 4:37 left in the opening period when McAteer broke through on a 2-yard run. He added the PAT to put the Senators ahead, 7-0.

The score remained the same until, with 4:59 left before halftime, Rhett Rhyne galloped to the end zone on a 59-yard scoring run. McAteer again added the extra point and Morgan Academy owned a 14-0 advantage.

Rhyne rushed twice for a team-leading 68 yards.

The lead went to 17-0 at the half when McAteer kicked a 34-yard field goal with one second left in the second period.

McAteer capped the scoring on a 2-yard run with 8:29 remaining in the third period. He added the extra point to make it 24-0.

Reid Buster ran the ball eight times for 41 yards, while McAteer finished with 34 yards on 11 carries. Ben Calloway also had 35 yards on seven rushes for Morgan Academy.

On defense, Buster had a 40-yard interception return. Will Summerlin had five tackles, including two for a loss, and a fumble recovery. Blake South chipped in four tackles, three for a loss.