Just call Newport linebacker ‘Sir’
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photograph by Karen E. Segrave Newport’s Thamail Morgan is one of the top linebackers in the state. The Greyhounds play at Gravette on Friday in the second round of the Class 4 A state playoffs.
GRAVETTE — Seldom does a high school football player come into Benton County and stir the pot with such accolades as those that follow Thamail Morgan, the junior linebacker for the Newport Greyhounds.
Gravette Lions head coach Bill Harrelson can’t pronounce Morgan’s first name, but that’s the least of his and the Lions’ problems this week.
“ I just call him Sir, ” he joked this week, preparing Gravette (9-2 ) to meet the ’Hounds (8-3 ) at 7: 30 p. m. here Friday in the second round of the Class 4 A state playoffs.
“ He is a player, ” Harrelson said of last year’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year. “ Yes, he is a great player. If you don’t do something with him he will run all over you offensively, defensively, kicking game … it doesn’t matter.
“ You’ve got to account for him all the time. He will make plays from anywhere on defense. He’ll run from one end of the line to the other end and make the tackle for no gain. ”
He’s that good, the coach said.
As a sophomore, Morgan (6-0, 195, 4. 5 ) did everything he could from his linebacker position. He recorded 142 tackles (including a school record 28 against Gosnell ), 92 assists, 12 sacks and three interceptions.
And he’s well on his way to eclipsing that mark this year.
“ We’ve seen him on film, ” Harrelson said, “ but I’ve been told by some people, ‘ You’re going to think he’s real good on film. He’s better than you even imagined. Whatever you think about him on film he’s about twice as good as that. ’”
Newport went 10-0 in 2007 and won the 2-4 A Conference. After its bye week, it lost 51-48 right out of the chute to Dumas, a bitter pill that’s had Newport laser focused on going deeper in the playoffs this year.
Morgan’s head coach, Greg Brannon, said Morgan’s the team leader who will lead them there.
“ And not just a vocal one, ” he told the Democrat-Gazette last month. “ He’s one of those kids that was born with a knack. ”
Brannon said Morgan is the most talented linebacker he has ever coached.
To emphasize the point, Morgan was named to the All-State team as a sophomore, something that has never happened for one of the coach’s players. Morgan was named to this year’s preseason All-Arkansas team by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Letters from colleges interested in the linebacker apparently pour into the ’Hound House.
Yet, they’re not invincible.
The ’Hounds have three losses, all to top tier teams. They’ve lost 24-14 to Batesville (10-1 ) in a season opener, 45-22 to Osceola (9-1 ) and 47-27 to Gosnell (9-2 ).
They came from behind to take last week’s 27-24 victory against Bald Knob using two defensive touchdowns. Morgan returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown.
“ That guy, No. 23, Morgan, dominated it, ” Harrelson said after watching film of that game and Newport’s regular season finale, a 42-28 win against Trumann. “ He’s a great player. ”
Newport also brings a different offense than what the Lions are used to seeing, more run-oriented.
“ They’re big and fast, a lot like Ashdown except that they’re bigger, ” Harrelson said. “ They’ve got some linemen 285, 300 pounds and they’ve got some guys that can run like those guys from Ashdown. ”
Beginning with the guy whom Harrelson calls Sir.
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