LYNN– When KIPP Academy football coach James Rabbitt began to map out his first season as head coach of the Panthers, a new program, it didn’t take long for him to write down the first two items on his list.
First, the Panthers needed to find a quarterback to run their offense. Second, they needed leaders capable of keeping their teammates upbeat throughout the season. Luckily for Rabbitt, senior quarterback/linebacker Kymani Morrison has been able to fill both of those voids this season.
The starting quarterback and a team captain for the first-year Panthers, Morrison has put together a stellar season. In seven games (he missed one with an ankle injury) Morrison has tallied 900 rushing yards and carried the ball into the end zone 11 times. Through the air, Morrison has three passing touchdowns including a game-winner in a 22-18 win on November 3 at South Boston.
“In building a new program, it starts with your quarterback and it starts with leadership,” Rabbitt said. “He’s both our quarterback and our leader. He’s helped our younger quarterbacks throughout the season. He’s molding our younger kids and giving them a great example to learn from.”
The victory over South Boston was KIPP’s second of the season. More importantly, the win ended a six-game losing streak for the Panthers. KIPP won its season opener, topping Atlantis Charter, but struggled against opponents in Commonwealth Athletic Conference that boasted four playoff teams.
“It felt good coming back from my injury,” Morrison said of the win. “I’m starting to feel like my normal self. I continued to play through it and it felt really good being able to help my team get a win.
“Although we’ve had some rough losses, we’ve always had the coaches pushing us and giving us good pep talks,” Morrison added. “They give us the confidence and the motivation that we need. We’re focused on working hard and continuing the season the way we started it.”
Morrison began his football career as a running back in Pop Warner. After transferring to KIPP from Pioneer Charter, Morrison was given the chance to continue his career on the gridiron, albeit for one season, when KIPP announced that it would be adding a football program prior to his senior year.
“I was pretty excited,” Morrison said. “I didn’t get the chance to play high school football when I went to Pioneer. When I got too old to play Pop Warner football, I started to miss it. Once I heard that they were starting a football team at KIPP, I was excited and couldn’t wait to start.”
Aside from leaping from Pop Warner to the high school level, Morrison also faced the challenge of adjusting to a his new position as KIPP’s signal caller. Although it took him time to find his groove, the quarterback has made the transition seem smooth.
“It’s a good feeling playing quarterback,” Morrison said. “I used to play running back so I’m still getting comfortable with learning the new position. As the quarterback, you feel like you’re a leader on the team. It feels good to have that role.”
Throughout the season, Rabbitt has seen Morrison make a handful of improvements, both under center and on defense. Most notably, Rabbitt said, is Morrison’s emergence as a reliable dual-threat quarterback who can hurt opponents with his feet just as much as he can with his arm.
“He improved on his little things every week,” Rabbitt said. “His footwork on zone reads, making quicker reads, his passing mechanics have improved every week. He made a perfect throw for the game-winning touchdown pass to Wallace Reed for the win at South Boston. He put the ball right on the money. His poise has grown and he’s a legitimate dual-threat to run and pass.”
Rabbitt has also come away impressed with Morrison’s ability to provide leadership. A team captain, Rabbitt feels as though his senior quarterback has served as a strong example for the younger players on KIPP’s roster.
“Kymani was a kid we had picked right away as being a leader with football experience,” Rabbitt said. “He continued to lead by example. No one works harder on the field and plays harder on the field. He’s battled through injuries and he’s our leading rusher and one of our leading tacklers. During our losing streak, he kept kids involved with his leadership. He’s a special player.”
Although the Panthers stand at 2-6, the record doesn’t always tell the story of the season. Morrison has seen the Panthers makes vast improvements throughout the year, all culminating with better performances in recent games.
“We’ve been playing games more completely,” Morrison said. “We’ve been complimenting one another and having each other’s backs. We had two close games coming into the South Boston game and that helped us get that win.”
With two games left this season, against Burke tonight and at Milford on Thanksgiving, Morrison and the Panthers are hungry to finish the year on a high note.
“We have to continue to work hard,” Morrison said. “We have to continue to play with full four quarter efforts. We have to trust in the 11 guys on the field and not worry about who makes what mistake. If we can do that, we’ll be in a good position.”
