THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010600
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Explosive. Mercurial. Unpredictable.
These words paint a fairly accurate picture of Churchland's Orlando Morton - on and off the mat.
As South Hampton Roads' only four-time district champion (he won three at Maury before transferring this season) and a state runner-up last year, Morton has few peers on the mat. But he has no peer when it comes to being controversial. At the end of his 160-pound Eastern Region final, a 7-0 victory, Morton drew the loudest cheers - and boos - of the evening.
``I think I'm misunderstood by a lot of people,'' said Morton, the Eastern Region champion who will be in action today when the Group AAA state tournament gets underway at 11 a.m. at Oscar Smith.
Morton says the atmosphere surrounding his matches doesn't affect him.
``If anything, it just gets me more fired up,'' he said.
Morton's mother, on the other hand, finds it hard to understand.
``You have so many teenagers out there that are doing bad,'' Donna Morton said. ``And when you find one that's at least trying . . . For people to try to pull him down, too, I just don't get it.''
To be fair, Donna Morton is quick to point out her son is often a difficult read. He can be quick-tempered, and won't hesitate to question a teacher if he feels he's been wronged.
``He gets that from me,'' Donna Morton said.
In an early-season bout against Great Bridge's Jason Byrum, Morton was disqualified for allegedly swearing at the referee, a charge the Mortons and some spectators seated nearby dispute.
In two other bouts with Byrum this season, Morton has come under fire for protecting leads in the third period. Churchland coach Joe Boone calls it mat intelligence. Great Bridge fans respond by raising one fist in the air, the international symbol for stalling.
Boone pointed out that Morton has been taking antibiotics for bronchitis the past two weeks.
``I know he's in shape,'' Boone said. ``He and I wrestle for 30, 40 minutes straight.''
An incident during football practice two summers ago, when a teammate was accidentally cut with a box-cutting knife, caused Morton to miss a semester at Maury. He has a brooding countenance, which may be intimidating to some. And when Morton doesn't feel like talking, don't bother trying to draw him out.
``We drove to a training camp in Blacksburg last summer,'' Boone said. ``How long's that take? Six, seven hours? Orlando said maybe 10 words the whole time.''
So delicate is the subject of Morton that, when asked about him, both Boone and his former coach had the exact same response: A pause, followed by ``What do you want to know?''
The coaches have no such hesitancy when asked to discuss his wrestling skills, though. With four more victories - in other words, if he wins the state title - Morton will reach the 100-win mark.
``He's the most athletic kid I've ever coached,'' former Maury coach Dave Jacobs said. ``Tremendous balance.''
``Morton is one tough kid,'' added Great Bridge's Steve Martin.
The success didn't come easily. After being home-schooled in seventh and eighth grades, Morton took up wrestling as a freshman at Maury and promptly lost nine of his first 10 matches.
``After that, everything just clicked,'' Jacobs said.
Morton placed fifth in the state as a sophomore, then followed up with his runner-up finish a year ago. The only person to beat him on the mat the last two years was state champion Byron Tucker, the Western Branch phenom currently starting at Oklahoma.
Morton, who scored nearly 1,000 on his SAT, said he plans to join Tucker in the Division I wrestling circles next fall. But he also plans to end his high school career with a state title this weekend, whether some folks around here like it or not.
``There are a lot of different sides to Orlando people don't know,'' Boone said. ``I think he'll get the last laugh in the end.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Despite a two-week bout with bronchitis, 160-pounder Orlando Morton
is ready for today's state tournament.
by CNB