FRUITPORT – If the Fruitport football players ever get too frustrated and need some extra motivation, they can simply look at their own starting offensive guard/defensive end.
Those are the positions played by senior Alex Morse, and he’s just thrilled to be back on the football field, win or lose.
Morse played last season until Week 4, when an ongoing injury became too overbearing and forced him to the sidelines.
“It was very emotional,” Morse said about watching his teammates play. “Especially the Spring Lake game last year. We were doing really good and it was one of the closer games. I couldn’t do anything to help.”
Originally, Morse and athletic trainers were under the impression that his injury was leg-related, due to pain in the hamstring area.
However, in January, Morse found himself going under the knife for back surgery to repair a herniated disc on his L5S1 (lumbosacral joint) vertebrae that was pinching his sciatic nerve.
Morse isn’t able to pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred but believes it may have come while wrestling during his sophom*ore year.
“I remember going to class and my lower back being sore,” he said. “I thought it was from being hunkered down in a wrestling stance, but after the season was over, the back pain went away and leg pain started. It just kept getting worse and worse.”
Morse admits that going under the knife at the age of 17 was a challenge.
“It was very scary for me,” he said. “At first, I didn’t fully understand it and it didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t know it could happen to kids that young. I talked to my doctor and it was his first time doing back surgery on someone that young.”
While recovering and going through the rehab process, Morse says football was very much on the back burner, and perhaps not a future option at all.
“I had a lot of doubts in my head,” he said. “The mental part of it was tough. Sitting out last season did play a big part in my thinking of not playing again.”
Luckily Morse connected with Fruitport head coach Nate Smith, who convinced him to come back to the team.
“I had a really long conversation with Coach Smith over the phone and in person,” Morse said. “We talked for a while and he made sure to tell me even if I couldn’t play, I could go and help out the team. So then I decided to try my hardest and get back to playing.”
Smith is very glad he was able to convince Morse to overcome his doubts and get back in the game.
“We had a conversation, and he didn’t know if he could do it,” the coach said. “I told him that he owed it to himself to try, and he’s been locked in. He plays with such a level of gratitude now, and it’s special.”
Morse made his big return last week when the Trojans visited Spring Lake in their season opener. He led the team onto the field while carrying the Fruitport flag, an honor usually given to a player who had a special week of practice.
“I think it was evident how special it was,” Coach Smith said. “We always have someone lead us out who’s been sacrificial, and that week we decided it would be him because last year he didn’t get to play. I think the players were just ecstatic about it. They appreciate the work he has put in.”
Morse played very well against Spring Lake, particularly on offense, according to Smith.
“I couldn’t be more excited for a kid who had to sit out last year and was totally frustrated,” the coach said.
Morse said just being back into the football atmosphere was awesome.
“Even though we didn’t do very good, it was fun,” he said. “The beginning of the game, and the feeling of just being in pads during warmups, was really nice.”
On Friday, Morse will again play on Fruitport’s turf in the first home game of the season – something he wasn’t sure he would ever do again.
“My teammates have been a big part of this,” he said. “They reached out and talked to me. Even if I couldn’t play, they wanted me out there helping. I’m ready for Big Rapids at home on Friday.”
