Photo Gallery: Mark Morris football making the most of preseason moments

Marching Orders: Mighty Monarchs enter '25 season with great expectations

Aug 25, 2025

Mark Morris defensive linemen work their bull-rush technique around a dummy made of steel (aka: the goal post) during the Monarchs’ preseason camp on Thursday, Aug. 21, at Longview Memorial Stadium. / Photo by Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media

Jordan Nailon and Nick Sisson for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

High School Football

It’s far too early to tell what kind of football team these Monarchs are going to be. And part of that is by design.

When Mike Peck was hired to be the head coach of Mark Morris football the move came with a heap of expectations. Primarily, it was expected that the Monarchs would rapidly transition into a pass-first air attack squadron to match the blueprint Peck had successfully deployed at previous stops on his coaching tour.

— Mark Morris receivers cut through cone drills before turning quickly to catch passes during preseason camp on Thursday, Aug. 21, at Longview Memorial Stadium. / Video by Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media —

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But just when the experts figured that they had the Monarchs figured out last year, Mark Morris would roll out a different game plan altogether just to keep their foes guessing. And after a few false starts early on, the Monarchs looked like a team with a burgeoning confidence in the back half of the regular season.

Now it’s year two with Peck at the helm for the Monarchs, and expectations have done nothing but swell with time and social media exposure. And with a few days of official practice under their belt, the Mark Morris brain trust was feeling pretty good about how their depth chart was stacking up.

“The first thing that jumped out right away was just how much we have grown as a football team over the offseason,” Peck said.

And to be sure, the Monarchs have had a busy offseason. Between spring camp, and summer camp, and the 4th of July hot dog stand, and a voluntary team rendezvous with the United States Marines during the dead period of early August, the Mark Morris football team has been more active than a bull on the loose at the dairy show.

— Mark Morris defensive linemen work technique around the goal post during the Monarchs’ first football minicamp on Thursday, Aug. 21, at Longview Memorial Stadium. / Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media —

The Monarchs had around 75 players working through the paces in Week 1. And according to the fine print of their joint custody agreement with R.A. Long, they split practice time between the artificial turf at Longview Memorial Stadium, and their own natural grass practice field that parallels Ocean Beach High Way behind Mark Morris High School.

“Not only have we done all the work in the weight room that has made us bigger, quicker, and all that stuff, but we’re a lot faster and cleaner getting in and out where we need to be,” Peck noted.

That attention to detail will be essential for the Monarchs, who will enter the regular season with a realistic shot to win the 2A Greater St. Helens League. And you can bet they believe as much inside the Mark Morris locker room beneath Bill Bakamus Gymnasium.

They probably just won’t tell you that. At least not yet.

Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in an ongoing series of preseason prep football coverage from Blast Zone Media. Be sure to check in at Blast Zone Media for the latest stories, photos, and videos, including in depth coverage on the Mark Morris Monarchs and the rest of the teams in The Blast Zone.