MSU-N Game Day Feature: Bigtime Blocking, Big Heart

There's some common themes among the Montana State University-Northern football team's senior class. Tough times, coaching changes, not very many wins. Ups and downs, yet a lot of talent.

But, the biggest themes amongst the Lights' seniors is, one, they are leading a resurgence in Northern football, and two, they have all showed tremendous character by sticking it out and seeing through a very tough situation.

And, one man who truly exemplifies those traits is senior offensive lineman Pete Morales. A gentle giant from La Habra, California, Morales is a team captain, a leader, and most of all, a player that is respected up and down the MSU-Northern roster.

"He's a guy, you can tell how much he cares," Northern head coach Aaron Christensen said. "And that puts him in a position to be a natural leader. The other guys, especially the young guys see that, and they look up to him and respect him. He's just a guy that really leads by example, on and off the field."

A leadership role is something Morales has grown into. And while it was a bit awkward for him at first, it's something he said he embraces now, in his final season with the Lights.

"Being a leader is a new role for me," Morales said. "I was used to being the guy that was kind of quiet and just trying to prove myself to the older guys on this team. So, becoming more of a leader on this team was weird at first, but it's something I've definitely grown into and take pride in now. I enjoy helping the younger guys grow. I enjoy helping show the young guys on this team and in this program what it means to be a college athlete, and especially what it means to be a Light."

Helping his teammates grow is something Morales does well. But, he certainly has done a lot of growing himself. Both on and off the field.

From a football standpoint, the 6-3, 295-pound monster has quietly turned into one of the best offensive lineman in the Frontier Conference, as well as the anchor of a much-improved Northern front five.

"Pete is a very good football player," Christensen said. "He's a very good offensive linemen, and you see that in the fact that he played tackle for us last year, then slid over to guard this season, and he hasn't missed a beat. In fact, that move has made us even better. So yes, he's the leader of our offensive line, and one of the leaders on our team, but, I think he gets overlooked as a football player sometimes. And he shouldn't be overlooked because he's a very good player."

Playing tackle for the Lights last season, Morales wasn't overlooked by the league's coaches in the end. Despite the Lights going winless a year ago, Morales earned Frontier All-Conference Second-Team honors, and while he takes pride in the team aspect of the offensive line, he was certainly proud of the achievement, because, after all, offensive lineman don't get the kind of recognition that other positions do often enough.

"It was gratifying to be named All-Conference," Morales said. "I wasn't sure I would get it because of our record, but it felt really good to be recognized. I also looked at it as something I could build off of. When you get an award like that, everybody starts to know who you are so it kind of puts a target on your back. So I have had to work harder to make sure I play even better this season. So it was a motivator for sure, but it's also something I was very proud of."

The individual award was nice, but, when it comes to playing on the offensive line, Morales still considers himself one piece of a five-man team, and, at the end of the day, the biggest reward is his offense getting done what needs to get done. And, at Northern, a lot of times, that means making sure star running back Zach McKinley is churning up more yards in his brilliant career, something Morales has helped him do in each of the past three seasons.

"I still think I'm just one small part of it," Morales said of playing on the offensive line. "We have a very good line this year and we're much more consistent. And that's a credit to guys like Clint Willis and Dylan Schmidt and Jay Hembree and a bunch of other guys who have really stepped up this year. And for us, the big thing isn't awards, it's Zach McKinley rushing for another 1,000-yard season, or not letting our quarterback get sacked. Those are things that matter most to me, and to us as a unit."

Something else that matters to Morales is simply being a Light, playing with his brother Jesse, simply being a student at Northern, and being a part of the community. Havre may be a long way from sunny California, but it's become home for Morales.

"Coming up here was a culture shock at first," Morales said. "I come from an area with a million people in my county alone. So it was different. But this community, the school, and the town, the way they support the athletes and teams here, it's impossible not to love this place. All the people, the support system that's here, it made it real easy for me to be here, to go to school here and play football here.

"Getting to be up here playing football with my brother (Northern linebacker Jesse Morales) has also been a blessing," he continued. "We played together in high school and now in college. So I couldn't have asked for anything better."

And the Lights couldn't have gotten a better player, a better person and a better leader than Pete Morales. Despite his intimidating presence, his tough demeanor on the field, Morales is a happy guy who makes everyone around him feel good. His smile lights up the practice field on dark and dreary Havre fall days, and he, along with his senior teammates continue to be the beacon of light leading Northern football into a new, and more successful era.

"Pete's a guy, he's very easy to like," Christensen said. "He's a happy guy, and you can tell how much he enjoys playing football. He gets along with everybody, and that attitude he brings every day, that really rubs off on the other guys.

"I've been blessed to get to do this, playing football in college," Morales said. "It's something I don't take for granted. I love every minute of every day being a college athlete.

"There were some difficult times, with coach Samson leaving, us being in limbo and things like that," he continued. "But it's a testament to all of our seniors that we're here, that we come to work hard every day, and we play hard every game. And that's also a testament to the program we're building now. I really believe, with the young guys in this program, and the coaching staff we have now, that this program is going in the right direction, and I'm proud to be a part of that. I'm proud to help build this program into what I think it's going to be in the future."

Pete Morales is a big man, with a big heart. And, he should be proud because years from now, he will be known as one of the major building blocks in the foundation for what Northern football will have become. And, when all is said and done, there will have been no better guy than Morales to have been one of those building blocks.