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Speedy Morris earns 900th win

After reaching another coaching milestone, William "Speedy" Morris looked back on how it all started.

St. Joseph's Prep coach Speedy Morris celebrates his 900th career win with his team and family. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)
St. Joseph's Prep coach Speedy Morris celebrates his 900th career win with his team and family. (Steven M. Falk/Staff Photographer)Read more

After reaching another coaching milestone, William "Speedy" Morris looked back on how it all started.

"I was 24 years old, coaching CYO ball, and I was lucky enough to get the JV job at Roman Catholic," he said. "Then they got rid of the varsity coach, and they offered me the job. All that's happened since then, well, it's kind of overwhelming."

On Friday afternoon, in front of an overflow crowd filled with former players and coaching brethren, Morris guided host St. Joseph's Prep, where he has been the last 11 seasons, to a 73-67 triumph over Roman.

It was his 900th career victory.

"I don't want to make too big a deal of this," Morris said. "I know it's a nice number, but I couldn't have done it without the kids."

Some of the recognizable faces on hand were former La Salle University standouts Lionel Simmons and Donnie Carr, ex-Princeton coach Pete Carril, and Ed Stefanski, executive vice president of basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors.

Morris' eldest son, Keith, has assisted his father at the Prep since he took over in 2001. Keith played for him at 20th Street and Olney Avenue.

"For him, it's always been about his players," Keith Morris said. "He wants to focus on trying to help this team win the Catholic League championship and move on from there. No one wanted to get No. 900 out of the way more than he did."

His wife, Mimi, and three other children - Brian, Margaret Mary, and Chris - were among the spectators, as were his six grandchildren.

Afterward, with TV cameras zooming in on Morris, who has compiled a 231-69 record and won two championships at the Prep, the grandkids brought out a banner to the court that read, "900 Wins! Congrats Pop-Pop!"

Overall, Morris, 69, is 900-385 (.700 winning percentage). He spent 17 years at La Salle, posting a 238-203 record in 15 seasons with the men's team and a 43-17 mark in two years with the women's program.

In 14 seasons at Roman, he went 347-82 and claimed eight league titles. His other high school stop was at Penn Charter.

"Before the game, he did his best to keep us relaxed," said the Prep's Gene Williams, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior wing guard who netted 22 points, including six three-pointers. "He just said, 'Go out and play hard.' "

Williams shot 5 for 7 from beyond the arc over the final 15 minutes.

"Gene was on fire, and that's the way he's capable of shooting," Morris said. "We needed it."

The Hawks shot 11 for 21 on three-pointers. Steve Vasturia, a junior guard and Notre Dame recruit, shot 11 for 12 from the line en route to 27 points.

Morris, a member of the Big Five Hall of Fame, was asked if he would hang around long enough to join the 1,000-win club.

"If I'm healthy enough, I'll be here," he said. "That's in God's hands. We'll see what happens."

Roman Catholic   16 6 23 22 – 67

St. Joseph's Prep   18 18 19 18 – 73

RC: Rashann London 12, Shep Garner 13, Secean Johnson 8, Shafeek Taylor 6, Raquan Brown-Johnson 8, Britton Lee 20.

SJP: P.J. Kelly 3, Steve Vasturia 27, Gene Williams 22, Kyle Thompson 4, Miles Overton 8, Kevin Oberlies 9.