Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
De La Salle Collegiate football coach Paul Verska says it is time to start opening up the offense.
And why not, when you have the top senior recruit in the state and one of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation on your team?
Shane Morris is the 6’4″, 206-pound signal caller for De La Salle, who will be heading to the University of Michigan next year to continue his career.
In Morris’ first two full seasons under center for the Pilots, Verska ran a more run-oriented offense.
But that will change this year.
“We haven’t unleashed him, but we will this year,” Verska said. “Basically, we could run the football, and we never wanted to put too much pressure on a sophomore or junior. But his strength is throwing the football, and he has a lot of guys that he is familiar with. Six guys his age have moved up on varsity as sophomores with him, so we have more experience at the skilled positions this year, so we’re going to throw it.”
There is no doubt that Morris can handle a more throw-oriented offense. Once last year, in one of De La Salle’s biggest games, Morris completed 28 of 41 passes and helped lead the Pilots to a 31-28 victory over then top-ranked Plymouth.
De La Salle finished last year with a 9-3 record, and in Morris’ two-plus year of starting, the Pilots are 21-7.
Last month at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp in Redondo Beach, California, Morris showed off his huge arm against some of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
“Morris clearly has the biggest arm at the event and loves to show it,” Rivals.com Mike Farrell told the Detroit Free Press last month. “He has improved his touch, and the ball didn’t sail on him nearly as frequently as it has in the past showcases. Morris’ ceiling is very, very high.”
Verska can’t wait to see what Morris is going to do during his last year of high school football.
“He’s a pretty good football player, he’s been blessed,” Versksa said. “He’s got a great arm, good feet. If we had to play him at safety, he’d be the best safety on the team. God’s given him a lot of ability, and he works hard at his craft.
“Last year he was pretty good as a leader on the field, and this year he’s improved a lot in that area,” he added. “He’s excited about this year, everybody is. Everybody is excited, ready to get the season on a roll and get competing.”