Because of injuries, depth became an issue early for Morgan Academy in its 24-14 win over Macon-East Montgomery Academy. Fortunately, the Senators had a one man wrecking crew.

When starting left tackle Hunter Rogers and running back MaCain Levins went down in the first quarter with injuries, Parker Hughes took control on his way to a 35 carry, 278 yard performance that saw him score all four offensive touchdowns and return an interception for a score.

Though he was a one-man highlight reel, Hughes said it took a total team effort to bring home the win.

“I can’t say enough about the offensive line and the other backs,” he said. “They were the key to all of this. We had two great players go down early, so I just wanted to play my heart out.”

Defense ruled the first quarter as both teams moved the ball, but neither could find the end zone.

Hughes provided the first fireworks of the game when he intercepted a J.D. Owings pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown to give the Senators a 6-0 lead with 6:31 to go in the half. A bad snap on the extra point left the Senators clinging to a six-point lead.

Another Hughes interception on the 12 yard line kept the Knights out of the end zone on their next possession and secured the 6-0 halftime lead.

Another defensive spark helped the Senators find the end zone on their second possession. After Adam King blocked a Macon punt, Hughes capped a six-play 26-yard drive with a 13-yard score. The try for two points failed leaving the score 12-0 with 3:12 to play.

The Senators then drove to the Knight 41 yard line before a fumble ended the drive. However, on the next play the Knights returned the favor giving Morgan the ball at their own 41 yard line.

Seven plays later, Hughes broke free for a 27-yard run to make the score 18-0 with 9:50 remaining in the game after a failed two-point conversion.

The Knights were not done. Owings capped a five play drive with a 2-yard quarterback sneak to make the score 18-6 with 8:15 remaining The two-point conversion was good to make the score 18-8.

But Hughes and the Senators responded tagain, this time with a 13-play drive that took 6:50 off the clock and sealed the game.

Hughes capped the game with a 7-yard score to stretch the lead to 24-8.

The Knights again found the end zone with 1:24 seconds left to make the score 24-14, but the Senators were able to run out the clock on the next possession to preserve the win.

Morgan head coach Brian King said he was proud of the way his team responded to the thinning numbers.

“We had three players hurt and then had two more go down early in positions where we weren’t expecting to lose people,” he said. “But I give our guys all the credit in the world for not getting down.”

Morgan will face another tough test this week when they travel to Edgewood.