Senior running back Javaris (JJ) Morgan has helped the Ankeny Centennial football team to a 2-1 record. He ran nine times for 129 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the Jaguars past Des Moines Lincoln, 47-6, on Thursday at Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines.
Morgan has rushed for 440 yards and eight touchdowns on just 27 carries season–an average of 16.3 yards per attempt. He surpassed the 1,000-yard career rushing mark on Thursday.
Here is some inside info on Morgan:
Congrats on the win over Lincoln. Was it much of an adjustment to play on a Thursday instead of the usual Friday game?
It wasn’t an adjustment at all. When it’s time to play, we’re always ready to go.
You scored four touchdowns for the second straight game. Did you ever imagine that you’d even do that once this season?
I definitely imagine myself being an asset to the team. As the only senior back, it’s my job to ball out.
How much credit for your success would you give to your offensive line, which seems to be developing into a strong unit?
I would give my offensive line all the credit because without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. Those guys are a big part of our offense.
Your sophomore quarterback, Brekken Miller, had three touchdown passes in the win. Have you seen a lot of growth from him since the first game?
Brekken has definitely grown a lot since the beginning of the season. The kid works his butt off and with him being so young, he has a lot of time to get even better!
What can you say about the performance of your defense, which produced five turnovers on the night, including a pick-six from Rilynd Pezzetti?
The defense was absolutely amazing all night. The hustle and effort those guys have are the reason the offense gets the opportunities we do.
Your team has bounced back from a season-opening loss at Southeast Polk with a pair of lopsided victories. How important was it to take care of business these last two weeks with a tough stretch of games coming up?
It was very important to take care of business because we need to make a statement. Too many people doubt Centennial.
Your team will now face Ankeny in the annual Jag-Hawk showdown on Friday. What have you seen from the Hawks’ defense, and what will be the key to having success against them?
I’ve seen that the Hawks’ defense is pretty aggressive, and they have some outstanding talent. But it’s a game of football. It’s not over until the clock hits zero, so it’s going to be a good test for us.
Ankeny’s offense is led by senior Daniel Larmie, who entered Week 3 as the only running back in Class 5A with more rushing yards than you. What impresses you about him, and do you look at this game as a challenge to see who is the better back?
Larmie is definitely an impressive back. We go way back working out together, so it’s definitely a friendly competition between me and him!
You’ve played with some talented running backs over the last few years, guys like Elijah Porter and Braeden Jackson who have taken their talents to the next level. Did you learn a lot from playing with them?
Porter and Jackson were both good role models for me, and I definitely have learned a lot from being around them so much.
What are your goals for the season? You’re on pace to rush for more than 1,000 yards, so do you need to set your sights higher than that?
Obviously, my goal for this season is to take my team to the state championship, but as for my personal goals I want to be the No. 1 player in the state and not only that, but I’m aiming for more than 1,000 yards this year!
