Sudden Impact: Delcambre’s Morris Cole Jr.

DELCAMBRE - Delcambre’s Morris Cole, Jr. has not played football in a couple of years, not since junior high.
But when he decided to come out for football as a junior, it didn’t take head football coach Artie Liuzza long to notice what Cole could bring to the table.
“I think that he played one year in junior high, but I can remember being on top of the press box my first year here and watching Morris run sprints on the track in the end zone.
“He’s surprisingly quick and has some speed for someone his size. When I saw him, I knew that he was someone who could give opposing centers some trouble on the line. That is when I knew that he could play nose guard for us.”
So the 5-foot-5, 215-pound junior, who’s strong enough to do 10 reps at 225 on the bench press, became the Panthers’ starting nose guard who can plug up the gaps in the defensive line.
“He always wants to race someone, to show off his speed,” Liuzza said. “He’s a naturally strong guy in the weight room. We’re hoping that he can have a breakout year on the defensive line.”
For someone who hasn’t played football in a few years, coming back to the game can be rough, but Liuzza said that Cole is getting the hang of one of the more critical positions on the field on the defensive side.
“He’s getting his assignments down,” the DHS coach said. “He’s doing a great job in practice. He’s quick off the ball and is tough to handle.”
Cole quickly tells you exactly what he has to do in the middle of the defensive line.
“I have to protect the A gap (the gap between center and guards on either side of the ball) and try to go for the quarterback or make the tackle,” he said. “It’s nice to be playing football, and so far, it’s been good to get out on the field.”
But what made Cole get back on the field after time off?
“I don’t know why I didn’t play,” he said. “But a lot of people told me that I would be good at playing, so I decided to take their offer and come out and play.”
Cole said that the most challenging part has been learning to protect the A gap, but he’s been able to pick up the various nuances of the position.
“The easiest part has been making the tackle,” Cole said. “I’m pretty good at that.”
As for personal goals this season, Cole wants to win three games in a row and then see how far the Panthers can go from there.
For Liuzza, he wants Cole to have a chance to shine.
“I’d just like to see him play disciplined football and cause some frustration for the offense,” he said. “Maybe force them to double-team him to stop him from helping out the rest of our defense.
“As I said, he’s quick, and I think he can get by a few centers.”