By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Mogadore girls basketball program’s identity changed the moment Amelia Morris and her freshmen teammates walked into the gym.

Veteran head coach Jennifer Ritch felt it immediately.

It was 2021 and the Wildcats were returning from an 8-14 overall record and lowly 2-10 league record the season before.

The team lacked toughness.

The team needed some competitive fire.

The team needed some passionate players.

Without needing to come in and announce it, Amelia Morris quickly showed that she was all of those things.

Practices suddenly had more spirit and more focus.

Naturally, the team’s perspective began to change and the desire to win became the new and regular expectation.

And the Wildcats won.

By the end of the 2021-22 season, Mogadore had completely reversed its record to 14-8 overall and 8-2 in the league, which was good enough to share the Portage Trail Conference championship.

Morris was a role player off the bench that season, but her impact, along with freshmen twins Ari and Julie Tompkins, as well as Ava Miller, had been felt in more ways than statistically.

“That group, when they were freshmen, they came in with a level of toughness that we had not had for years,” Ritch said. “Without having to say anything at all. They did it with the way they played, with the way they practiced. They wanted to win and they expected to win.”

For Morris, the competitive spirit she had to win games meant that she was willing to do whatever the team needed. As a freshman and sophomore, that resulted in accepting a supporting role, with a focus on defense and rebounding. Most of her points would come off offensive putbacks or without any set plays designed for her, as the Wildcats relied on others to carry the scoring load.

By Morris’ junior season, a year ago, she began to transition into more of a featured player offensively, but the team’s scoring still, understandingly, worked through sharpshooter Brook McIntyre.

Ritch knew that this year would be different. She knew she was going to need Morris more than ever before.

“This is the first year in her career that she has more points than rebounds,” Ritch said. “She is still an amazing rebounder, but we knew that our offense was going to feature her this year. We knew she would need to be our go-to player.”

Morris has responded and is averaging a double-double at 15.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. For her career, she has 709 rebounds, which ranks top five in school history.

She also has 81 field goals, 47 free throws, 44 steals and 13 blocked shots — all of which not only lead her team, but are also all top-six amongst Portage County leaders.

“Coach told me over the summer that she was going to need me to score a little bit more this year than before, but my main focus all along has been to do whatever the team needs me to do for us to win games,” said Morris, who, as a freshman, played alongside her older sister Amber. “I set a goal for myself to average a double-double this year. Doing what the team needs is what drives me to work hard.”

A characteristic that has continued to shape the daily identity of the Wildcats.

“I have been lucky to have all of the Morris siblings in class, and I have coached Amelia and Amber. They are all such great kids. They come in and work hard. They are respectful. They are positive people and they are great teammates. I would take a team of Morris players if I could.”

Amelia, though, is the final of five from the family of father Mike and mother Diana, to come through Mogadore, with Brandon (Class of 2013), Luke (2016), Aaron (2020) and Amber (2022) all preceding their youngest sister, who is enjoying the final weeks of her final season.

“It has been such a fun season so far. We still have things we want to accomplish,” Morris said. “We are not very tall, so we have to always work harder than the other team, and we have to want it more than the other team.”

The Wildcats will need toughness, competitive fire and passion.

Morris is ready for it all.