Last year when Central High School sophomore wrestler Tony Morales won the 7-A state wrestling title for the 152-pound division, he told In the Game he wanted to win two more. On Feb. 18, Morales succeeded in his attempt to win another AHSAA state championship.
One down, one to go.
Morales, now a junior and 17 years old, captured his second consecutive title in a match against Huntsville’s Houston Curtis. It was the stuff movies are made about: A dedicated athlete overcomes obstacles to come out on top.
The first snag came right at the beginning of the season due to Morales missing his preferred weight class.
“I had to start the season off at 160 because I missed my descent by a few pounds, so I had to wait a few weeks,” Morales said. “That took me a few weeks to get back down to 152.”
On the heels of working to get down to the 152-pound division, Morales discovered he had a staph infection on his left thigh. A recovery plan that included a minor medical procedure and strong antibiotics kept the wrestler off the mat for a couple of weeks. During this break, Morales missed numerous matches.
Once healthy, Morales attended a quad-match at Hoover High School in Birmingham. In addition to Central, three other schools participated: Hoover, Tuscaloosa County, and Huntsville. Morales did well against wrestlers from Hoover and Tuscaloosa County. The Huntsville match paired the Central wrestler against Houston Curtis.
“I lost to him by one point, and during the match I got a high-ankle sprain,” Morales said.
The result of that injury put Morales’s left foot in a ‘boot.’ He initially got around with the aid of crutches, but eventually he began rehab. Six weeks of rest, physical therapy, and sheer determination found Morales back in good enough form to wrestle.
During his recovery, Morales said he concentrated on his upper body strength while also working out with one of his coaches. He credited his morale and ability to overcome the setback of the injury in time to compete to two things: his faith and the support of his parents.
“It was prayer,” Morales said. “It was my belief that God had a purpose for me. My dad and my mother, me, we all prayed, and it was so hard to watch practices but not be able to get on the mat. It was really hard to watch the matches and see the winners, but it turned out good.”
Another part of the story that makes for a good movie: Morales’s head wrestling coach at Central is his father, Rob Morales. The father and son have a close relationship enhanced by wrestling. Balancing the roles of father/son and coach/athlete are difficult at times, but the two Morales men found, for the most part, a way to make it work.
When the Central wrestler made his comeback, he won his sectional matches and earned a spot as the No. 1 seed for the state tournament from the South Region. A script writer could have written what happened next when Morales wound up facing Huntsville’s Curtis for the title match.
In preparation for that title match, Morales trained and prepared mentally and physically for a six-minute match. He learned upon his return to wrestling after a long absence that all the work he did prior to his injury and during his rehabilitation paid off. The junior felt strong and was hungry for the match-up. The Friday night before the rematch with Curtis, Morales said he went to sleep with his heart racing, knowing he needed to put in six minutes of work on the mat.
The day of the title match found Morales feeling confident in his ability to perform well. As is his usual pre-game custom, Morales fashioned a cross from medical tape and placed it on his right ear protector. On the cross he wrote “Luke 6:35.” During a break in the match, Morales noticed Huntsville’s coach go to the table to talk with the referee. Apparently, the medical tape cross came loose and the opposing coach complained that it was illegal. Morales was told to remove the tape.
What transpired next is something even a movie writer couldn’t script. Morales’s father, acting in his role as coach, walked over to his son and took the cross.
“One of the things my friends love to make fun about is that when he grabbed it, he looked at it and kind of straightened it out and he put it on his chest, hit it right there on his suit coat,” Morales said, laughing.
When coach Morales was asked about the incident, he just shook his head.
“It was such a petty thing,” coach Morales said. “It was an attempt by the coach to get this kid off his stride.”
If that was indeed the case, it didn’t work. Morales roared back more determined than ever to win and defeated the Huntsville wrestler with a pin to take the title and win his second championship in two years. Six minutes wasn’t needed either. It only took about half that time, a feel-good movie ending all the way around.
When the 2017-18 wrestling season rolls around, neither father nor son – or rather, neither coach nor athlete – have a different game plan from what has already worked not once but twice.
“Not changing a thing,” coach Morales said.
Looking at his dad, the younger Morales agreed.
“Going to win sectionals and then another state title,” Morales said. “That’s my goal.”
When Tony Morales was declared the victor in the state title match, the Central High wrestler shook hands with his opponent and immediately jumped into the arms of his coach, his dad Rob Morales. Then the second-time state champ leaped into the stands to find his way to his mother and gave her a big hug.
“There would have been a different outcome if it hadn’t been for my dad,” Morales said. “He knows me so well, and he has done so much for me.”
Then, a little emotional, Morales took a moment before he could speak.
“My mom,” Morales said. “She is, um, she helped me so much. So much praying. I am just so thankful.”
Columbus Valley/June-July 2017
Tony Morales
State Wrestling Champ
Central High School
Phenix City, Alabama
By Beth Welch
Photos by George McDuffie
One down and one to go
