HS FOOT: Taft's Morgan headed to U.S. Army Bowl

Running back D.J. Morgan from Taft of Woodland Hills accepted an invitation Wednesday to participate in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and he made a great acceptance speech at a campus press conference.

Morgan thanked, in order, god, his father for teaching him the fundamentals of the game, his mother for always being there to help with the bumps and bruises after games, his brother and sister, his teachers and coaches, and all of the teammates he's ever played with -- specifically his Taft offensive linemen.

The U.S. Army Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, televised live by NBC beginning at 10 a.m. local time.

"It's going to be a great opportunity to see how D.J. stacks up against the best football players on a national stage," Taft coach Matt Kerstetter said. "I think he's going to surprise some people."

-- Gerry Gittelson