Round Lake’s Jorgie Morales isn’t motivated by the potential for individual accolades.
Last year, Morales was an all-state pick after recording 20 goals and 14 assists to fuel the Panthers’ run to a Class 3A sectional championship game. But through six games this season, his hopes for a memorable senior year were fading. The team was 0-5-1.
“It was definitely a frustrating start coming off a sectional final loss,” Morales said. “I felt we had a lot to prove. I thought the guys would be even more hungry to get back to the same spot.
“It hit me, and I suddenly realized we were clearly not the same unit as last year. It wasn’t the fairy tale like last season. We were going to have more downs than ups.”
So Morales, a midfielder, proposed a position change.
“Jorgie pulled a few of us aside and asked if he could play defense,” Round Lake coach Hugo Tellez said. “He was willing to put himself in the back line, and he said, ‘I can still attack from the back.’ He was willing to sacrifice himself for the team.
“We took his insight as coaches and talked about it. We eventually agreed with it. We were getting beaten at a certain point on the defensive side. We could still score with him being on defense.”
The move by Morales, the 2024 News-Sun Boys Soccer Player of the Year, altered the course of Round Lake’s season. He still racked up 24 goals, giving him 54 in his career, and 10 assists. But more important to Morales, the Panthers (11-10-1) finished with a winning record for the 20th straight season.
“I was putting our start on myself because I felt I was letting the team down because I didn’t score a goal until the fourth or fifth game,” he said. “I had a slow start. I was disappointed in myself after the stats I put up, especially after being named all-state.
“I’m so happy we continued our winning. We weren’t the class that stopped it.”
Morales, who still was named all-state for the second time and All-Northern Lake County Conference for the third time, wasn’t concerned about those honors.
“I was just tired of losing,” he said. “I knew I could play center back and help the team more. I knew the risk of not scoring goals anymore, mainly not getting all-state again. I couldn’t care less about the other things. I wanted to win and wanted a winning record for my senior season.”
Former Mundelein standout Frankie Jimenez, a freshman forward at Aurora University, played with Morales on two club teams, including the Greater Libertyville Soccer Association’s FC 1974 last summer. Jimenez said he has watched Morales become a team-oriented player over the years.
“Having Jorgie is the glue to having a successful team,” Jimenez said. “I know our other teammates and coaches and myself can all say Jorgie is someone who you would be grateful to have on your team because of how well-rounded of a player he is.
“His talent in soccer is special. If you need someone to send you a nice ball, play some defense or score some goals, Jorgie is that guy.”
As the Panthers closed the regular season with a flourish to finish second in the conference, Morales said he felt validated by his decision.
“I felt moving to the back really helped me develop as a person and a player,” he said. “It made me grow in another aspect of the game. My whole life I had been more of an attacking player. Committing to the center back role this year, it made me realize both aspects of the game and that you have to have a good defense.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
