Morales makes it a perfect ending for North All-Stars

COSTA MESA- By his own admission, Chris Morales wasn't having the best of nights when he got the ball with 2:15 left in the fourth quarter and 97 yards of turf ahead of him.

But La Habra's CIF championship quarterback saved his best for the final minutes of the Brea Lions Orange County North-South Prep All-Star Football Game, and it was just enough for a dramatic victory.

Morales completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Canyon receiver Christian Daniel with 56 seconds left, to lead the North to a 12-10 victory Friday at Orange Coast College.

“You just got to keep your head in the game,” said Morales, selected the offensive player of the game. “I had a rough game in the beginning, but you always have to keep your confidence.

“My dad always taught me — keep your confidence no matter what happens.”

Entering the North's final drive, Morales had completed 2 of 6 passes for 39 yards. He also lost a fumble in the second quarter at the South 6.

But the Cerritos College-bound passer turned his night around late in the fourth period. The North trailed, 10-6, when it took over at its 3 with 2:15 left.

Morales completed a quick out to El Dorado tight end Nolan Sheldon for a 15-yard gain. He recovered his own fumble on the next play but stayed hot with a 19-yard strike to Daniel.

Morales then connected on a 61-yard pass to Troy wide receiver Josh Swaney down the sideline. Morales used a play-action fake on the play, and Swaney gained several yards after the reception to bring the North to the South 9 with 1:03 left.

On the next play, Morales scrambled to his left before lofting a pass across his body to the back of the end zone to Daniel.

The score with 56 seconds left gave the North a 12-10 lead.

The North went for the 2-point conversion, but Morales' high-arching pass was incomplete.

“My receiver found an open spot and I just hit him,” Morales said of Daniel, who also had a late interception to seal the victory. “He was wide open. There was nobody near him.”

Daniel said he scored on a busted play.

“It was supposed to be a little 12-yard curl about the middle of the end zone,” he said. “But I saw him (Morales) rolling out a little bit and (Carlo) Valdes (of Mater Dei) was creeping up, so I saw I had some room in the back and just rolled back there and Morales saw me.”

Morales finished 6 of 10 for 143 yards.

Daniel said he was confident that Morales would recover from his shaky second quarter.

“He hung in there and he's a tough guy," Daniel said of Morales, who guided the Highlanders to the Southeast Division title.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com