Morton Mustangs

Tryouts for Morton basketball took place in late September right as Callie's soccer season wrapped up at Henry Clay. Callie would not have wanted it any other way, and she was very excited to be an 8th grader helping to lead the team. We were interested to see how the season would go since she hadn't played basketball since the end of the last season in January 2021. Coach K likes to have his girls prepared, however, and they were having practices 6 days a week right from the get go. Callie loved it, and now that school was in person she just stayed two hours after the last bell and didn't get home until after 6pm. We loved it because there was limited driving responsibilities and if push came to shove she could actually walk home.

Before the regular season began Morton played in a tournament against many county schools who were just wrapping up their seasons. They came in as well oiled machines (and some pretty tall girls) and it was a shock to the system for the city girls who lost by some large margins.

When the regular season began, however, it was a different story. The Mustangs got off to a strong start and went 5-0, which had both parents and players dreaming big dreams.

Callie was one of five 8th graders on the team, and as a group they were a great influence on the 6th and 7th graders. All five older girls played hard, worked together, and encouraged their teammates. We were excited to see how Callie had developed as a player. She was more confident, more invested, and overall had a newfound passion for the sport. She looked for her shots, rebounded, and hustled on defense. She seemed to only get better as the season went on and was one of the few players who played almost every minute of each game.

This group of girls were also goofy and fun-loving when they weren't in the heat of the moment on the court. One evening Coach K encouraged them to support the Morton football team as a sign of school spirit. Even in the rain they were happy to be together and support their school.

Because of covid, last year only family members could attend basketball games. This year the games had cheerleaders, students, and all sorts of folks. It made the games a lot louder, among other things. Callie commented on the volume in particular, which took her some time to adjust to.

However, she definitely enjoyed it when friends came out to support her and her teammates, which happened more often than we would have expected. Many of the games we went to we saw dozens of Morton students cheering on their team. It was a fun atmosphere.

Before we could blink, the end of the season was upon us. Following that 5-0 start, the Mustangs lost five in a row. It was a tough road for the girls, but we were so proud to see how Callie especially kept fighting and led by example with her effort every night. And before we knew it, 8th grade night had arrived. This was our first experience with such an event, and we didn't know what to expect.

But as we walked out with Callie to stand at center court, we couldn't have been prouder. And we were and are also very thankful for the two coaches, Coach K and Coach Combs, who made it such an incredibly positive experience for Callie.

8th grade was made even more special, and fun, by the handiwork of the Fletchers, who took some of Jon's photos and turned them into Big Heads of the 8th graders. The parents and siblings loved waving around the huge heads in the stands throughout the game. The players themselves tried to avoid looking at them during the game.

These photos will definitely be keepsakes for years to come. If nothing else, they created one of the best team photos we could have ever dreamed of. Seriously, how funny is this picture?

And just like that, the six day a week practices, team dinners, and loud gymnasiums came to an end. One more sports season in the books for Callie and her family. It was a completely unexpected and enjoyable ride all the way around. And now she is actually talking about trying out for the high school team. Stay tuned.