Put simply, basketball is a Morris family tradition, and Trinity High School has been host to the legacy — past and present.
A couple decades ago, it was Kevin Morris lighting up the scoreboard for the boys’ team, while high school girlfriend-turned-wife Krista Morris (formerly Dickens) was leading the girls’ team, and both are in the Trinity Hall of Fame. Kevin now coaches the St. Mary of the Woods School boys’ team, while Krista assists with the high school girls.
A few years ago, their older son Daniel set a new school record with 10 3-pointers in a game, beating the mark set by his dad in 1997. Daniel currently announces the home games and works part-time as an official.
Now, the two younger children — Trenton and Cassidy — are adding to the history the Morris family has brought to Trinity. Trenton, a senior, is leading a Raider team that beat Apollo and Daviess County in the same season — which had never been done before. Cassidy, a freshman, has already scored 1,000 points in her varsity career.
“It’s a Morris thing,” Krista said of Trinity basketball. “We have a lot of pride here. We enjoy our new gym. We have a lot of loyal fans that have been coming since we were playing, so it’s nice to see. It’s an awesome experience. We have our hands pretty much in everything. We enjoy it.”
Trenton is headed into the final weeks of his career as a Raider, and he’s got a chance to be on the first Trinity team to ever win a game in the 3rd Region Tournament if they advance out of the 12th District.
He’s the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, but Trenton credits his success to the team.
“For the most part, it’s gone pretty well,” he said of his senior season. “I couldn’t do anything without my teammates. They get me open. They are there to even out everything and they take pressure off me.”
Head coach Nathan West said since the start of the year, Trenton has given an extra spark to the team.
“Even in the first couple games, Trenton was kind of the driving force of our offense,” West said. “He’s had a good year.”
Trenton has come a long way since he was a freshmen who weighed less than 100 pounds. Rather than just tossing up 3-pointers left and right, he’s a dynamic threat all over the court.
“He’s developed into a better all-around player,” said West, who took the head coaching position in 2016, the first year Trenton started for varsity. “He does a little bit of everything. Last year, he was second statistically in almost every category. He’s a great player overall and I think he’s got a great future.”
Krista said Trenton has always been a great role player and consistent guard, but it’s nice to watch him lead the team in his senior campaign.
“If they need him to score, if they need him to rebound, it’s been great seeing him step up to the plate,” she said. “He’s all about whatever the team needs. Slashing to the basket, getting to the rim and rebounding has all come with strength. It’s been nice to see him develop into that kid you can depend on night to night.”
Though Trenton is about to move on, the Morris family still gets to watch Cassidy carry on the name for three more years.
Like her brother, she’s the driving force for her team and is by far the leading scorer. Cassidy began playing varsity as a 7th-grader and wasted no time getting to 1,000 points. As far as Krista and head coach John Cummings know, no freshman girl has ever accomplished the feat.
Cummings said Cassidy can play so well at times it’s easy to forget she’s a freshman.
“She’s still 14, and sometimes we have to stop and take a breath,” he said. “We try not to put too much pressure on her because she is a freshman, but she’s been playing varsity since she was in 7th grade. It’s just natural for her to play.”
Cassidy agreed, and said it’s her favorite of the three sports she plays year-round.
“I’ll play three sports all four years, then I’ll have to choose one,” she said. “I love them all, but basketball is my favorite. I feel like I’m more natural at it.”
Krista said Cassidy also benefits from a team that knows they can count on her.
“She’s always had great teammates that have looked for her to score,” Krista said. “It’s been awesome as a mom to see her succeed. She keeps upping her goals and it’s great to see her reach them.”
Cassidy already has a goal of 2,500 points by the time she graduates, and Cummings said he has no doubt she can get there. After switching positions a couple times and transitioning to a motion offense, Cummings said Morris is set up for success.
“She’s a competitor,” he said. “Overall she makes really good decisions. She’s a really good passer. She’s just a gym rat. I tell her to smile and enjoy the process. Enjoy the competition and just go out here and do what you can do.”
Krista said Trenton and Cassidy have pushed each other on the court at home and at times tensions have gotten high, but they are both supportive and want each other to succeed.
“They have a great relationship now,” she said. “They’ve always been competitive with one another, so there’s been a lot of blood shed on the basketball court at home. Now, they’re each other’s biggest fans.”
Even after Cassidy moves on from Trinity, the Morris name isn’t going anywhere. With such deep roots, the school and family are probably too intertwined to be easily separated.
Plus, Trenton said he’d like to carry on the tradition. He said it’s been an honor to be a part of his family’s legacy in Whitesville.
“That means a lot to me,” he said. “Hopefully one day I’ll have some kids and they’ll be able to come here and do that, too. That’s really important to me.”
