Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye / John Gaines Photography
Patrick Morgan had an interesting path to success on the tennis court.
Morgan lives in Keokuk, attends school at Notre Dame and plays high school tennis for Burlington.
While that may seem a bit confusing, Morgan is the one confusing most of his opponents on the court.
As the No. 1 singles player for the Grayhounds, Morgan faces the best player from every team on a daily basis.
That didn’t stop Morgan from putting together another stellar season.
Morgan went 8-4 in singles, winning 12 sets and losing six and winning 96 games to 65 losses.
Morgan teamed with sophomore Avery Cameron to form a solid No. 1 doubles team for Burlington.
Morgan took it all in stride.
“I had a great season, a lot better than last year,” said Morgan, The Hawk Eye’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year. “I had a lot of fun this year. It was a great time overall.”
Morgan, who moved up to No. 1 singles last year, said the transition up the ladder has been steady, but manageable. He knows every time he steps on the court he is going to face the best player from every team.
“It was difficult at first. There’s a lot more pressure playing No. 1,” Morgan said. “It can be tough. If I am playing a really good opponent, I just try to go out and do my best and put in as much effort as I can to try to get my team a win.”
Morgan goes to great lengths to work on his game, sometimes playing four times a week.
In Keokuk, Morgan works out with Keokuk High School girls tennis coach Dan Logan and his daughter, Nevaeh.
Morgan is a member of the Quincy Racquet Club, where he works out with players from the Quincy area.
And he often travels to Fairfield to work with Coach Steve Briggs.
“He’s a great coach. I go to him separately on my own,” Morgan said. “I also play a lot with Max Heater and Sawyer Fulton, Mount Pleasant’s No. 1 doubles team.”
Morgan, who has been playing tennis for about eight years, said playing a variety of different players with different styles forces him to adapt and adjust.
“It really forces me to learn how different players play and adjust me game to accommodate their style,” Morgan said. “I have to use different strategies and try to adapt to find a way to beat them.”
Morgan is busy working on his game this summer. He has some lofty goals for his senior year and wants to put maximum effort forth to try to attain them.
“I want to win conference and make it to state and do the best I can there,” Morgan said. “I would love to play in college. I am going to make sure I get out and practice and put in a lot of effort to do my part.”