Head football coach Don Morel calls his freshman quarterback Liam Thompson a fighter.
Morel saw it three years ago when Thompson was a sophomore at North Central High School. Kevin Clifford ’77 saw it as he was helping recruit Thompson to Wabash.
The North Central College defense saw it during the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Tournament each time Thompson stayed on his feet and made plays that shouldn’t have been possible.
“Tape does not do him justice,” North Central coach Jeff Thorne told Athletic Communications Director Brent Harris.
So it was no surprise to Morel, the North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, when Thompson was awarded the NCAC Newcomer of the Year.
“It’s in him to be the best,” Morel says. “He wants to be excellent in whatever he takes on, and he makes people around him better because of it.”
Thompson is the first freshman to lead the Little Giants to a conference title.
“It’s hard for a freshman to be a leader, but it’s easy for older guys to follow Liam,” Morel says. “Beyond just football, I think he is going to be a great Wabash man. We are going to be extremely proud of him in 25 years.”
—Christina Egbert
