Cavaliers down Yellow Jackets for Morris’ first victory as head coach

Jake Morris is 2-0 in career high school home openers.

Dorman’s coach got a win the first time he played in Cavalier Stadium, back in 2007, and went on to an All-State, state championship career.

Friday night, he coached the Cavaliers to a 34-13 win over North Augusta in his first game as head coach on the home sideline.

“You know, it’s a dream come true,” Morris said. “It really is. I hope the fan base and all the alumni are proud and happy, and that’s what we’re going to try to keep doing. Making everybody proud that’s come before us.”

Dorman got the win by doing exactly what they needed to do. The Cavaliers took a downfield shot on the first play from scrimmage, narrowly missing a long TD. They aired it out a little bit in the first quarter, with QB David Sorensen going 4-for-6 for 99 yards and a score in the frame. Then, they seemed content to grind it out. Sorensen scored two TDs on the ground as Dorman took a 21-7 halftime lead. Seven Cavaliers combined to rush for 172 yards for the game, led by TJ Gassoway’s 69 yards. George Olley’s two-yard rushing TD essentially put the game away late.

“David being able to show he could take some shots like that, that’s huge,” Morris said. “He’s got an arm. He’s a fighter, a winner. I love him, the way he plays. He did a phenomenal job tonight. And we played more in his wheelhouse. At Greenville we really didn’t know what we could do. We figured out what we could do and what we can’t do, and we worked it. It was a good job for him.”

While the stats weren’t eye-popping, they were exactly what the Cavaliers needed. North Augusta turned to a ball-control, option-based offense midway through the first half, and began chewing up yards and clock behind RBs Beans Hunt and Michael Doe and QB Corey Tillman. Dorman adjusted, and the defense made the difference in the late stages.

With the Cavaliers leading just 21-13, Terrell Edwards scooped up a fumble and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown, giving Dorman a 28-13 lead. On the Yellow Jackets’ next drive, Brannon Teamer snagged an interception and returned it 49 yards to the North Augusta 18, setting up Olley’s game-clinching score a few plays later.

“Coach (Wade) Cooper and his staff…he’s the best in the country,” Morris said. “I tell him that all the time. They did a phenomenal job. He had a good plan coming out of halftime, we made some adjustments and our kids bought into it, and we got some big stops. I thought that was huge.”

Equally huge was the steady play at quarterback. And while Sorensen said he’s focused improving and not what he did well on Friday, he’s happy to have played a role in Morris’ first win.

“I love that guy a ton,” Sorensen said. “It feels great to get him his first win.”

It was everything that Morris wanted.

“It’s a great experience, man,” Morris said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”