Going to Apalachee High School basketball games is always a treat because you get to see Kevin Morris in action.
Morris, head coach of the Wildcats, is probably as intense of a coach I have seen on the basketball court. Every possession, every attempt, every foul, every minute of the game are seemingly life and death to the AHS coach. He’s the type of coach I have to believe would have to be fun to play for. You would be hard pressed to keep up with how many times a game Morris questions a call by officials. As a player, I would love the fact my coach constantly stuck up for me in that manner.
The past season or so has been somewhat rough for the Wildcat program. The team managed just one win a season ago and while that number has been topped this year, AHS is still in a rebuilding stage. Despite the record, however, no one believes more in his players than Morris. No one sticks up for them more than him. He sees how much they are improving each time they play. Every game is a manner in which the team gains more experience as the Wildcats look to be a contender once again.
There have been some critcisms of Morris in the past year or so. There will always be uninformed fans who don’t understand how coaching works. There will always be fans, regardless of the sport, who think they know more than the coach. I tend to ignore such foolishness from these (I have dubbed them “Coaches in the Stands”) who wouldn’t have the first clue on how to direct an athletic program of any kind. It’s been said in this space before but is worth repeating: just because you watch a sport on television does not make you John Wooden.
Morris uses somewhat of a deep bench as he rotates players in and out on a regular basis. The all-out pace by his players require it.
And every trip up the court and back, you can see Morris urging his players on, reminding them to never lose sight of the task at hand. He wants them to improve with each outing and to peak when the region tournament arrives.
AHS has been involved in several close games this season and are, to my thinking, just a matter of inches of turning the corner.
The effort is there game in and game out. The motivation of Morris helps in that area.
No doubt Morris would love to have more wins this season. The same goes for his players. However, the old adage of walking before you run is a great way to describe what the Wildcats are experiencing. Learning to win is always the toughest part of sports.
What one has been able to see this season from Morris’ team is the willingness to play hard, fight until the final buzzer and to never take the court without the desire to win. Morris has been there through the ups and downs in the past several years and no coach is working harder to have his program on the up side again.
Morris believes in his players and I’ve seen no signs to say they don’t believe in him. He is the perfect fit for the program and it will be even more fun to watch the team once they turn the corner.
For now, it’s still fun to enjoy seeing Morris in action in front of his team bench. His cries of “No!!!!” when a call goes against his team is as familiar a sound as the basketball being bounced off the court.
Morris is an intense coach who loves what he is doing. AHS is fortunate to have him.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
