Dwayne "Tiny" Morton- A Big-Time Coach

Although high school coaches are generally not well-known, Dwayne "Tiny" Morton is an exception. The head coach of Lincoln (NY) has coached numerous top-notch talents and highly regarded players, including the team's current stud, Lance Stephenson. Morton is a prominent figure in the New York hoops scene, and his Lincoln squad is always near the top of the standings. After his team knocked off Rice (NY), I caught up with Coach Morton.

NB: You guys had a big game out there [against] Rice, an instate rival, [and] pulled out the victory. What went into that, to come away with that win?
DM: Well that’s a great win because [Rice’s Head] Coach [Maurice] Hicks and I are good friends, so it’s . . . really a friendly win, but if was upstate in the championship game, it might mean a little bit more, but I know this is just a non-league victory, and we [are] going to smile about it, but we [are not] going to take it to seriously.

NB: Lance [Stephenson] had a great game out there. How does him playing so well help the rest of the team?
DM: Well, when he’s clicking, and he’s rebounding, and scoring, and putting pressure on the team, it makes it easier for everybody else around us.

NB: How were you able to, in the second half, stop Durand Scott and Kemba Walker? . . . They were both playing pretty well, but you were able to slow them down enough to come away with the victory.
DM: I don’t think we slowed them down, I think we slowed down the other scorer, [Chris] Fouch, we slowed down Fouch, and that was a big key. If all three of those guys were on, I think we’d of had a big problem.

NB: Were there any adjustments you made at halftime to continue to stop Fouch? . . . He was off all night.
DM: No, I was happy with the five point lead. I told our kids, if we [are] going to win by five, let’s win by five, let’s keep playing the way we are.

NB: Are there any goals you have the rest of the season, and for next year maybe?
DM: No, I just take it day by day, game by game.

Dwayne Morton is a key part of the program at Lincoln. He might not be the tallest guy on the bench, but Coach Morton has presence about him, one that is easily noticed by those around him. New York is a hotbed for high schol talent, and a fair amount of the talent comes from Lincoln, thanks in part to the coaching of Dwayne Morton. "Tiny" is his nickname, but Dwayne Morton is anything but that in the coaching world.