Damien Morgan has been taking on a little more every year.
And every year, he has a little more fun.
Morgan is a senior on the Archbishop Ryan High School football team, and he’s been a contributing member of the varsity team since he arrived.
Freshman year, Morgan was a starting wide receiver, one of the top options on the Raiders.
Sophomore year, he took a step up and started playing defense, lining up at safety. But that year, he had to miss a few games.
“Sophomore year, I played and I had some fractures in my lower back,” said Morgan, who lives in Warminster. “I had to stop playing. It was practice, I hit a little wrong and it felt wrong. I kept playing through it and it wear and tear over time. Rest and medicine. I went to my aunt who is an acupuncturist, that helped a lot.
“It actually worked out because I wasn’t a main guy. I played, but we had some really good players. I was learning. And when I was hurt, I learned a lot by watching. I think not playing helped me grow up a lot. The seniors taught me a lot and I tried to learn as much as I can so the time wasn’t wasted. I wanted to get better.”
It not only worked out for Morgan, it paid dividends for the Raiders, who now have a star player on offense and defense, and also have a great leader to show the younger Raiders the ropes as they get experience playing varsity football.
And he’s excited about providing Ryan with both.
That’s equaling success on the field, too.
The Raiders opened the season with a massive win over Northeast Philly rival Father Judge, but then they suffered two straight defeats, dropping games to Cardinal O’Hara and Bonner-Prendergast.
Since those two hiccups, the Raiders have been rolling, knocking off West Catholic and Archbishop Carroll to improve to a game over .500 on the campaign.
Morgan believes the two losses will actually help the team going forward.
“I think we started thinking too much of ourselves after we beat Judge because that’s such a huge game and they’re a good team,” Morgan said. “Our heads were too big, then we played (Bonner-Prendergast) and they beat us. That was a humbling game. We played O’Hara and we lost again. I think we knew we had to start playing a lot better.
“Picking up two wins was really nice because it puts us where we want to be. They were good games, we know we can be really good. We just have to make sure we do what we’re supposed to and be smart.”
Spoken like a true leader.
And that’s exactly what Morgan wants to be known as for his team.
He is a captain, and his goal is to set up Ryan to enjoy a great year in his final year at the school, but also after he moves on from high school.
“When I was a sophomore, I remember I wanted to play well for the seniors because it was their final year, this was all they had,” Morgan said. “And we had some really good seniors help me when I was learning. It means a lot to me that the younger players feel the same way now. They are working hard for us because they want us to have a great final year.
“We have 12 seniors on the team and we all want to do well. We all want to have a great year. We were very happy because this was our year and we beat Judge, but then we had to get back on track. We had to get ready for the rest of the season. I think now we’re on track to do that. We can still have a great year.”
Morgan, who lines up at wideout, in the slot, at running back on offense and at safety and cornerback on defense, has high hopes beyond his high school days. He said he’ll play at any level that gives him a shot.
“I want to do something sports medicine, probably,” he said. “My aunt is an acupuncturist. I love learning movements and help. Something sports medicine or physical therapy. I loved the acupuncture, My aunt will talk to me about it while she’s doing it and how it helps. It proves that everything she says is right. I go about once a week, since I broke my back, I get it and it makes my body feel better. I have more energy and I’m ready to go.”
He credits his aunt with helping him there. He also credits others in his family.
“I love spending time with my family,” Morgan said of his family that includes younger siblings Shane and Aubreigh and older siblings Blake and Kayla. “We all watch football together. I have two younger siblings and I love hanging out with them. My older brother is a coach at Ryan and he’s a huge reason for me playing. He pushed me and motivates me, And my older sister is very cool, we joke around a lot. They’re all very important to me.”
And they’ll be front and center as he tries to get the Raiders to a memorable year.
“We’re a real team and that helps,” said Morgan, who plans on wrestling and playing lacrosse this year. “We had good players before, this year we have that, but we’re very united. We love playing together. I think we can have a great year.”
