Junior Brycen Morriston had patiently waited for his time to play quarterback at Nicholas County. When the 2021 football season kicked off, Morriston finally got his chance – sort of.
Entering the season, Morriston was splitting time behind center with fellow junior Dawson Brown.
That situation changed just four games into the season, however. Morriston became the full-time guy when Brown was sidelined with a season-ending injury.
“He could do it all along, but we were working with two and letting it pan out. Both players brought a different skill set to the table,” Nicholas County head coach Gene Morris said. “Brycen is quick and very elusive. He does everything that he can do in order to win. He is very knowledgeable about the game and he has only gotten sharper and better at directing this offense.”
Morriston felt all along that he was ready to take over at quarterback, but he didn’t like the circumstances.
“I was ready for the opportunity and I knew at some point I would get my shot. I hate that it happened the way that it did with Dawson’s injury, but I was ready to step in and take over the role full-time,” Morriston said.
The circumstances that led to Morriston being the starting quarterback in high school were oddly similar to how he became a quarterback early in his football career.
“I believe I was in first grade playing Pee-Wee football and I was one of our running backs,” Morriston recalled. “Our quarterback was down with an injury and wasn’t playing that week. They were looking for a replacement and they threw me in there. Ever since then, it has been my spot.”
One of the positives of a two-quarterback system was the competition it created. Although that competition is no longer there, Morris still feels that his quarterback is driven to continually get better.
“Sometimes it is good to have that competition and have somebody pushing you. When Dawson got hurt, Brycen maintained that level and pushed himself to get better,” Morris said. “That is his nature and sometimes we have to pick him up. He keeps striving to be perfect and we appreciate that, but that is not gonna always be.”
Morriston is the first to acknowledge that the quarterback situation he has been thrust into has been made a little easier playing behind an experienced offensive line.
“The line has been tremendous all across the board. They come out every game and give everything they have on every single play to clear holes for us,” Morriston said. “Then toss in guys like Kaleb (Clark), Alex (Pritt), Wes Hill and myself, when we get the ball, they make it easy for us.”
Standing just 5-foot-6, Morriston gets his inspiration at quarterback from a couple of guys in the National Football League, Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson.
“Kyler because we are kinda physically built the same. We are not the biggest guys on the field, but we are good at our positions. We get the job done” Morriston said. “Lamar because he is also a dual threat and can do a little bit of everything.”
Along with the dream of playing quarterback, Morriston also dreamed as a kid of playing under the Friday night lights at Memorial Stadium. This Friday night he will walk out under those lights again, but this time it will be in the first round of the high school football playoffs against Roane County.
“Just going from a kid on Friday nights playing ball on the side down by the field to now being under those lights, you can’t compare it to anything else. It is a once in a lifetime feeling,” Morriston said.
