Boot Camp: Morton brings back veterans, size as it gears up for Mid-Illini race

MORTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- It could be a big year for Morton, in more ways than one. The Potters return nine starters on offense and seven on defense from a 7-4 team than won a first-round playoff game last fall. And Morton has size up and down its roster. Exhibit A is senior left tackle Soren Fifer. the 6-7, 300-pound lineman has committed to the University of Illinois and he'll anchor an offensive line that is poised to help the team move the ball. "Our size up front is really good, especially on one side of the ball (offense). I think on the other side, we are big high school kids. On (offense) we probably have big college-sized kids," said Morton coach Adam O'Neill. "Our backs are big, two of them are over 200 pounds. And our receivers are big too. We are going to go 6-3, 6-4, 6-6 at receiver too." Junior Brody Fritz returns for his second year as the starting quarterback. He took over for the injured Isaac Davis last year, threw for over 1,600 yards, had 15 TD passes and only turned it over four times. Among those big receivers is 6-foot-6 Brendan Petty, a star in both football and basketball. "I think that's what we have been doing the last two years. We have had some really big players on our team that have helped us be more physical," said Petty. "We are not just big and slow. We are big and fast. And we are smart players too." Morton opens the season at Mahomet-Seymour on Aug. 21. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.