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  • Mater Dei football star Malik McMorris, center, waves to a...

    Mater Dei football star Malik McMorris, center, waves to a cheering student body after he was awarded with Sports Illustrated's fist ever High School Athlete of the Month award. Malik's father, Patrick, at left, joined his son for the ceremony.

  • Mater Dei students and teammates cheer as football star Malik...

    Mater Dei students and teammates cheer as football star Malik McMorris, center, walks onto the court during a pep rally to be honored by Sports Illustrated as the magazine's first ever High School Athlete of the Month.

  • Mater Dei football star, Malik McMorris, left, is joined by...

    Mater Dei football star, Malik McMorris, left, is joined by his father Patrick, right, as he is presented with Sports Illustrated first ever High School Athlete of the Month award by Chris Stone, center, the magazine's managing editor.

  • A photo of Mater Dei's Malik Morris, center, appears in...

    A photo of Mater Dei's Malik Morris, center, appears in Sports Illustrated after being honored as the magazine's first ever High School Athlete of the Month.

  • Mater Dei head football coach Bruce Rollinson, left, joins USC...

    Mater Dei head football coach Bruce Rollinson, left, joins USC football star Matt Leinart to watch as Sports Illustrated's, managing editor, Chris Stone, presented Mater Dei football player Malik McMorris with the magazines first ever High School Athlete of the Month award during a pep rally at the school.

  • Patrick McMorris, father of Mater Dei football star Malik, holds...

    Patrick McMorris, father of Mater Dei football star Malik, holds his son's Sports Illustrated High School Athlete of the Month award during a pep rally at Mater Dei high school.

  • Malik McMorris, center, joins his fellow Mater Dei teammates as...

    Malik McMorris, center, joins his fellow Mater Dei teammates as the react during a pep rally in the school's gym prior to a game against Servite. During the pep rally Malik McMorris was awarded Sports Illustrated's first ever High School Athlete of the Month award.

  • Mater Dei head football coach Bruce Rollinson rallies a packed...

    Mater Dei head football coach Bruce Rollinson rallies a packed gymnasium during a pep rally prior to a football game against Servite.

  • Marine Major James Dollard, left, gives an inspiring speech during...

    Marine Major James Dollard, left, gives an inspiring speech during a pep rally as Mater Dei football star Malik McMorris and his father, Patrick, center, look on. Malik McMorris had just been awarded Sports Illustrated's first ever High School Athlete of the Month at the rally.

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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SANTA ANA Standing amidst an adrenalized sea of scarlet-and-gray swathed students, Chris Stone – the managing editor of Sports Illustrated – addressed the Mater Dei student body, asking the 1,000-plus in attendance to guess how many athletes had been recognized in the magazine’s storied “Faces in the Crowd” section.

Positioned next to Stone was Malik McMorris, captain of the Monarchs football team.

The answer: Upwards of 18,000 ahtletes have been featured in the “Faces” section of the magazine, which began running weekly in 1956.

Stone followed that up with another query, asking how many individuals had been selected Sports Illustrated’s High School Athlete of the Month.

Prior to Friday, zero would have been the correct response.

That all changed Friday morning when McMorris was announced as the inaugural selection for Sports Illustrated’s High School Athlete of the Month, which included him being honored in front of the entire school during an assembly in Mater Dei’s gymnasium.

“I’m just blessed having the opportunity to be selected for this,” McMorris said after the presentation. “I didn’t know it was going to be that big, but it just exceeded my expectations. I’m glad to see everyone supporting me. Just having my classmates chant my name was pretty cool and exciting.”

While his dominance on the gridiron and in track and field – he helped the Monarchs win a state title last year – initially put him on SI’s radar, it was his character and integrity in the face of adversity that set him apart from the rest of the field.

McMorris’ mother, Lucy, died of breast cancer at the age of 39 in January.

With his father, Patrick, working night shifts and a brother, Hakim, enrolled at a school in Tennessee, it was Malik who cared for his mom when his dad was working, and who also helped his three younger sisters – who are triplets – whenever need be.

“We decided to start this program to promote athletes whose excellence extended deeper than on the field,” Stone explained. “We wanted someone who leaves an imprint on their family and community through leadership. That was Malik.”

Upon receiving the award, McMorris was also invited to play in this year’s Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at the StubHub Center in Carson.

The senior defensive lineman received a standing ovation from his fellow classmates, Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson, as well as former Mater Dei quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart.

“What separates greatness, to me, is an individual who has the total package, meaning they have spiritual strength, academic strength and obviously academic ability,” Rollinson said. “That’s what separates Malik into the top-five percent of kids I’ve been associated with over the years. It’s a tremendous award and well deserved.”

Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com