Morton junior quarterback Holland Holland is making the most of his opportunity this season.
The Division I prospect had waited for his turn.
For much of last season with the Governors.
As a freshman at Bishop Noll.
“Holland has been great,” Morton coach Mac Mishler said. “He’s made some really good strides this year. Last year, he came in midway through the season in terms of becoming the starter, and in the offseason, he really, really grew.
“This year, you’re starting to see him take charge of the offense and take charge of the huddle. But at the same time, you’re seeing his maturation process of making the right reads, making the right throws, making sure people are in the right positions. That’s been fantastic for us.”
Indeed, the 6-foot-5, 180-pound Harris has been instrumental in a resurgent season for the Governors (5-4), throwing for 1,390 yards and 14 touchdowns and running for 174 yards and three TDs. He is part of a talented group that has grown from a young team that won one game in each of the two previous seasons into one with postseason aspirations.
Morton will play rival Hammond Central (5-4) in a Class 5A sectional semifinal on Friday. The Governors won the regular-season meeting 56-3 on Sept. 29. The Wolves swept two games last season, including a 27-26 sectional win.
“We’re coming together as a team,” Harris said. “Everybody’s on the same page. There’s no divide. At the beginning of the year, we all said we’re going for the same goal.”
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Harris backed up Lamontae Nimox last season before taking over in the middle of it, passing for 506 yards and two TDs and rushing for 208 yards and two TDs.
“My mentals have gotten better — on the field, off the field — along with the physical part,” Harris said. “I got faster, bigger, stronger. All the summer work.
“Last season, we didn’t have the season we wanted to. So right after the season, I said, ‘Just keep working every day and try to improve every day.’ It’s just showing in the regular season.”
There’s no question the team is Harris’ this season, especially after Nimox moved to Chicago, where he’s having a standout season at Dyett.
“Having a quarterback like Holland benefits not just our whole offense and our whole team, but it benefits other players on the team specifically,” Mishler said. “Having somebody like him helps out somebody like a Dontell Harris in the backfield. It helps out a Lebron Hill and a Demario Spence at receiver.”
Spence, a senior, has appreciated having Harris as a teammate.
“He’s stepped up,” Spence said. “He’s improved a lot since last year. He’s become a better leader for the team, leading us in the right direction. He’s just a good quarterback. He does his job and makes sure others do their job.
“It’s a lot of fun playing with him. We enjoy every moment with each other. We’re all great friends outside of football, too, and that’s what helps us on the field.”
Harris saw the field as a freshman at Noll, primarily as a wide receiver. With Willie Feagin at quarterback, Harris had five catches for 176 yards and two TDs.
“They already had a quarterback who was a staple, so I just wanted to get on the field,” Harris said.
Harris also plays basketball, and he runs the 400 meters in track to help prepare for his two main sports. He said he doesn’t have a favorite between football and basketball. But he added he was considering not playing AAU basketball next summer in order to focus on his football development.
Harris already has a football offer from Western Kentucky, and he has received interest from most of the schools in the Mid-American Conference.
“He’s going to get a lot of Division I interest,” Mishler said. “On size and arm strength alone, he’s going to get a lot of Division I interest. It’s up to him to make sure his game continues to grow and he continues to play better each and every week to put that on tape for teams to see. But I definitely think he has a bright future in the game at a high level.
“Him coming along as far as he’s come, he’s having a very good year, and next year he’ll be even better. He’s continuing to constantly build on what he’s done.”