'WE'RE REALLY CLOSE'

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL The Mark Morris Monarchs are close. They're close to breaking out, but right now they're a sputtering engine, kicking and wanting to turnover. There's no rhythm and offensive production is inconsistent.

Through two games of the 2024 season, Mark Morris has produced just 18 total points — 12 in its week 1 loss to Kelso and only six in its ugly 46-6 loss to Seton Catholic on Friday the 13th. No rhythm. That's the kicker, but that's what Mike Peck, the newest Mark Morris coach, was hired for.

Peck, a former R.A. Long QB and alumnus, has established himself as an offensive guru through his coaching career.

His track record when dealing with offenses, highlighted by his air-raid attack, is nothing short of superb. But it doesn't happen overnight. "It's a new system on offense, new system on defense, and we're just trying to get a little bit better each game," Peck said.

"It takes time, and there's a reason a lot of people don't throw the ball and spread it out, because it's tough to get good at. We've been learning about our personnel and what they're good at, what they're comfortable with, and making adjustments as we go along. And like I said, on offense, in defense, we're really close to putting all the pieces together.

" Offensively, Peck and the Monarchs have a plethora of talented parts under the hood, but getting those parts to operate as one humming machine is the trick. Peck said he opted for two tough, non-league opponents to open the season to both.