Student-Athlete of the Week-Hayden Morford

Niwot boys basketball has had its share of drama over the past four seasons, but one moment in an unremarkable C-team game two years ago has always stayed with senior Hayden Morford, starting forward for the 2021 Cougars.

"We were playing, I believe it was Centaurus, and I got called for a pushing foul after blocking a kid out on defense towards the end of the game," Morford recalled. "And Sam [Dutkin], after I got called for the foul, said 'I'm sorry, this is not soccer,' and proceeds to get a technical out of frustration. And that's one thing that I just like, the fact that he stuck up for me."

In fact, it is moments such as that more than any particular individual statistic or performance that have fueled Morford's passion for basketball, a game he has played "ever since I can remember."

"In basketball, it's really easy for me to give it all I've got because basketball is not completely about having all the skill in the world. But it's a lot about having effort and heart. And that was just something that I really enjoyed, just leaving all I had on the court."

If any season could challenge that positive outlook, however, it's 2021. Thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, a new league, and a host of other factors, the largely inexperienced Cougars are not seeing much success on the court so far, and frustrations are starting to show. Nonetheless, Morford has made it his mission to impart his positive outlook to his youthful Cougar teammates, with an eye to helping the program build for the future.

"Since we're such a young team, it's all about experience and helping those guys really grow into basketball players at the varsity level," Morford said. "I think seniors were doing a pretty solid job of trying to instill passion and just the ways of the game on them."

For head coach Clayton Wittrock, the senior is succeeding in his mission."Hayden is a lead-by-example player and young man," he said. Though not among the team's leading scorers, Morford has been a key contributor on both offense and defense for Niwot, with a knack for timely steals. In 2021, he is averaging 2.3 points per game, and is among the team leaders in rebounding. But for Wittrock, Morford's biggest contributions won't necessarily show up in the box score.

"He has a great attitude, lifts up his teammates, and is a never quit competitor," Wittrock said. "He is a hard worker both on and off the court. He understands that effort and a commitment to improvement are keys to success. If myself or another coach points something out to Hayden, it is guaranteed that you will see him trying to execute the skill or adjustment immediately."

When he's not on the court for Niwot, he is often on the baseball diamond, where he is a varsity pitcher, outfielder, and first baseman for the Cougars. After losing his entire junior season to the pandemic, Morford is especially looking forward to his return to the mound.

"Pitching is the best position you can play," he said. "I just like to be able to have all the control because the pitcher is the one who really starts off everything. He's the one who's in charge of getting the ball over the plate."

After graduation, Morford is "almost completely set" on attending South Dakota School of Mines to study engineering of some sort, possibly biomechatronics, a field that "deals with prosthetics that are electronically connected to the human body."

"I've always been interested in building and designing stuff," Morford said about his potential career path. "I was always a big fan of Legos as a kid, and I've always been pretty gifted in math. So the obvious choice for me was to just go into engineering."

In his free time, Morford enjoys spending time in the mountains, working out, and "just trying to better myself."