Leading up to Tuesday, it was unknown whether Choctaw quarterback Diaris Morales would even play. She had spent much of the previous week fighting the flu, missing valuable practice time as she worked to get healthy enough to take the field.
- But on game day, that didn’t stop her from delivering a performance for the ages.
Morales threw for six touchdowns in a 39-0 rout of Menendez, sending Choctaw into the Sweet 16.
“I wasn’t 100 percent, but I thought I could pull through, and they were very nice to me and let me take my time off [practice] so I could feel better for the game,” Morales said.
Choctaw Head Coach Jim Bay said his quarterback had been working her way back all week.
- “She’s battled a 102-degree temperature since last weekend, so she hasn’t had any practice time, but I’m happy she came out and played,” Bay said. “She came out and rocked it out.”
Morales got things started early in the first quarter with a touchdown pass to Peyton DiBennedetto. From there, she found KK Hardy for another score, hit DiBennedetto a second time, threw two touchdown passes to Tishelle Bowles and capped the night with a strike to Mirian Redondo.
Choctaw’s defense handled the rest, pitching a shutout and making life easy for its quarterback. The unit’s biggest moment came just before halftime, when DiBennedetto picked off a pass to set up Morales’ first touchdown to Bowles.
Choctaw will host Booker T. Washington in the Sweet 16 on Monday. Booker T. Washington advanced with a 7-0 win over St. Augustine on Tuesday night.
- “I’m excited to see what they have to offer. It’s going to be a different type of game, they don’t throw the ball a lot, but we’re going to do our homework on them and get prepared,” Bay said.
Morales said the focus stays the same regardless of opponent.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we have to play our best every single game,” she said.
