Dawg Dyansty WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING A FOURTH-GENERATION BULLDOG
I
By Gabi Emery
programs during their time at West, and as such, Morse has an abundance of guidance available to him--especially with his dad, Peter Morse, as his coach. “My dad is very [involved] for sure. Sometimes a little too much, but it definitely helps,” said Morse. “That was definitely weird this year for football, getting coached by him.” And not only does his dad coach at the school, but his mom, Molly Morse, is also the health occupations teacher. But even though it might be strange to have two parents always at the school he attends, having such a heavy involvement Pete and Wyatt Morse posing for a picture with the school after a basketball game. has helped create a unique environment that he’s grown appreciative of. Since he’s lived near West for most of his life, he’s grown up Marcia Morse’s around West’s senior yearbook sports programs. photo, class of 1967 It’s nostalgic Pete Morse such a long history to finally be posing with a with the school has one of the pole vault as Pete Morse affected Morse’s high a senior track highschoolers acts as secschool experience, ond leading he’s hung around both positively and receiver on since he was a the team in negatively. child. the 1986 game “A lot of the “Growing against Corteachers knew my up here has vallis. dad. Like principal helped because Susie Orsborn knows watching those both my mom and my Left Pete games from a Pete Morse, sitting in the bottom dad really well, so Morse wearing little kid’s perspective. It’s row second from the right, poses I definitely feel like his graduation attire, and (right) Morse sitting different being an eight year for a photo of his senior year track I’m held to a higher in the bottom row, second from the right, for team in 1987. old coming [to the games] to a photo. standard,” said Morse. being a student here…it’s just a different “It makes me a little extracurriculars such as sports. Since the beginning of atmosphere,” said Morse. “I’ve been nervous, but I’m glad.” the school year, he’s played both football and basketball, there at the practices since I was little, and I used to be This kind of familiarity has also affected his and is now currently playing on the golf team. Both his the kid running up and down sidelines throwing the ball experience in other aspects, specifically when it comes to dad and his grandfather were also involved in sports to the ref, stuff like that.” MAY 2022 21 t’s Wyatt Morse’s first year attending West. In many ways, Morse’s freshman experience has been just like any other student’s: he’s experienced his first assembly, gone to his first school dance, and finally learned how to navigate the halls. But unlike most freshmen, Pete Morse’s senior Morse was already yearbook photo, class of well known by both 1987. students and staff. While some students’ first encounter with West is their first day of school, Morse has been familiar with West since he was a child. His father, his grandparents, and even his greatgrandmother all attended West for their high school Wyatt Morse posing years, making Morse with Marcia and Peter a fourth generation Morse for a photo after West student. Having a JV football game.
