Eric SorensonMany have been hit hard by the news that schools will not return to campus for the remainder of the academic year. It’s a tough and transformative time for all, but especially for the senior class, the class of 2020. Sports360AZ wants to hear from those seniors on how they’re adjusting, what they’re feeling and how this experience can make them stronger moving forward in a segment we call “2020 Vision.”
COVID-19 has been a time for reflection for a number of us, including Centennial senior quarterback Jonathan Morris who helped the Coyotes win two state championships, as well as qualify for the first ever Open Division Playoffs last season.
“There’s definitely a lot of really great guys who I made great bonds with,” Morris said of his CHS teammates during a recent Skype interview with Sports360AZ.com. “Some of my best friends were on [my] junior team who I still hang out with almost every single day. I think that was probably the best experience – being able to play with those guys. I’ve been with some of them since [I was] playing in seventh grade.”
Morris, a well-respected team leader who led CHS to a 23-3 record in his two seasons starting at quarterback, will continue his academic and football career at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana later this summer. He has remained close with his Centennial teammates, as well some much younger ‘Yotes during the ongoing pandemic.
“My football team, we have a group chat for all the incoming freshmen,” he explained. “We always text in there and sometimes we play video games…I’ve got a gym set up in my garage so that’s how we stay in contact.”
With his prep football career in the rearview mirror, Morris left some words of wisdom behind in hopes of keeping the Coyotes not only the king of the west Valley, but one of the most dominant programs in Arizona.
“One thing that I always tried to preach to them is hard work,” he explained. “Talent only takes you so far when it comes to playing football. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t work hard, it’s not going to pay off.”
Morris has the championship rings to prove he and his CHS Class of 2020 teammates did just that.
The beat certainly goes on at Centennial.
