Elgin senior tight ends know their roles

Elgin’s two senior tight ends are about as opposite as they come when it comes to height, however, but both are eager to get the tough job of blocking done whenever they are on the field.

Adam Eaton is hard to miss at 6-5, 200 pounds, while Colby Morton is 5-10, 210, but both know that every play is important whether it is a pass or a run play.

Eaton has become one of the prime targets for quarterback Tres Lorah with his big frame and good quickness.

“I think I am really playing better this year compared to last season,” he said before Tuesday’s practice. “The coaches have really been working with me on blocking. Catching passes is fun but blocking is harder to learn and I’m still working to get better.”

That is because with his size, college football is going to happen with a couple of offers already on the table.

“I do want to go to college and a couple of programs have already put offers on the table,” Eaton said. “I do want to go to college and get a business management degree and go find a good job.”

Eaton is one of many military dependents in this area and after spending time in Alaska his family has retired here and he hopes to stay in this part of the country.

Eaton, who came as a 4th-grade student is well aware of the Battle of the Wichitas rivalry against Cache which will be played Friday at Ulrich Stadium in Cache.

“We actually lost to them our freshman year but things have changed since then,” he said. “It is a rivalry game but we are going to take this game like all of them and not look ahead to the playoffs.”

The Owls are eager, though, to get to the playoffs after a tough second-round loss at home.

“I don’t think people got our best shot last year,” he said. “I feel we are better prepared this year. Our offensive line has really grown and improved.

“Of course everyone knows about Ant (Antoni Ogumuro), Jace (Williams), and Shay (Spencer) but the other two guys, Hudson Bagley and Jaxon Deel, have really come around and played really well after taking over this fall.”

It also helps to have a senior quarterback in Tres Lorah with four years of being the starter lending to his knowledge of the offense.

“Tres really seems quiet out of the huddle and he tries to stay calm out there but he gets exited on those big plays,” Eaton said. “He’s really been playing well at the right time of the season.”

Morton enjoys his role

While Eaton may be getting the pass receptions on a regular basis, Morton is the type of “program players” coaches love. They work hard to get better, lifting weights and working on their skills to earn time on the field.

“I love playing and I have a little more bulk than Adam so I’ve learned to use my 5-10, 210-pound size when I need to block somebody,” Morton said. “I’ve grown up in this area and am excited to get into the playoffs.”

Morton’s favorite class is math, well that is most of the time.

“I used to really love math more than any other class, but then for a time I didn’t like it,” he said with a big grin. “But now I like it again. I hope to get a business degree and then start my own business. ”

He also has the right appetite for a tight-end/linebacker.

“I love my mom’s chicken Alfredo,” he said. “No salad or anything else, just a couple of plates of it and I’m set for awhile.”

Morton agrees with Eaton when it comes to the 2024 Owls.

“I just think this team has better intensity; the whole team seems more connected,” he said. “I feel good about our chances.”