It wasn’t flashy and didn’t include the much-awaited debut of its star, but Melrose football started its new era exactly how it wanted with a 20-7 victory over rival Memphis East at Halle Stadium on Saturday.
The game was the first for co-coaches Gerald and Jarrett Morrow, who are Melrose alums and twins.
Jarrett’s son, four-star Missouri running back commit Jamarion Morrow, transferred from Germantown to play under his father and uncle, but was held out by an injury.
“It’s a little knee injury but I’ll be back next week,” Jamarion Morrow said afterward, adding that he’ll be visiting Missouri when it hosts Auburn on Oct. 19.
Morrow’s transfer, along with athlete Jaden Jones, also from Germantown, has reinforced the talented offense, which includes 2023 leading rusher Rhyan Brown.
Brown also was held out because of a minor injury, so Melrose leaned on Jones and sophomore quarterback Tavarco Jackson as its primary sources of offense. The two combined for 288 yards of total offense, with Jackson rushing for all three Melrose touchdowns.
The coaches expect both Morrow and Brown to be at full strength before visiting Memphis University School on Friday.
“If it was a playoff game or something, they could’ve played, but we got MUS coming up and wanted them to have an extra week of rest,” Gerald Morrow said.
First-game jitters hit both the coaches and players, with several fumbles early on. It was Jackson’s first start after playing defensive back last season. Ultimately, that weight was lifted, just as the team lifted the Soul Bowl trophy.
“(I was) anxious for the kids,” Jarrett Morrow said. “It’s been a long offseason. We made a lot of mistakes but it was a good win.”
The coaching staff gathered after the game to take a picture with the trophy. It was a moment of euphoria and exhalation: The Morrows have lofty expectations, as they’ve introduced an old-school mindset with aims of creating a strong program for the future.
“I’ve seen a lot change,” Jackson said. “The coaches are improving, the players are improving. We still have a little more work to do.”
With Jamarion Morrow and Brown returning to the field next week, the coaches expect a cleaner and more potent offensive performance and are hoping to get some revenge.
Last season, MUS crushed Melrose 39-0. The Owls fell 41-17 to Bartlett in its first game on Friday.
Wendell Shepherd Jr. is the high school sports beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Wendell at wendell.shepherd@commercialappeal.com. Follow Wendell on X, formerly known as Twitter, @wendellsjr_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TSSAA: Melrose football wins Week 1 despite missing Jamarion Morrow
