From humble beginnings, Puff the magic point guard makes national No. 4 Etiwanda go
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. – Aliyahna “Puff” Morris dribbled left, dribbled right and then pulled up from 17 feet and hit a jumper as easily as if she was tossing a rock in the ocean.
But on the other end of the court a St. Paul player faked her off her feet and she landed on the court with a thud. There are no coronations for anyone in non-league. Not in mid-December. And certainly not at Etiwanda High, the No. 4-ranked girls’ basketball team in the nation.
The coach of the “E” is eighth-year coach Stan Delus. Asked who on his team would be good to write about, he did not hesitate.
“My starting point guard who’s now a sophomore,” he said. “She’s ranked 18th in the country in her class. She’s one of the best point guards in the state. She guided us to winning the national TOC last year, a CIF Open Division championship, a 29-1 record and a SoCal state regional finals berth. We don’t go anywhere without Aliyahna “Puff” Morris.”
Nothing has come easily for Morris. Born two months premature to mom Tonia Pritchett and father Roderick Morris, the Etiwanda standout spent the first two months of her life in the hospital. Her mom, ensconced in intensive care, barely saw her baby the first four days.
“The doctors told me there was a slim chance she’d make it,” Pritchett said. “She didn’t learn to walk until she was 2. She was clumsy. But she got muscular from crawling up the stairs. She’s turned out to be a pretty strong and athletic kid.”
Morris' parents called her "Muff" at first for "Muffin in the oven." But later they changed it to "Puff" because it sounds more mature.
The bar was not high for Morris at first. At pre-kindergarten graduation the children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. The young girl’s response: “Security guard.”
“She wanted to be a security guard,” Pritchett said with a laugh. “All of the other kids said doctor or lawyer.”
The future is rosier now. Morris averages 18.7 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals per game for the 10-0 Eagles. She also has a 4.0 grade point average and has ratcheted her career goal up from security guard to either a lawyer or businesswoman.
Asked what not many know about her daughter, Pritchett said, “She’s shy and quiet and Nothing bothers her.”
On the basketball court Morris’ braids fly, her legs pump, and her hands jab. She’s a whirling dervish of a player who helps make the “E” go.
“She has been playing above her age level since she started and so the big stage doesn’t bother her,” Delus said. “She has a knack for making everyone better and is not afraid of the big moment.”
Morris began playing at a young age and competed against older boys.
“I was a role player,” she said. “I didn’t get the ball much. They were faster and taller than me. But it was good. I learned a lot. Parents would come up and say, ‘You’re really good for a girl and you gave my son a run for his money.’”
Morris is still quiet and shy and stands just 5-foot-5. But she excels with grit and guile and has made herself the engine that drives one of the best teams in the nation.
“I like basketball because it’s allowed me to meet a lot of people and has taken me to a lot of places,” Morris said. “And it’s brought me peace, and a way to express myself.”
Aliyahna "Puff" Morris stretches before Friday night's game. Photo John Murphy
Aliyahna "Puff" Morris drives against St. Paul's Loretta Aguirre-Colmenero. Photo: John Murphy
Puff D's up for Etiwanda against St. Paul. Photo: John Murphy
Aliyahna "Puff" Morris is the engine that drives the Eagles. Photo by Heston Quan
Photo by Heston Quan
