Eastern's Morano is South Jersey girls' senior athlete of the year
As she recalls, Maddie Morano was in second grade, and she had had enough of being on the sidelines. Seeing her older sister, Kasey, playing field hockey and watching all the other girls running around was too much for her to continue as a spectator.
As she recalls, Maddie Morano was in second grade, and she had had enough of being on the sidelines. Seeing her older sister, Kasey, playing field hockey and watching all the other girls running around was too much for her to continue as a spectator.
"I was just itching to get a stick in my hand," she said.
And in the spring there was the similar itch for a bat.
Morano gravitated to field hockey and softball at a young age, and her passion and skill only grew as the years went by.
Her motor was nonstop then in both sports, and it still is now.
As a senior at Eastern, Morano became one of the top field hockey players in the country and among the best softball players in South Jersey.
Her excellence in both was only surpassed by her dedication and passion, and it all led to her being named the Inquirer's South Jersey girls' senior athlete of the year.
Morano's individual statistics, which include 95 career goals, were glowing. But the team accomplishments trumped them. As a four-year varsity field hockey player, she never lost a game.
Undefeated.
For an Eastern squad that plays as tough a schedule as any team in the state, her teams went 106-0-1, and don't think she isn't steaming at the 1 at the end of that record.
"What we saw this year in Maddie was a competitive drive but also a willingness to almost will her team to the level she was playing," said Eastern field hockey coach Danyle Heilig.
In the spring, on an Eastern softball team that went 13-7 in 2015, Morano was a catalyst for a 25-3 2016 season that included an Olympic American Division championship and a trip to the South Jersey Group 4 finals, where it took 13 innings for Egg Harbor Township to finally eliminate the Vikings.
"We had so many great young players who listened to the upper classmen and kind of let us take them under our wing," Morano said. "The seniors were happy to help instill the will to win, and the team did an awesome job."
That included the centerfielder. Besides having a gun of an arm that concluded one playoff game by throwing a runner out at the plate, Morano batted .365 with two home runs, 22 RBIs and a healthy .967 on-base plus slugging percentage. She was named to the Coaches Association all-South Jersey team.
"It's kind of scary to think that this was her second-best sport," said Eastern softball coach Laura Paquette.
Due to playing on first the under-17 and later the under-19 national field hockey teams, Morano was able to play softball for only the three months or so in the spring.
"She could definitely play Division I softball," Paquette said.
But her future is in field hockey. Morano, a midfielder, has earned a scholarship to Penn State, where sister Kasey is also a member of the team.
"She is the best all-around player I have coached," Heilig said.
That is no small statement since Heilig and Eastern have produced players who have earned every conceivable honor, including two-time Olympian Rachel Dawson.
It was Morano's determination to give as much on the offensive end as she did on defense that has earned her so many accolades.
"I love to run," Morano said. "I love offense. I love defense, so midfield was perfect for me."
Field hockey was also a perfect fit Morano. Her mother, Doobie, played at St. Joseph's Hammonton and then at Lock Haven University.
So at a young age, Morano was taught the proper fundamentals. Then all her coaches would point her toward the field, allowing her to run nonstop, with her loving every single minute.
The running likely won't stop for some time.
Her main goal growing up has already been met, so now there are other goals to achieve.
"My goal was always to play in college and earn a scholarship," she said.
And while it may not consume her thoughts, it's hard not to look into the future and envision Morano seriously contesting for an Olympic berth.
"Playing for the U.S. [team] has been a dream, and for now I am just trying to improve every day," he said. "If I ever got to that level, it would be icing on the cake."
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