A tough road, but SV’s Morarity is college bound

It hasn’t been an easy road for Morgan Morarity to travel, but it has led him to his goal of playing college football.

The St. Vincent High School senior has agreed to continue his education and athletic career at Pacific University Oregon in Forest Grove. Pacific University is a nationally recognized private university of just under 4,000 students. It is acclaimed as the No. 1 private research university in the Pacific Northwest.

It is also Morarity’s choice among several schools in the Northwest, including Willamette, Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound and Linfield to express interest in the 5-foot-11, 250-pound guard.

“I liked the area,” Morarity said. “I like Oregon and I wanted to play in the Northwest. At Pacific I got the vibe that the coaches were really interested in me.”

He said the Pacific coaches projected him as a guard or center, but would like to see him add another 10 to 15 pounds of muscle to his already solid frame. He noted that the coaches gave him an indication that he might not see a lot of playing time as a freshman, but he would be in line to be on the field a lot as a sophomore.

Morarity was also impressed with the support the small community gives to the college. “Everyone bleeds Pacific Pride,” he said. He also observed there is a lot of diversity in the school. “There is a lot of students of Hawaiian heritage,” he noted. “I think it is absolutely perfect for me educationally, morally and ethically,”

To get to Pacific University was not easy for Morarity, who played his freshman and sophomore years at Casa Grande and had shoulder surgery after his sophomore season. He transferred to St. Vincent High School, and the North Coast Section ruled he had to sit out his entire junior year.

Last year, in the midst of an outstanding season for both him and the team that went 9-2, he played with the pain of a dislocated shoulder that also required surgery. He said he is now pain free. “My shoulder is locked and loaded. My shoulder never felt better,” he said.

His senior season was special not only because of the team success, but also because of the bonding of an offensive line that featured three players who are moving on to play college football. “It was an incredible feeling,” he said. “The line was like a mini family. Not only did we play as a group, but they were all my best friends.”

Like everyone else, he has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but he continues to work at Friedman’s Hardware, a business that has been allowed to stay open during the crisis. He also volunteers at St. James Catholic Church.

He credits his St. Vincent High School coach Trent Herzog for helping him develop and prepare for the next level, and for also turning around the entire St. Vincent program. “I owe a lot to Trent and the St. Vincent coaching staff,” he said.

Herzog said Morarity can definitely play college football.

“He brings toughness, determination and leadership to every game,” the coach said. “He is always positive and has a great attitude. He is the total package.

“He played last year in pain pretty much the entire season. He is pretty amazing. He is special.”

Morarity is the son of Mike and Tera Morarity. His brother, Mikey, was a standout player at Casa Grande and is now in the Marines.