Born in Gasoline, Texas, Duane Morrison graduated from Casa Grande High School before getting his degree from what was then Arizona State College in Tempe. He played basketball, baseball and football at ASU (helped lead the Devils to their first Border Conference title in 20 years as a halfback) before he began his coaching and teaching stint with Bagdad High. He was at Bagdad for five years before he took over the head coaching position at Marana in 1958. The Tigers went 1-9 the year before he arrived on campus but by 1962 the team recorded eight wins for the first time in school history.
From 1962 to 1964 Morrison went 27-1-1 including a magical 11-0 run in 1964 that produced the first official AIA state football championship at the 2A (Class B) level. He gave way to legendary coach Don Hawkins in 1965 after retiring with a 42-13-3 career record. Hawkins would go on and win two state championships with the Tigers in 1967 and 1968 but the wins all started with Morrison. Morrison, by the way, rarely used more than 12 players during games. Morrison passed away in 2009 at the age of 80.
Let’s take a look at that 1964 season led by running backs Cleo Robinson (also linebacker), LeRoy Peoples, Frank Ard and Lacey Colter along with QB Rich Hinton:
SEPT. 18: MARANA 46, WILLCOX 7
Richard Hinton: 161 yards with 3 TD passes.
LeRoy Peoples: 3 touchdowns.
Cleo Robinson: 65-yard TD run.
Frank Ard: 2 TDs.
SEPT. 25: MARANA 30, BENSON 0
Cleo Robinson: 2 Touchdowns.
LeRoy Peoples: 3 TDs including a 55-yard interception return.
OCT. 2: MARANA 26, SUPERIOR 7
Richard Hinton: 3 TD passes.
LeRoy Peoples: 2 TD catches.
Frank Ard: 2 TDs.
OCT. 9: MARANA 33, HAYDEN 0
Cleo Robinson: 132 yards rushing.
Lacey Colter: 109 yards rushing with 2 TDs.
OCT. 16: MARANA 36, GILBERT 6
Frank Ard: 3 Touchdowns.
LeRoy Peoples: 2 Touchdowns.
Coleman Galbreath: Touchdown.
OCT. 23: MARANA 53, FLORENCE 6
Lacey Colter: 3 TDs.
Frank Ard: 75-yard punt return for TD, 70-yard punt return for TD and 100-yard interception return for TD.
LeRoy Peoples: 2 TDs.
OCT. 30: MARANA 19, RAY 14
(CLASS B CENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIP)
Jim Barela: 34-yard TD pass from Rich Hinton.
Fran Ard: TD run.
Lacey Colter: 69-yard TD run.
NOV. 6: MARANA 27, FLOWING WELLS 13
Lacey Colter: 2 TDs.
NOV. 13: MARANA 42, TOMBSTONE 7
Lacey Colter: 127 yards rushing and 87 yards passing.
LeRoy Peoples: 3 touchdowns.
Rich Hinton: 105 yards passing.
Cleo Robinson: 14-yard TD catch.
NOV. 20: MARANA 48, PARKER 0
LeRoy Peoples: 2 TDs.
Cleo Robinson: 68-yard kick return for TD plus 2 safeties.
Frank Ard: TD run.
NOV. 27: MARANA 14, WILLCOX 7
(State Championship)
LeRoy Peoples: 14-yard TD run.
Frank Ard: 48-yard TD run.
Down 7-0 after the first quarter, Marana secured the state championship with a Peoples TD run in the second quarter and then Frank Ard ripped off a 48-yard run in the final three minutes of the game.
FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE
Charles Lolmaugh, End
Vern Goodman, Tackle
Lacey Colter, FB
LeRoy Peoples, HB
Cleo Robinson, LB
SECOND TEAM ALL-STATE
Jim Barela, End
Sonny Campbell, Guard
Frank Ard, HB
HONORABLE MENTION
Kurt Kupczyk, Tackle
Carlos Pargas, Center
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019 and he is a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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