Central’s Tony Morales named an All-Bi-City Wrestler of the Year

Central wrestler Tony Morales has two state titles to his name with a year left at the high school level. While the consecutive victories in the state finals puts Morales in rare company, even fewer have faced the obstacles he did en route to his successful repeat.

Morales, who joins Elijah McNickels as the All-Bi-City Wrestlers of the Year, won the state championship at the 152-pound weight division to cap off what was a tumultuous junior season.

With thoughts of another championship etched in his mind, Morales’ push hit a major setback when he suffered a high-ankle sprain to his left ankle in a match he lost 11-10.

Morales had already missed two weeks with a staph infection prior to the ankle injury. This ailment, however, was something even more serious. Morales went on the mend for six weeks, desperately rehabbing with hopes of coming back in time for the state tournament.

“Between those six weeks, four of those were spent not doing anything other than upper-body workouts and some swimming,” Morales said. “The last two weeks, I was somewhat able to drill lightly, being smart on what I could do and couldn’t so I wouldn’t hurt myself worse.”

As painful as the injury was, having to sit idly by and watch his weight class come up at matches was even worse.

“I was watching all these tournaments where I wasn’t wrestling and seeing these guys I know I can beat winning these matches,” Morales said. “I prayed so much, just making sure I could come back. ‘Lord, heal me and allow me to come back when you see fit.’”

Morales returned with a vengeance in sectionals, winning his three matches and grabbing the top seed in the South region. From there, the path to the title became clear.

Morales had lost to Huntsville’s Houston Curtis in the match in which Morales was injured. In the case of justice in sports, it was Curtis who Morales had to beat in order to repeat.

Morales said he had been training for a six-minute match, knowing Curtis wasn’t likely to go down easy. The match was an ordinary one in its opening, as the two traded points and attempted to grab the upper hand.

Then, things suddenly took an unexpected turn for Morales.

The Huntsville head coach got in the referee’s ear about Morales’ headgear, which had tape hanging off its side in the form of a cross. Morales had worn the makeshift cross on his headgear every finals match the last two seasons with no complaints; that is, until today.

Not only did the cross have to be removed, but Curtis was awarded a point. That advantage was short-lived, as Morales answered by pinning Curtis to finish off the match.

“It just lit a fire under me to come back and wrestle my hardest just to show that coach that was not acceptable,” Morales said.

Morales is now working to leave Central as a three-time champion. Even with his focus shifted toward his summer wrestling tournaments and the start of the 2017-2018 season, there’s still no way to downplay how he closed an injury-riddled year on top.

“It was that feeling of all those prayers sent up answered and me being able to do what I set out to do even through these injuries,” Morales said. “I had worked hard enough to be there and to win that match.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Central’s Tony Morales named an All-Bi-City Wrestler of the Year."