NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: WYALUSING'S BLAKE MORNINGSTAR NETS HIS 1,000TH POINT (2023-01-26)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
WYALUSING — Wyalusing’s Blake Morningstar might be known for his prowess down low, but he started his career as a floor spacing big man. His high school career kind of came full circle, then, when he got his 1,000th point on a 3-pointer.

“It’s something I’ve been working for ever since I became a part of the program, and it really kind of became a reality last year when I realized I could do it,” said Morningstar. “It’s a testament to the culture Wyalusing has as a basketball team, and the program coach Keyes has built. And then all the great players that have come through helping me reach this milestone in my career.”

Morningstar got it about halfway through the first quarter in Wyalusing’s 69-51 loss to Troy during boys’ basketball action Thursday. He needed just five points and after getting an inside bucket his teammate Trehnon Hugo found him for a corner 3-ball.

Morningstar was spurred on by seeing his teammate, Grady Cobb, get this last year. His came on a 3-pointer, too, in a playoff win over Line Mountain, also at home.

“It was awesome,” he recalled. “I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to do, and something I was going to strive for. Grady and I are great friends, and I couldn’t have been happier for him when it happened. I was glad to be apart of it.”

Playing on a very skilled team since his freshman year, Morningstar didn’t see the court a whole lot his freshman year, and didn’t score much as a sophomore.

Still, he was confidence he could reach this milestone.

“I really did,” remarked Morningstar. “I believe in myself, I knew I was capable of doing it. I knew big time minutes would come my junior year, and I just believed in myself. I stuck with it, and made it happen.”

Keyes was glad to see Morningstar get to the mark, and held him up as a role model to the rest of the team.

“I told this story, I felt like we could have gotten him a few more minutes his freshman year, but I just didn’t know if he was mentally ready,” he explained. “But he’s worked so hard. I said to the guys in the locker room after, what people don’t understand the time that it takes, and his body is absolutely different. He’s worked so hard over the years for himself to prepare for the success that he’s had in all the sports that he’s played.”

Despite Morningstar heading to Wake Forest for baseball, Keyes said he’s put just as much focus on hoops.

“People don’t understand how much he’s actually put into basketball with all the baseball stuff,” said Keyes. “Never missed anything in the summer, communicated every step along the way, no matter what was going on, and really cared for the program. He’s worked so hard at getting better, and, obviously, he’s played his best basketball the last couple of weeks and I’m really, really proud of him.”

His last five outings were 48 against Williamson, 20 versus NEB, 29 against Troy, 42 on Tuesday versus Sayre, and 26 on Thursday against the Trojans, again.

Morningstar wasn’t always a terror in the post, though. While now his right handed jump hook in the paint gives coaches nightmares, he started his career as a floor spacer off the bench two years ago.

“We were using him wrong,” remarked Keyes. “I was using him wrong, and we kind of ran a different offense the year before when he was a freshman, and we started with that offense the next year. As we got closer to the district playoffs was that, one of the keys for us winning a district title that year was us getting him inside more, and he played a lot more down the stretch in the district playoffs. I thought he was our X factor that year as a sophomore, and was a huge reason we won a district title that year.”

Morningstar finished with over 500 points during his junior year to set himself up this year to score his 1,000th.

Keyes is hoping Morningstar’s story can help his young team grow in the years to come.

“You saw it tonight, we’ve got guys that aren’t physically tough enough,” he said. “They’re not strong enough. They have the choice to either get physically stronger and tougher, or not. And he’s made that choice, and he’s worked so hard, and why I’m incredibly proud of him, and why he deserves it.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: Wyalusing’s Blake Morningstar shoots a 3-pointer for his 1,000th career point…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING