Los Altos resident overcomes ailments to be chosen SFHS athlete of the year

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

photo courtesy of the Morales family Linebacker Mike Morales holds up the ball in celebration during a St. Francis High football game last fall.

It wasn’t just how he played, but what he played through that earned Mike Morales the St. Francis High Male Athlete of the Year Award.

The Los Altos resident endured a hernia - along with shoulder and back injuries - during the football season. Then he contracted mononucleosis during the wrestling season.

“I had a lot of doctor appointments,” he said. “I got to know my doctors really well.”

Between appointments, Morales made an impact in both sports. He played a key role on a football team that reached the Central Coast Section semifinals and was voted West Catholic Athletic League Linebacker of the Year. In wrestling, Morales helped the Lancers win the WCAL title and qualified for the state meet after finishing fourth in his weight class at the CCS championships.

Morales didn’t discover he had a hernia until well into the football season, but the news didn’t deter him from playing. Not wanting to let his team down, Morales opted to postpone surgery until after the season, even though his doctor warned him that a direct hit to the herniated area could complicate the situation.

“The doctor said it was my decision,” Morales said. “There’s always a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take.”

Morales also had to contend with an aggravated disc in his back and ligament damage in his shoulder, yet missed only one game the entire season.

“He’s a very tough kid,” said Mike Mitchell, head football coach at St. Francis. “He’s a model St. Francis football player. I wish they were all like him. He played through injuries, played hurt and was dedicated. We’re going to miss him.”

Mitchell said he not only will miss Morales’ work ethic, leadership and sense of humor, but also all those big plays his team captain made. There was the Week 2 win over Oak Grove when Morales blocked two punts, returning one for a touchdown. Then, a week later, he recorded two sacks in a victory over Los Gatos. A month later in a league win over Serra, he intercepted a pair of passes.

“He was always around the football,” Mitchell said. “He was very active.”

Morales led the team with 71 tackles (20 for a loss) racked up eight sacks and broke up four passes.

Morales underwent hernia surgery right after the football season. He wanted to miss as little of the wrestling season as possible. After a month of wrestling, however, he was diagnosed with mono, which explained why he was tiring late in matches.

“I was really fatigued,” said Morales, who had an enlarged spleen. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to wrestle again.”

One doctor told him he could be out as long as six months.

But once again, Morales found a way to play. After a three-week layoff, he took another mono test. It came back negative.

“It was mind over matter,” said his mom, Diane Morales. “Somehow, he healed himself from mono.”

Morales recovered just in time for the league meet. Despite having just a few days of practice, he placed second in the 191-pound division. Next came CCS, where Morales finished fourth to earn a trip to Bakersfield for the state meet. Although he didn’t place at state, just getting there after going mano a mano with mono was an accomplishment Morales’ father takes great pride in.

“That was something,” Ralph Morales said. “… He’s the toughest kid I know.”

Morales believes his perseverance and performance during the 2004-05 school year led to his being named male athlete of the year. The 18-year-old said the thought of winning the honor initially entered his mind when he was a freshman attending his first sports award banquet at St. Francis.

“I’ve aspired to win it ever since,” Morales said. “After my football season and qualifying for state in wrestling, I knew I had a shot. But I was definitely shocked when it happened.”

Morales now wants to shock all those NCAA Division I colleges that didn’t offer him an athletic scholarship. He’s been invited to walk on at the University of Arizona, along with St. Francis teammates Joe Harris and Billy Ring.

“Nothing is guaranteed, I’ll just try out and see what happens,” said Morales, a first team all-league and All-Mid-Peninsula selection as a senior. “I could have gone to UC Davis (as a walk on), but I wanted to go to Arizona and try my luck there; it was really high on my list.”

The aspiring lawyer said he’s been working out six days a week with a personal trainer so he will be in “the best shape of my life” for the Aug. 22 tryout.

He’s also back in pads in preparation for the 31st annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game, set for 7:30 p.m. July 20 at San Jose City College. Morales is one of five St. Francis players on the North squad, which will face a team of top players from southern Santa Clara County. Practices began last week.

“It’s pretty cool - the best of the area are out there,” Morales said. “It’s fun to meet new guys and play football again.”

Morales just hopes this isn’t his last football game. He may be too small to play middle linebacker at an NCAA Division I program, but the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Morales said he’s capable of moving to outside linebacker or even strong safety.

From what he’s seen from Morales, Mitchell said it wouldn’t be wise to bet against his making it at Arizona.

“He has a chance. He’s undersized, but he runs very well and that will definitely help him,” Mitchell said. “And he’ll work extremely hard.”

Plus, as he proved time and time again, Morales will play through the pain.