Totally focused on fútbol

Published 12:10 am Saturday, July 26, 2014

Dalton High School senior Eder Mora has a determination to play soccer in college and perhaps beyond to the next level.

It is his dream and soccer is his first love, having played the game since his early childhood.

Now, in order to chase that dream and continue to mature and improve in the sport that he loves so much, Mora has decided to make a sacrifice and commit himself fully to achieving that dream.

Football coach Matt Land said Friday morning that the star defensive back will not play football this fall. When contacted later in the day, Mora confirmed his decision.

“Eder, obviously, is not here,” Land said after the opening of the first day of conditioning for area high school teams. “He has an opportunity to do something really special in soccer. I think he will be with us on some level throughout the season, but we are preparing for Eder not being with us on the field.”

Mora, The Daily Citizen’s 2013 Football Player of the Year, played free safety and was used in a variety of roles last season as the Catamounts won the school’s first region football title since 2007. On the pitch, Mora helped lead Dalton’s soccer program to back-to-back Georgia High School Association Class 4A state championships, and was named as the paper’s Boys Soccer Player of the Year as well.

He is a center midfielder in soccer.

Reached at a soccer camp at the University of Tennessee, Mora said it was a decision he struggled with as the football season approached.

“It is very hard not to be playing football,” Mora said. “I have been with my teammates since seventh grade, and it is hard for me not to play. For me to not play my senior year is super hard. It was just something I had to do for myself.”

A 6-foot, 185-pound senior, Mora was a three-year starter on the football team, playing a roving defensive back, serving as the team’s punter and seeing spot duty at fullback the last two seasons. Dalton’s defense had four shutouts and allowed an average of 11 points per game in 2013.

Mora said dropping football took a lot of thought, self-examination and contemplation.

“I was already thinking about changing exclusively to soccer this past soccer season,” he said. “I need to devote myself to working on my game and getting stronger and correcting my weaknesses.”

The hardest part, Mora said, was telling his teammates.

“I talked to them — especially at length with my good friends — and they fully support me,” he said. “They know that I am doing what I love most, and they support me.”

“Friday nights will be pretty hard,” he said. “I will still be there to help out wherever I can and give as much support as I can.”

Land said he and his players will miss Mora but support his decision.

“The great thing about Eder is what he provides in leadership,” Land said. “We all know how good of a football player he is, but he is an even better soccer player and a better young man. Each of us in this locker room will be his biggest fans.”

On the soccer field, Mora was a dominating presence, stopping the offensive attacks of other teams and setting up his team’s offense. Dalton’s offense scored 132 goals during its state title run in the spring and allowed just 12.

“He just kind of dominates the game,” Dalton coach Matt Cheaves said during an interview on Mora’s selection as Player of the Year. “He has great anticipation of what’s about to happen and knows where he needs to be.”

Mora said he is being recruited by several college programs and is going through the process of examining schools and programs. He did not say which schools were pursuing him

“They tell me a lot of different things, but I just focus on taking what they say and getting better,” he said. “I take it and work on it to make myself a more complete player.”

Mora has been playing select summer league soccer with the Dacula Soccer Club Revolution out of Gwinnett County in metro Atlanta. This fall, he will attend several camps, select showcases and combines, and play in tournaments. He says that despite being named the area’s top soccer player, he has much to work on.

“I need to work on my weaker foot and focus on that,” Mora said. “That is one of my weaknesses, and I need to work on it. I definitely plan on going to college, playing as much soccer as possible to get better and then we will see where we go from there.”

In football, Mora was an All-Area selection in each of his three seasons and was given serious consideration by the newspaper’s staff as the Player of the Year following his sophomore year. Northwest Whitfield defensive lineman Isaiah Mack was selected for the top honor after the 2012 season.

In his junior year, Mora finished with 159 tackles (14.5 per game) with nine pass breakups, five interceptions, four fumbles caused and two fumble recoveries. He averaged 40.25 yards per punt.

Dalton went 8-3 last season, capturing the Region 7-4A championship. The Catamounts will move to Class 5A this season.