Morgan Hopes New Field Continues Winning Ways

MCCONNELSVILLE, OH- For many years, the Morgan Raiders football team has played games off campus. However in 2023 that will change, the school now gets a state of the art field right on the school’s property. “We don’t have to pack up our stuff for home games anymore, we are already here and we don’t have to pack anything up. That’s what maybe excites me more than anything and I’m probably the only one in the county who feels like that. Everybody else is excited for the actually facility itself.” Said Chase Bowman, Morgan head coach.

The brand new turf field is appealing to the modern eye. However for some Morgan fans and alumni traditions are hard to break. “As a former athlete here, I’ll always have fond memories of the athletic field in town. The atmosphere there was really awesome and I had a lot of great memories as a player and as a coach so far, as would a lot of people in our community, but sometimes change is needed.” Bowman stated.

Change could never be a bad thing, wide receiver Kole Searl believes this field means more beyond the program. “It’s a good step up. It brings the community together and it’s helping change people’s minds that Morgan is a winning football team. This is the place to be. It’s a place to settle down. This is where you want to live and be at.” Said Searl.

The team also has a new weight room attached. The players are yet to practice on the new field. With construction nearing a close, players are eager to get a feel for the playing surface. “Just keeps me hungry, keeps me hungry. I look out there and keep working. We’re going to get out there eventually, but just keep grinding.” Said senior quarterback, Logan Niceswanger.

The Raiders made the playoffs last year, but heading into 2023 they have bigger goals on their mind. “They want to win a league title. They want to not only get to the playoffs, but win in the playoffs. Part of that would be to try to get a home game here in week 11. Even though they’re proud of what we did last year and the momentum we started a little bit, their expectations are still really high.” Bowman stated.

Morgan will have to wait until week 2 for their first home game of the season when they host Warren.