Whether he was on the basketball court or the baseball field, Waubonsie Valley senior Ryan Morton wasn’t the best player on his team.
But the Warriors won a lot in both sports this school year, and it’s no coincidence that Morton was the common denominator.
“He’s a winner, man,” Waubonsie Valley baseball coach Bryan Acevedo said. “He’s probably one of the more decorated athletes we’ve had in the last decade at our place in terms of two conference championships and two regionals in his senior year.
“He’s a phenomenal kid who works hard, and he loves to compete. That’s probably the biggest thing about him. He’s not the most talented guy on the field, but he’s going to compete.”
Morton was a starting forward for the boys basketball team, which went 27-3 and won DuPage Valley Conference and regional titles before losing to Downers Grove North in a Class 4A sectional semifinal on Feb. 28.
The narrative was much the same in baseball. Morton has been Waubonsie Valley’s No. 2 pitcher and starting second baseman. The Warriors won the DVC regular-season and tournament titles and their first regional crown in 10 years.
Where did this all come from?
“You have to go back to last year, when toward the end of the season he started becoming a regular starter for us,” senior outfielder Ben Ford said. “Every time he’d go out, he’d compete.
“He just has a winner mentality. He’s brought that into this year and been a leader as a senior, and he’s done some great things, and every time he’s out there we’re able to win.”
The Warriors nearly did it again Friday. Morton held top-seeded Downers Grove North to just five hits in the Class 4A Plainfield North Sectional championship game.
It took a walk-off home run by Michigan State recruit Jude Warwick to finally end second-seeded Waubonsie Valley’s season. Warwick’s one-out shot to left in the bottom of the seventh gave the Trojans a 3-2 win.
“He threw me a fastball middle in, right where I wanted it,” Warwick said. “I put the barrel on it, had a good swing. I’ve never hit a walk-off before, so that was pretty unbelievable.”
None of the players on either team had ever played in a sectional final. Waubonsie Valley (25-10) was making its first appearance in one since 2005, one year after Downers Grove North (30-7) last made it.
The Warriors scored unearned runs without the benefit of a hit in each of the first two innings to take a 2-1 lead. But the Trojans tied it in the fifth, and Warwick then pitched two hitless innings of relief to finish off a combined two-hitter and get the win.
But Warwick gave kudos to Morton.
“An unbelievable effort,” Warwick said. “I give him all the credit. I was just lucky enough to see enough pitches, but he pitched a phenomenal game.”
Morton felt good about his overall performance, if not the ending.
“This last outing, it’s not what I want, giving up that walk-off home run, but it was a good hit,” Morton said. “I placed the pitch exactly where I wanted it — better hit.
“I did keep most hitters off balance, but they’re a good-hitting team, so I have to give props to them. They came up big in the big moments in the later innings.”
That’s something Morton, who will not play in college, did consistently in two sports. He earned his teammates’ trust.
“They gave me a shot today to pitch in this sectional championship, which means a lot to me, so that’s very important,” he said. “And same with basketball. They trusted me to have the ball in my hands to make a three or a good pass.
“That’s why I think my athleticism shows because I don’t have to worry about my teammates not wanting me to do something. I had free rein out there almost.”
Morton enjoyed everything about playing for Waubonsie Valley, from the games to the practices to the team dinners. It has given him memories to cherish.
“It’s definitely a bit more emotional than I want it to be, but it’s been a blast,” he said. “Both sports are super fun. Being on successful teams, too, that’s what makes it a little bit harder to leave it. I’m definitely going to miss baseball.”
Acevedo is going to miss Morton.
“He’s a guy who does everything we believe in,” Acevedo said. “If we had more guys like that, we’ll be pretty darn good down the road.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
