2009 Player of the Year Morton returns for SCA
CATAWISSA RR - Southern Columbia senior fullback Jake Morton burst onto the scene as a junior with a long touchdown run against Shamokin in the opening game, and never really let up, even though he and the rest of his backfield mates were somewhat of an unknown quantity going into the season.
By the end of the Tigers' 9-5 season, Morton had carried the ball 208 times for 1,488 yards and 20 touchdowns and was named The News-Item's Player of the Year. He had six 100-yard games, including three in the postseason, and two others in the 90s.
He'll tell you himself he was a little surprised by his success.
"I knew fullbacks at Southern traditionally get a lot of carries," Morton said. "But I was kind of surprised."
The 2009 Tigers had a lot of experience on the lines, and according to Morton, that helped his learning curve.
"Their experience helped me a lot," he said. "I knew they were really good and all we really had to do was make good reads and let them do their job, and everything kind of blended together."
This year, the onus will be on Morton, halfback Tyrell Thomas, quarterback Jake Townsend and the other Tiger backs to help inexperienced linemen grow a little.
"We all have to make our reads, be patient and kind of let them get comfortable with us," Morton said.
One question Morton answered last year was his durability. Kind of thin at 6-2, 175 pounds, he nonetheless got stronger as the season progressed. He averaged 13 carries per game in the first five games, 14 in the next five, and almost 19 in the postseason.
Still, he has added an inch and 15 pounds since then.
"I lifted weights three times a week and I tried to eat a lot," he said. "I tried to eat about five times a day, not necessarily all big meals, but something, and I tried to eat a lot of healthy food."
He maintained his quickness by hurdling on the track team in the spring.
Morton, like most Southern players, doesn't speak in terms of personal goals.
"We'd like to win another District 4 championship, and as always, our ultimate goal is to get to Hershey," he said.
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