FAIRMONT — By now, those that follow Robeson County high school football know how dangerous Fairmont is because of star athlete Jordan Waters. Those involved with or that have had to face the team, know that it’s the combination of Waters and fellow two-way playmaker, Jayvon “Ocho” Morris, that stokes the fire for a group heading to its third postseason trip in the past four years.
Before the start of the season, both seniors vowed to get back into the championship race after missing the playoffs for the first time as juniors. With their competitive and close-knit relationship, on and off the field, the duo helped the Golden Tornadoes earn a spot in the NCHSAA 2A playoffs this year as a 16-seed after finishing on the winning side in four of their last five games.
“I think we have the best relationship, ever, since my first year playing with Ocho until now,” Waters said.
The Morris-Waters connection started back at Orrum Middle School, where the two played together and according to Morris, those that are just starting to take notice of Waters’ athletic gifts are late to the party.
“They always say, ‘[Waters] is fast, he’s fast!’ and I tell them, ‘man, he’s been doing that since middle school,’” Morris said.
Fast-forward five years and the bond has blossomed into a brotherhood, which has given defensive coordinators nightmares, while making life a lot easier for their coach, Kevin Inman.
“They roll together, man. They’re tight. Where one is, the other one is,” Inman said. “That’s what you want for your team, position groups really sticking together, building that friendship and bond.”
Morris says the two are inseparable off the field as they stay with each other on most weekends and engage in typical teenage activities like playing video games and going out to eat.
But ask Morris what the two enjoy doing the most together, and the response is indicative of their success on the gridiron.
“Oh, we like to come on the field and go against each other one-on-one,” Morris said. “I like to catch on him and he wants to catch on me… and that’s how it is.”
Waters added that spending so much time together gives them an advantage in games because they have a good feel for the timing of each other’s routes and motions.
Meanwhile, Inman uses one word to describe the tandem’s chemistry.
“Awesome,” Inman said with a wide grin, laughing.
“It really don’t matter if one’s at quarterback and the other’s at wide receiver, just throw it up and they know that other one is gonna go get it. You like for your quarterback and wide receiver to have a good relationship like that.”
Morris started the year as the primary passer and Waters, coming off back-to-back seasons as the team’s leading receiver, was the go-to target. The offense failed to click on all cylinders, however, as teams stacked their defense on Waters’ side. Consequently, the Golden Tornadoes dropped to 0-2 to start the season.
Midway through the year, Inman decided to reverse the roles as Waters took over the signal-calling duties. The Duke commit thrived in the new role, ending the season with over 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns. Morris finished as the group’s top pass catcher, recording a team-high four receiving touchdowns, including a 52-yard score that clinched a win over rival Red Springs in October.
After the win over Red Springs, Morris suffered a concussion that caused him to miss a couple of key games towards the tail end of the schedule. Morris says though he wanted to be on the field, his younger teammates trust him to lead with his actions and words, so he relayed to them how confident he was in Waters and the rest of his teammates to finish strong.
But perhaps nothing exemplifies that trust more than his response to having to travel to Elizabeth City on Friday to take on the top-seeded and undefeated Northeastern Eagles.
“Oh, [we] just out-work them…and do what we’re supposed to be doing,” Waters said. “I want nothing short of winning out.”
Morris’ message was just as confident and concise, stating, “We have to come prepared and focused, and try to do our thing.”
With these two seniors at the forefront, Fairmont’s “thing” has been working for a long time, and it’s near impossible to try convincing them otherwise now.
