Northwest Quarterback Jordan Morse Ready to Prove Himself in Senior Year
Northwest stormed through the playoffs last season as they defeated Quince Orchard before their state championship loss to Wise, but the 2019 season gave junior quarterback Jordan Morse a full season to prove himself. But before the accolades came, Morse had to get himself acquainted with a new team as he worked to win over the locker room.
After transferring from Clarksburg to Northwest following his freshman season, Northwest head coach Mike Neubeiser helped ensure the seamless transition as Morse learned the offense. “Coach Neubeiser welcomed me as family and really just took me under his wing, helped me out a lot. Especially in the weight room, he’s a fit guy himself so with that and my combination of my trainer, I felt that really helped my development,” Morse told All Terrapins.
The 6-foot-1.5, 183-pound quarterback made his high school debut in the latter half of his first season at Northwest after stepping in the final three games of the season. “Just used that as experience, just able to at least understand. I played varsity my freshman year but didn’t play a lot, but the experience helped me a lot. I was able to pick up on the speed of the game and the game just slowed down so much for me going into my junior year from that little bit of experience.” The bit of experience during his sophomore year provided him with the blueprint to develop as a quarterback and leader ahead of the starting role as a junior.
“My mindset, number one, was obviously to become bigger and stronger but to also become more of a leader. Just going into junior year, I knew I was going to start so I had to rally the troops on my side and become that quarterback, the leader that leads everybody out. Being that leader was my main priority.”
Morse spent the offseason working out with his trainer and teammates, including elite wide receiver Kaden Prather, to prove his worth. Northwest’s first loss of the 2019 season came in the week eight road loss to Quince Orchard as they finished the regular season 9-1, but the rematch against the Cougars in the state semifinal is what Morse points to as the game that instilled his teammates’ confidence in him and each other.
“That’s the key thing, especially that game in particular, I just tried to put it all on the line and be the best leader I could. The only way we were going to win that was all playing together and for each other, so that was a huge step for me personally and as a team because we lost to them in the regular season and the year prior, so that was the biggest steps my junior year.” The 22-13 win over Quince Orchard sent Morse to his first state championship as the first team All-County quarterback faced a tall task against an elite Wise team. Though Morse suffered his second loss as a starter, he finished the year throwing for 2,550 passing yards and 35 touchdowns as he was also named All-Met honorable mention.
“I gave 110% every day in practice to show the coaches I really wanted it and to show my teammates. I had to win them on and off the field.”
As Delaware, Lafayette and Towson show interest in Morse, he’s not focused on what’s to come at the next level. As Morse and Northwest look to get passed Quince Orchard again in 2020 on their way to their second consecutive state championship, the rising senior is focused on the task at hand.
“I’ve always had to work hard. I try my best to not worry about recruiting, I know it will come when it comes, but I truly feel this will be my breakout year. During this entire quarantine, I really haven’t taken a day off. I don’t let that get to me. I’m a leader, I really don’t take a day off. If I want it, I work to get it.”
