“I really enjoy making people laugh,” Dakota Morris, a junior from Watonga High School, said. Morris is an athlete and a part of the student body. He plays football, baseball, and he wrestles. He is involved in the student council body, being the treasurer, and he is in the National Honor Society. Dakota enjoys welding and hanging out with his friends. He loves to be the funniest person in the room, and he is a great teammate to have around.
Morris started off the fall of his junior year with football. He was a starter for the Eagle team, despite being a “little undersized.” He enjoyed it from his first time playing in the seventh grade, after moving from Enid. He had never played before moving to Watonga, and he’s definitely worked his way up from being a small seventh grader. His father, John Morris, has always been there for Dakota. “He has never missed a game that he could attend,” Dakota said. Football has really helped Dakota with his never-give-up mindset. “It taught me not to quit things whenever things are hard. It’s … brought me brotherhood and friendships,” he said.
He started wrestling a little bit later in his high school career in his freshman year. The previous wrestling coach, Colton Lupert, talked him into it. Dakota has fallen in love with the sport. “I like that it is one of the most underrated sports … wrestling is one of the most mental sports there are.” He likes the challenge of always having something new to learn in the sport. “It’s taught me to try, even whenever you don’t have any more, to find that little bit left in your heart to keep going,” Dakota said. Morris aims to win regionals, and then head to the state tournament to place for his junior year. This year is a comeback year for Dakota. Coach Grant Williams has had a big influence on Dakota’s wrestling career. “He’s taught me so much about the sport. … My favorite thing about him is the fact that he doesn’t treat anyone differently,” Morris said. Wrestling has also been the sport that Morris has found the most brotherhood in.
Dakota was never a fan of baseball in his younger years, but after a little prodding from Coach John Cope, he joined the sport, playing for the first time since his T-ball years. He quickly gained a passion for the sport, and a liking of all the different positions there are to choose from. Morris is now a utility player, meaning he’ll play wherever he needs to. He wants to reach higher speeds while pitching this year, and he’d like to hit another home run. During last summer’s season, Dakota hit a home run in a tournament at Pioneer, and he said “something just clicked.” He loved the energy from the dugout. “It was the greatest thing ever,” he said.
His dad has been the biggest influence in his life so far. Throughout sports and life-lessons, he has always been there for Dakota. “He’s showed me that such little can come up to such big rewards,” Dakota said. “He really has shown me to never quit.”
Morris grew up in a family that didn’t always have a lot of money. It wasn’t always the best time for Dakota when he was younger. He often felt like an outsider, being the kid that didn’t always have the newest clothes or shoes. After moving to Watonga to live with his Dad, things changed for the better for him. Here, he was able to find his lifelong friends and relationships, despite it being a challenge to “find his place” with new people. Dakota also has a girlfriend here, Josey Rinehart, who is also on the wrestling team with Dakota. “She has been there for quite a bit,” he said. Through the hard times so far, she has stuck with him.
Dakota plans on getting an apprenticeship at a welding job. After that, he’d like to join the union for welding, which is what he currently attends the Chisholm Trail Technology Center for. After saving enough money, Dakota would like to return to Watonga, and start his own family here.