Little Cypress-Mauriceville standouts Da’Marion Morris, Brady Wright talk college football choices

Published 12:16 am Friday, February 3, 2023

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LITTLE CYPRESS — Two Little Cypress-Mauriceville athletes rang in National Signing Day this week by putting pen to paper.

Da’Marion Morris and Brady Wright will continue their football careers at the collegiate level – Morris will attend the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, while Wright is headed just across the Louisiana border to McNeese State University.

“It’s always an awesome experience when you get to have more than one athlete sign at a time,” LCM head coach Eric Peevey said. “Having both these guys up here is just an awesome experience for me as a coach.”

Morris competed in nearly every sport possible at LCM, but truly excelled on the gridiron. He played both sides of the ball, starting at halfback and cornerback for the Bears.

During his time on varsity, he earned several All-District honors, was named 2022 District Offensive MVP and picked up an All-State honorable mention from the Texas Sportswriters Association in 2021.

“This young man really took a big responsibility the last couple of years, almost being the face of our football program,” Peevey said. “That’s not easy to do. He didn’t ask for it, but he did it. I think not only our coaches, but his teammates said, “Yes, that’s our leader.””

Peevey also spoke highly about Morris’ work ethic. He said few players took advantage of their opportunities like Morris, and he did everything coaches asked with no complaints and a smile on his face.

When Morris was asked before his junior year to swap from receiver and safety to halfback and cornerback, he accepted his new roles and worked to become elite at both.

“I think that going to this next level, he’s going to do the same thing,” Peevey said. “He’s going to earn a spot right off the bat. He’s gonna take it from somebody and not only is he gonna have that spot, but he’s gonna dominate it.”

Morris will be headed to one of the premier programs in Division III football. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has won 18 American Southwest Conference championships, also claiming the Division III national title in 2018 and 2021.

“I just thought it was a great fit,” Morris said. “I went to go visit and thought it was a great program, and I liked the coaches I was around. It just feels good.”

As for LCM’s other signee, the guys in the trenches deserve some recognition, too. Wright played multiple positions on the offensive line for the Bears, notably earning a First-Team All-District offense selection in 2022.

“The first thing I saw when Brady came in was a mullet down past the shoulders,” Peevey said. “He’s a big boy, and we pushed Brady extraordinarily hard.

“Last summer he really bought into our offseason, and worked probably harder than he’s ever worked. I think that that allowed him to be in the position that he had to be in, and he did a great job.”

Ahead of the 2022 season, LCM’s coaching staff expected Wright to start at offensive guard as usual. However, he was unexpectedly moved to center following injuries to a teammate. Despite not playing his natural position, Wright performed admirably.

“Now when they watch the film, they see what he can do,” Peevey said. “It shows he can play more than one position, and it shows what his potential can be. I think he’s one of those guys that’s just getting started.”

Wright will be staying close to home at McNeese State. The Cowboys compete at the FCS Division I level in football, and the school is already serving as one of the Southland Conference’s flagship institutions.

“I went and toured the campus and met with the coaches from day one,” Wright said. “I’ve just really enjoyed being there. All the coaches have always been good to me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what it brings and hopefully getting more wins for the community.”

— Written by Keagan Smith