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REIGN CANE: Lake Creek’s Morcos commits to Tulsa ahead of senior year
While it may often take some time for an individual to be noticed in the high school football recruiting game, that hasn’t been the case for Lake Creek’s Eli Morcos.
Following years of training, preparation, and producing some admirable results, the incoming senior quarterback has racked up a bevy of noteworthy offers throughout his career – particularly from programs such as UTEP, Sam Houston State, Houston Christian, ULL, and Navy.
However, after his most recent official visit, Morcos ultimately made his decision to commit to Tulsa on Monday.
“It felt right,” he said. “I had been praying about it for a while, and I just felt like God spoke to my heart, telling me that Tulsa was the place I needed to be. Also, I really enjoyed the coaching staff – coach (Corey) Dennis and coach (Kevin) Wilson.
They’re very intelligent, offensive-minded guys who can produce NFL quarterbacks. Regarding the city itself, I enjoyed it a lot. The environment was great, the players were great, and I just felt like that was home.”
As he approaches the final campaign in his high school career, it’s given Morcos the opportunity to reminisce about where it all began.
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
“I’ve always grown up in the sport, dating back to when I was three or four,” said Morcos. “A big part of my journey, I think, was impacted by my brother who’s four years older than me. Growing up, I would go play tackle football with him and his friends, which helped me to be built tough and it’s stuck with me up to this point.”
It would appear that this particular upbringing has paid dividends for the Lions signal-caller, who is coming off a stellar performance in 2023, in which he accumulated over 1,500 yards through the air, with 18 passing touchdowns, and 11 more on the ground.
Collectively, Lake Creek (12-1) went undefeated through the regular season, which carried over into the playoffs, before being edged out by the eventual UIL-5A-II state champs Port Neches-Groves (30-27) in the Regional Quarterfinals.
Now that he has secured his future playing career, Morcos has a one-track mind for the upcoming Fall.
“It’s time to go get it done,” he said. “Last year I was still going through the whole recruitment process, which put a little bit more pressure on my shoulders. But, now the mindset is to just go win and have fun. It’s going to be the last time I’ll be on the same field with my friends, so I’m hoping to make it count.
Obviously, I want to stay consistent and be a leader for the guys around me since I’m going to be one of the oldest of the group. So, I intend to make this season enjoyable for myself and my teammates – to be an uplifting spirit so they can take on what seniors leave when all is said and done.”
Given that the vast majority of last year’s roster will be returning for head coach Pat Kennedy, which includes the soon-to-be Tulsa Hurricane, fans should expect more of the same success in 2024, if not greater.
HIS JOURNEY: Yarbrough has big league aspirations on the gridiron
BEING A DREAMER MIGHT BE SEEN AS WISHFUL THINKING, HOWEVER, THAT SHOULDN’T BE THE CASE.
After all, some of the most incredible feats of athleticism began with nothing more than a dream.
Turning that into a reality is easier said than done, but for Crosby junior Wesley Yarbrough, the work he’s put in to achieve his dream began years ago.
“I played just about every sport growing up, but football just came naturally to me,” he said. “My mom always told me that she saw something in me and that any sport I was going to be in, she knew I’d be great at it. It’s been the game I love, ever since I started.”
When a young athlete watches their favorite sport on the professional level, more often than not, they think, “I want to be like them.”
The same can be said for Yarbrough.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“For me, I lean towards the great running backs,” said Yarbrough.
“I’ll always say that LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson are the guys who I try to model my game after. I’ll do anything to try to get the ball in the end-zone, whether it be contact or making moves – whatever is necessary to score for the team.”
While the Cougars may have had somewhat of a down-year in 2023, they still featured one of best running back duos in the district.
Yarbrough received second-team, all-district honors for his efforts, while the soon-to-be graduated Levi Fontenot was a first-teamer.
Now that he will be taking over the position as Crosby’s lead workhorse, it’s given Yarbrough some time to consider how he’s grown in the program.
“If I could give a younger version of myself some advice coming into my freshman year, I’d tell myself not to worry about what other people have got going on,” he said. “I used to look at other players with their ‘stars,’ comparing it to myself and it would take away from my game.
“But, I came to realize that your journey is always going to be your own, and no one person’s path is going to be the same as the others. You’ve just got to be willing to work for it and you can be better.”
If his resolve holds, the junior Cougar might one day see himself competing on the collegiate stage.
“I’m looking for a school that can get me to the next level,” Yarbrough said. “That’s always been my dream, to be able to play at the highest level of football. So, I’m hoping to get into a school that can develop me, while also having a great environment to work in.
“Next year, I’m trying to put up some big numbers for our team, so that I can come into a program as a true freshman. I’ve got some schools telling me that if I work hard, they can get me onto the field early. I want to show everybody that I’m one of the best backs, and hopefully we (Crosby) can have a great turnaround and make a run in the playoffs.”
Yarbrough’s journey is far from over.
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