Prep football: Brandon McGinley leading Morro Bay’s new-look offense

When Morro Bay High School senior Brandon McGinley scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown Friday against San Marcos, it felt like the end of an era.

Not only did the score give Morro Bay its second win of the season and put its 0-10 season of 2015 farther in the rear-view mirror, but it also proved that this year’s Pirates can score some points.

Last season, Morro Bay averaged just more than 10 points per game, but the Pirates’ 34-29 win over San Marcos topped the team’s highest score from last season by 10 points.

McGinley is leading the way.

Against San Marcos, McGinley threw a 25-yard touchdown pass, rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns and had four catches.

“It’s been great working in this offense,” McGinley said. “I feel comfortable.”

But McGinley probably wouldn’t be putting up big numbers this early in the season without the help of new offensive coordinator Paul Merkle.

After a long run with Morro Bay that began in 2001 and ended three years ago, Merkle returned this season at the request of head coach David Kelley. With him, he brought the same offense that led Morro Bay to an undefeated league season in 2007. A few current assistant coaches were with him for that ride, as well.

“I tweaked it a bit,” Merkle said of the offense this season. “We used to run a power-I formation, and in 2007 we ran the shot gun exclusively. This is more of a hybrid.”

Merkle brought some credibility to an offense that had run three different systems in the past four years. And it has Morro Bay off to its best start since 2009 when the team started 3-0.

“After that first one, you could feel the monkey off their back. Like, ‘Hey, we are a good team,’ ” Merkle said of the Pirates’ season-opening win over Viewpoint, a team that advanced to the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs last season.

Merkle also made the decision to move senior Danny Koval from quarterback — where he started in Morro Bay’s 10-7 win over Viewpoint in Week 1 — to running back. Sophomore Aidan Moriarty got the nod at quarterback last week against San Marcos and was 5 for 9 for 60 yards and had a key scramble pass on the final drive. Koval added 75 yards on 14 carries.

“Koval is a guy that we need to get the ball to,” Merkle said. “I don’t want him handing it off to our playmakers; he is our playmaker.”

Moriarty is expected to be the starter the rest of the way.

Kelley is quick to temper expectations after just two games, but with McGinley as Mr. Do-it-all and Merkle pushing all the right buttons, Morro Bay is looking to keep the wins rolling right into league season. Morro Bay will try for three in a row Friday when it plays host to Kern Valley (1-1).

“I think they believe. They believe in themselves,” Merkle said. “I’ve seen undefeated teams here. I have seen teams that have made the playoffs. I could tell we had talent. We just needed to start trusting each other.”

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Prep football: Brandon McGinley leading Morro Bay’s new-look offense."