Junior halfback Josh McAteer carried 11 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and the Morgan Academy defense shut out Cottage Hill 40-0 Friday night.

Henley Hughes, Will Summerlin and Ellis Talton recorded eight tackles apiece as the Senators’ defense appeared in mid-season form.

Cottage Hill threatened on the first series of the game, marching from its 25 to the Morgan 5, before Hughes stepped in front of a Warriors’ receiver in the end zone and returned an interception 29 yards to thwart the visitors. From there, signal-caller Jeremy Smith, along with Ben Callaway, Eric Pilcher and McAteer, went to work.

First, Smith rolled out and hit Pilcher with a 25-yard touchdown behind the Warriors’ defense.

A minute and-a-half later, Callaway went off left guard 12 yards for another score. Cottage Hill could not penetrate the Senator defense and the versatile Smith knocked home

26- and 20-yard field goals to put Morgan ahead 20-0 at the half.

On Morgan’s initial drive of the second half, Smith engineered a masterful drive, mixing runs and short passes to keep the Warriors off balanced. On first down from the Warrior 28, McAteer took a quick pitch around left end, received a beautiful seal block from Blake South and sprinted to paydirt. Smith’s third PAT gave Morgan a commanding 27-0 lead and Coach Robert Gartman an opportunity to play some of his inexperienced troops.

The Senators third win on the season was capped by the tenacious running of back up senior halfback Stephen Howorth. The diminuitive tough guy bulled straight ahead for 41 yards on 4 straight carries, capping the drive with a two yard plunge to end the scoring on the night.

Smith finished the night early completing 8 0f 12 passes for 121 yards and 1 touchdown. Pitt Hughes, John Wells and Eric Pilcher hustled to the ball, each recovering fumbles on the night. Morgan improved to 3-1 on the season.