Morgan football recently posted its second 13-0 finish and second state championship during Barlow’s 51-11 tenure as the Trojans’ head coach. With it comes five more Standard-Examiner All-Area selections and selection as the 2024 All-Area Team of the Year.

Averaging 45.8 points and just under 400 yards per game, Morgan streaked into the 3A championship with a then-unbeaten Richfield program in what became its ultimate test.

Similarly to Morgan, Richfield flashed a high-scoring offense and a 59-16 victory over Region 13 neighbor Grantsville in the 3A state semifinal matchup. A Wildcats defense, including four All-State names, would soon test everything the Trojans knew about themselves.

“The only thing that matters is winning each week,” Barlow said. “That’s kind of what we did, as far as our mental preparation — just doing what it takes to continue to win.”

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Athlete Lincoln Gilson, responsible for more than 2,500 all-purpose yards during his senior season, and his fellow seniors quickly turned to each other when their characteristic hot start didn’t translate onto the big stage.

Spinning their wheels on offense, Morgan trailed Richfield by a safety when the second quarter arrived and the sideline descended into what Gilson described as critical discussions.

“We just couldn’t punch it in and score in the red zone,” Gilson said. “They got a safety and so many guys were just talking on the sideline. It was a lot of player-led leadership. Our coaches were building this up, but then the players decided ‘We’re OK, we’re gonna go win this game.'”

Morgan senior quarterback Beck Sheffield (2,315 yards, 26 touchdowns) tabbed Gilson for a touchdown pass, later carried in another and the Trojans emerged victorious 13-2 for the title.

The low-scoring affair uniquely touched Gilson and his teammates. Leaders on the defensive side, linebacker Nik Preece (76 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFL) and tackle Tate Steele (60 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 11 TFL), were leaning on their brothers in real-time, Gilson described.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

“Once the postseason started, I saw a little more trust within the guys,” Gilson said. “When we played some of our region games … I think one side of the ball could have won the game. But as you got deeper in the playoffs, I just saw a lot of trust.”

Asked about where that trust manifested itself, Barlow pointed to a particular regular-season game, a Week 3 trip to Skyline (Idaho) across state lines, that changed the way he looked at his team and how they looked at each other.

Morgan opened the year 2-0 with the season opener, at home against Crimson Cliffs (41-13), checked off their list.

“There was a lot of work and preparation throughout the summer on winning that (Crimson Cliffs) game,” Barlow said. “We go and shut out Skyview the next week and things were rolling. Then we went up to Idaho, played Skyline and we got up big in the first half and were in a pretty good spot.”

Up 26-6 against a championship-caliber Skyline squad at the half, the Trojans prepared for another 24 minutes of hard-nosed football to roll back home 3-0 — easy as that.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Wrong.

Skyline had made enough adjustments defensively to slow Sheffield and the Trojans, creating turnovers and rendering Morgan’s offense silent. Finding the end zone twice, the Grizzlies made it a 26-20 affair in the fourth quarter.

Gilson picked off Skyline senior Carmyne Garcia in the waning moments, cutting short a potential game-winning drive and packaging up the Trojans’ third win.

“You could see in that series of three plays where the defense, combined with the attitude of the team, everybody just came together and you could see the switch just flip,” Barlow said.

Morgan shut out four of their five Region 13 foes. Grantsville, later finding themselves in the 3A state semifinal matchup, managed just a field goal against the Trojans.

But for guys like Gilson, no statistician or analyst could better illustrate the outgoing senior class’s success than themselves. Sure, they knew big things were expected of them, but Barlow and Gilson agree: that’s how it should be.

“I think that’s what comes with expectations,” Gilson said. “You can either get lazy or you can work. And our team, this year, decided to just work our butts off and meet those expectations and go win a state championship.”

Morgan’s 21 seniors will surely be missed, but Barlow said they’re leaving behind perhaps the best template for success he’s ever seen.

“If you want a game plan or a checklist of what a team can do to be successful, I think they’ve checked every box,” Barlow said. “There was no selfishness. It was continually building each other up, even in the face of adversity.”

For future Trojans, Gilson hopes the emphasis stays on effort, leaving the win column out of it.

“I never dreaded coming to practice one day of the year,” Gilson said. “I always wanted to come get better and compete. I think we’re leaving a little bit of legacy of togetherness and working hard every day, no matter what expectations are for your season.

“I think they’ll continue to run with that.”

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.