Running back embraces connection to community after house fire in 2013.
MADISON — When Nick Morales carries the football, he thinks about that night in January 2013 and the aftermath.
That night, two and a half years ago, Morales and his family lost their home to a fire. Immediately, the people of Madison came to the aid of the Morales family. Morales and his siblings quickly had clothes and food. Madison had Morales’ back.
Now a junior at Madison Area Memorial High School, Morales is one of the top runners in the Class C North Big Ten Conference. Every carry, every yard, every touchdown, every win, is a thank you from Morales to his community.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., Madison (4-4) will host Foxcroft Academy (4-4) in a regional quarterfinal game. It’s the first home playoff game for the Bulldogs since 1995 and Morales is one of the big reasons for Madison’s success this season.
“The kid, (Morales) works hard every day. He’s coachable. He’s one of the first guys off the field asking me ‘Coach, how did I look (at the) point of attack? Were my fakes good?’ He’s very conscientious about what he does,” Madison coach Scott Franzose said.
In the regular season, Morales ran for 1,053 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging nearly 8 yards per carry. Morales also caught 10 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore last season, Morales saw some time in the Bulldogs’ backfield, but was behind a pair of seniors, Cody Soucier and Jordan Curtis, on the depth chart. Coming into this season, Morales knew his role would expand, but he wasn’t sure how.
Morales opened the season with 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 35-18 win over Oceanside in Week 1. In a 33-12 win over upcoming playoff opponent Foxcroft the following week, Morales ran for 158 yards and four touchdowns.
Morales ran for more than 150 yards four times in the regular season. Morales and Franzose agree that field vision is his strength as a runner.
Morales puts the skill simply.
Perhaps at no time in the season was Morales’ elusiveness on display more than in Madison’s 42-0 win over Waterville on Oct. 2. Late in the first quarter, Morales busted up the middle for a 73-yard touchdown run. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, early in the second quarter, Morales turned a short pass from Malloy, who scrambled from right to left to buy time, into one of the most exciting plays of the season. The play went for a 61 yard touchdown pass. Morales finished the game with 231 yards of offense and three touchdowns.
There’s more to running the ball than making people miss, and Morales knows that. He’s working on lowering his shoulder into would-be tacklers when the need arises.
“I’ve actually tried to work on that a lot. When we need short yardage, I just tell myself ‘Cover the ball, put your head down, and go,'” Morales said.
Morales knows Madison’s recent football history. Last season’s trip to the playoffs, which ended with a 20-12 loss at Belfast in the quarterfinals, was the first time the Bulldogs reached the playoffs in almost two decades. Saturday’s home game is huge, the next step in reviving a program that hasn’t won a state title since 1994.
Morales hopes by playing well on Saturday, he can give more thank yous to the town that picked him and his family up when they needed it.