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12/07/2017 11:00 PMFord Pender knew that he could earn a slot in the starting lineup for the Morgan boys’ soccer squad if he kept displaying the same relentless work ethic of his Huskies’ teammates. Ford achieved that goal this fall and proved a big part of a club that realized its ultimate dream of winning a state championship.
Ford started playing soccer at age four and worked his way up the local ranks before arriving at Morgan, where he landed a spot on the varsity roster midway through his freshman season. Two years later, Ford solidified a starting position as a right midfielder during his recent junior campaign and wound up helping the Huskies win 18 games, a share of the Shoreline Conference title, and their first state championship since 1964. Ford finished the year with five goals and six assists for Morgan, which defeated Somers 4-0 in the Class S final.
“My freshman and sophomore years, we lost in the Shoreline final and second round of states, so we wanted to win it all this year for the seniors,” says Ford. “We came to practice with a good attitude every day and worked our butts off. We were confident we had it within us to win a state title. The guys had been playing together for years, so we had good chemistry.”
With such a deep talent pool on the Huskies’ roster, Ford knew he had his work cut out for him as he vied for a first-string role. In order to get it, Ford dug deep to uncover an extra layer of determination, while receiving plenty of support from his coaches and teammates.
“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t know if I would start, because everyone on the team were such good players. I wanted a starting spot, so I started pushing myself,” Ford says. “One day in practice, [Head Coach Ross Demay] said I was good enough to be a starter, and hearing that was big for me. I also started scoring a lot, too, which was a big boost for me.”
While giving him a big-time vote of confidence by naming him a starter, Coach Demay says that Ford’s intensity is complemented by a necessary levity that the brings to the squad.
“One of the hardest workers on the field and, at the same time, keeps everyone a lot more at ease during practice and games due to his personality,” says Demay. “He earned a starting role midway through the season and didn’t look back.”
Ford feels that success in soccer doesn’t necessarily stem from having fancy footwork or being the fastest athlete. Instead, Ford is a big believer in the importance of maintaining your composure when things aren’t going your way.
“Being a strong player is about playing clean and having good sportsmanship. You can’t get frustrated or let opposing players get in your head,” he says. “If your teammate makes a mistake, you can’t get down on them. You have to have each other’s backs, and you can’t underestimate yourself.”
Ford treks all over the turf in his midfielder’s position. It’s an endurance test for Ford, but one he feels is well worth it when everyone on the field connects to produce the ultimate pick-me-up: a goal.
“Midfielders have to run up and down the field all game, but I can still hear the other midfielders, and it’s great knowing they have my back. It’s also great showing we have chemistry by passing the ball. When we do that, we feel like we’re on fire,” says Ford. “I love scoring a goal, because the crowd goes wild, and I feel like I’m on top of the world. We’re all hyped up after a goal. When we scored that first goal in the state final this year, it showed we were ready for the game.”
Ford realizes the stakes will be high when Morgan tries to defend its state title next season. However, following the magical ride the Huskies went on this year, Ford feels that they know what it takes to get back to the top.
“I know we are losing some good players, but we will go into the year saying we just have to try. It’s what we said going into this year,” Ford says. “We want to get better at communicating and get faster. I know I want to be a better dribbler. We want to have a good record next year and a good outcome.”