Kansas City Star, The (MO)
June 14, 2003
Edition: JOHNSON COUNTY
Section: SHAWNEE MISSION STAR
Page: 12

Aquinas' Morano has a busy night After playing in game, he heads for awards banquet
Author: D. SCOTT SMITH; The Kansas City Star

Lightning struck around the Olathe District Activity Center, and Drew Morano didn't hesitate in making a decision.

Though he had carried just once in the Metro Challenge All-Star football game, he couldn't wait 20 minutes for officials to decide whether or not to continue play.

Morano had to leave the game to get to the Kansas City Sports Commission's Awards banquet on Thursday night, where he received the award for Kansas High School Male Athlete of the Year.

Morano said deciding whether or not to play at all was difficult. But after two weeks of practice with the Kansas squad, he knew he should play until halftime, and then go to the banquet.

"I was very happy to accept the award. I mean look at the other candidates," Morano said.

"It's was a rough decision. I mean, the award's ceremony is a once-a-year deal."

It was really a once-in-a-lifetime deal for the St. Thomas Aquinas graduate, who will attend Colorado State in the fall on a track scholarship. And playing in a football game with the best seniors in the metro area isn't exactly something Morano will get to do every week, either.

After the Kansas Shrine Bowl, Morano won't put on football pads again until at least next spring. So he knew he had to play the first half Thursday night, then sprint to the awards show.
But 14 seconds into the second quarter, sirens and thunder mixed with lightning and storm clouds filled the air, and his decision was made in abrupt fashion.

"I knew when they called us in there was no point in staying around," Morano said. "I was a little disappointed, but I knew it was time to go."

Morano's 9-yard sweep proved to be Kansas' most productive play in the storm-halted game, and probably provided Kansas State followers with a glimpse of what they will miss out on in the coming years.

The trying decision Morano made on Thursday is not the only difficult one that has had infinite possibilities.

Earlier this school year, Morano had to decide whether to attend Colorado State on a full track scholarship and walk on to the football team in the spring - or go to K-State and play football - without the guarantee of a full ride.

Morano isn't the only Johnson County-area running back to not be offered a scholarship by K-State. Olathe North's Jim Bouknight, who broke K-State running back Darren Sproles' single-season rushing record at Olathe North, didn't receive an offer from the state's best team, and he'll attend Central Missouri State.

Considering that Sproles is just a junior with several others in the backfield mix for 2004 and beyond, the K-State running back situation appears to be already crowded.

Thus, Morano received no scholarship offer from K-State, and so the 6A state champion in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes chose Colorado State's completely exempt tuition offer.

"He really wanted to play football in college," Aquinas coach Kevin Kopecky said. "But he's just a shade under a world-class sprinter who still has football in his blood. His heart is football."
So, in some ways, Morano is following his heart. Though his first athletic priority at Colorado State is track, his second is finding his way onto the football field for spring practice as often as possible.

"I've already talked to the coaches and they're cool with it," said Morano of his Colorado State track and football coaches. "I'm going to squeeze as much time in as I can on the football field."

If that's the case, Morano will probably be as pressed for time as he was on Thursday night. But then again, that's probably a positive for Morano and Colorado State.
"I don't know if Colorado State knows it or not, but they're getting a heck of a deal in Drew," Kopecky said. "It would surprise me if you see him playing two falls from now on a Thursday night's Mountain West game on television. He's that determined to get back on the football field."

Copyright 2003 The Kansas City Star Co.