Schools
Morris Quietly Making Lots of Noise on Mat
Sheldon Morris was 13-4 as of Saturday for the Highland wrestling team.
Sheldon Morris isn’t one to boast about his breakout season on the wrestling mat.
The Highland Regional High School sophomore has been one of the best wrestlers on a team full of young and talented grapplers. But rather than gloat about his achievements, he lets his mat work do the talking for him.
Morris showed off his full array of talents Friday night in the Tartans' 31-22 loss to Black Horse Pike Regional rival Timber Creek. He scored a 16-5 win over the Chargers' Zach Lutner by using a series of takedowns and near falls. He showed lightning-quick reflexes while also demonstrating raw power.
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Morris has been one of the top wrestlers in his weight class this season, compiling 13 wins to just four losses through Friday's match. He had only been pinned once and entered Saturday having won six straight and 10 of 11 matches.
Highland head coach Mike Davidson expressed how impressed he was with Morris’ mat work, while noting that his whole squad puts forth the same type of effort.
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“Sheldon is doing a great job,” Davidson said. “He’s been great; all of these guys have. I can’t just say one guy is doing a great job because there are 14 guys that step on that mat and all 14 of them I am proud of.”
Morris has been the embodiment of the Highland wrestling team. According to his grade level, he is still young. According to his mat skills, he’s a seasoned veteran.
“I just keep my head up,” said Morris, whose wrestling abilities speak much louder than his words. “If I lose, I try not to think about it and just keep a short memory. I always focus on coming out strong next time.”
So what fuels Morris before each match? It’s the thought of competing against the best on wrestling’s biggest stage.
“Districts, regions and states (fuel me),” he said. “I just want to be a district finalist to get into regions, and then be top three in regions to get onto a state mat.”
The District 30 tournament is now less than a month away and Morris knows accomplishing those objectives won’t be easy. He has no problem putting in extra time in the practice room to tweak any part of his game that could use improvement so that his goals become a reality
“I just have to stay focused and keep working hard,” Morris said.
