Morton’s Amari Price mentions his goals for his freshman season in matter-of-fact fashion.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound quarterback wants to throw for 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Noting those “lofty” numbers, Morton coach Mac Mishler wouldn’t be surprised if Price reaches those marks at some point during his career, if not this season.

“He’s going to be really special,” Mishler said. “He’s special now. Over the next four years, you’re going to see a lot of growth.”

Price, who edged out junior Matthew Candler to succeed 2025 graduate Holland Harris at quarterback, turned 15 years old on Sept. 1. But he has a maturity beyond his years.

“His level of advancement as a 15-year-old kid, you don’t see it every day,” Mishler said. “It was a real battle between him and our junior quarterback, and at the end of the day, you can’t deny the results. It’s a subjective thing at times, but it’s really not. It’s who gives the team a better shot, and at the end of the day, we still use Matthew in different situations.

“But Amari, he’s a tremendous kid. He’s really only had part of an offseason, being in the strength program and all of that. As that stuff develops, he’ll get thicker, he’ll get faster. But the mental side of the game, he’s really sharp. He understands. We still have to teach things, but we don’t have to spend as long because he gets things right away. He’s where you’d like a junior and senior quarterback to be in any program. We’re excited about him.”

Price and the Governors (2-1) are excited about how he has started his high school career. He has completed 29 of 43 passes for 449 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I’ve been playing pretty good,” Price said. “I’m going to get better as I keep learning, as I get more comfortable. I’m progressing every game. That’s my goal.

“High school ball is a different tempo. It’s a different speed. Just getting my timing right with my receivers, my running back, my linemen, that’s improving. You can see everything get more comfortable. We can just move smoother.”

Price hasn’t been overwhelmed in the early part of the season. The Governors have faced Duneland Athletic Conference teams Portage and Chesterton, then Shepard of Illinois last week, with a game at Byron Central of Michigan this week. He has looked the part.

“He’s a confident kid, and his play backs that up,” Mishler said. “I don’t care where you are. I don’t care what school. Coming in as a freshman, (Class) 5A ball, and your first two opponents are 6A and 5A opponents, and the equivalent of another 5A or 6A opponent, then a team that played for a state title last year, that’s a big load to take on as a freshman, and he’s been nothing but great for us so far. The moment’s not too big for him.

“We have a very good quarterback room right now. It’s been a good competition all offseason. But at the end of the day, I told him flat-out, I have full confidence in him as a freshman. If I didn’t think it was the right thing to do, we wouldn’t do it. That’s a personal philosophy, a program philosophy, that the best 11 are going to play, and he’s the best quarterback right now with the hot hand. He’s done an amazing job as a kid who just turned 15.”

Price hasn’t necessarily exceeded his expectations. He set that high bar entering the season, not wanting to sell himself short.

“What’s allowed me to have that type of comfortability, just that confidence, my swagger, I’ve been through this type of situation plenty of times,” he said. “When I was younger, I played the best teams. I worked a lot. I know I worked on my craft a lot. So it’s just time to put it into the game and show everybody what I got.”

Price’s teammates have been impressed. Sophomore wide receiver Corderro Bennett Jr., who is also in his first season with the Governors after moving from Indianapolis, said when he first arrived, he and Price “were not on the same page.” But that has changed dramatically.

“Amari is a very talented freshman,” Bennett said. “He’s been playing very well. He’s going into games with confidence, not being nervous, even though he’s a freshman. He’s being a leader on the field, leading the offense, leading us to wins. You can see everybody out here respects him. It’s wonderful.”

Price also plays guard in basketball, shortstop and pitcher in baseball, and competes in the long jump and sprints in track and field. He strives to achieve no matter what he’s doing.

“He’s not one you have to worry about,” Mishler said. “His grades are on point. His attitude’s on point. He’s not screwing around with people in the building. He’s all about business. You watch him walk down the hallway, and it’s like, ‘Nope, I have to go here. I have to get to this class, I have to do this, I have to do this.’ It’s a testament to how he was raised.

“He’s making good decisions. He’s not trying to do too much. Sometimes kids who are good and are confident, they try to do too much. But not him. He does what we ask him to do. He makes the read and the calls. He’s going to be a good one.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/09/football-hammond-morton-amari-price/