Morgan quarterback Haiden Pauley (2) sidesteps a Marietta defender during Friday’s game at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

MARIETTA — Every single player on the current Morgan High School football roster was just a twinkle in their parents’ eyes the last time the Raiders tasted victory against Marietta.

Friday night at Don Drumm Stadium, Morgan scored on the opening drive of the game and never trailed in a 31-16 win which snapped a 12-game losing streak between neighboring counties.

A total of 20 years passed since the last time Morgan pulled off a similar result. Combined with last year’s finish, the Raiders are riding a three-game winning streak.

“Last year, we lost week one by one point and week two by three points – then after that we just didn’t have the momentum and we didn’t have a lot of experience, and we didn’t know how to handle that,” Morgan coach Seth Brown said. “It just took time to build and build and build. We kind of hit that crossroads and we got better. Then we finished the season with two wins.

“We’ve got a group of guys that are veterans and are hungry. Winning is not an easy thing, so I tell my guys to celebrate these wins. Winning is hard and it’s not something you take for granted.”

Morgan ballcarrier Tanner Bankes (22) is tackled by Marietta’s Kobe Alexander during Friday’s game at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Maretta fell behind by three touchdowns at 24-3 with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Yet, the outcome may have played out completely differently if not for a critical Morgan sack which resulted in a fumble and ended a sustained Marietta drive to open the second half.

The Tigers trailed 10-3 at the time, but Morgan’s defense forced a three-and-out on Marietta’s next drive and forced yet another fumble on the first play of a second drive.

Tanner Bankes’ 15-yard touchdown run and Haiden Pauley’s 14-yard touchdown completion to Casen Foley completely shifted the momentum in the matter of 3 ½ minutes.

“There were a few moments in the game where we really got it going a little bit then shot ourselves in the foot,” said Mike Kupfner, who made his debut as the head coach at Marietta. “Out of halftime, we had a really good drive going. Then we give up a silly sack for a fumble. Otherwise it’s a totally different ballgame.

“Even after that first fumble, I felt pretty confident because we ended up stopping them. Even down (two touchdowns), I didn’t feel like we were out of it.”

Morgan junior Tanner Bankes (22) rushed for one touchdown and caught a pass for another during the Raiders’31-16 win over Marietta, Friday at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Bankes played bigger than his 5-foot-7 stature. Not only did he record the sack which caused the first fumble off a blitz, but he also caught one pass for a touchdown and rushed for another. He finished the night with 42 yards on 15 carries as the Raiders’ lead back.

“Bankes is put together and he runs extremely hard,” coach Brown said. “Marietta is extremely big up front. I know a week ago (in a scrimmage) we were a lot more explosive, but I was a little leery because of how big Marietta was up front.”

Pauley wasn’t necessarily flashy as a senior quarterback, but he was solid – throwing for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and leading the team with 47 yards rushing on 11 carries.

“We’re turning this program around – there’s a lot going on behind the scenes,” Pauley said. “We’re changing the whole culture here. We came out with a chip on our shoulder – we wanted to play hard and play physical, and we did.”

Kobe Alexander moved into the No. 1 role this season at running back for Marietta and did not disappoint. He finished with 102 yards on 18 carries with a TD both on the ground and receiving.

Marietta quarterback Trenton McVey (7) looks for an open receiver during Friday’s season-opener at Drumm Drumm Stadium in Marietta. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

In the opening drive of the second half, Marietta moved the ball across midfield. Alexander’s number was called seven times resulting in 43 yards. He also spearheaded the defensive unit from his linebacker position.

“Kobe Alexander is just one of those guys – he is a tough guy,” Kupfner said. “We tried to get him a little breather on offense. Defensively, he makes us go.”

Before an onslaught of fourth quarter scoring, neither offense accounted for many points. Morgan’s opening drive covered 69 yards over 12 plays and chewed up six minutes off the clock. The series ended with Pauley finding Bankes for an 18-yard TD completion.

Marietta answered on its first attempt as well. Kingston McMahon made a 22-yard field goal with 38 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The final; points of the first half occurred on Jude Garber’s 39-yard field goal at the 7:49 mark of the second quarter.

Marietta’s Timmy Ryan (2) gets tackled by Morgan’s Kaden Norris (1) after making a catch during Friday’s game at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

After a scoreless third quarter, the two teams combined for 34 points in the final 12 minutes. Morgan opened the scoring when Bankes shed two tackles for a 15-yard TD run to push the lead to 16-3.

The gap widened to 24-3 when Foley kept his focus on a tipped ball and scored on a 14-yard pass reception.

With the clock nearing the five-minute mark,Marietta quarterback Trenton McVey hooked up with Will Tornes for a 17-yard TD completion.

Morgan’s Shane Harney earned a couple of varsity carries late in the game and capped off the Raiders’scoring with an 11-yard TD run at the 1:25 mark.

Marietta took advantage of its final possession when Alexander scored on a 3-yard run as time expired.

Marietta’s Will Tornes, right, takes a breather during a timeout in Friday’s season-opener against Morgan at Drumm Drumm Stadium in Marietta. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I told the guys afterward, you want this one to hurt,” coach Kupfner said. “And if it doesn’t hurt, there is no growth. We’ll come back strong next week, have a great week of practice then see if we can put it together against John Marshall.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com