If Levi Morgan had of had his way he would have been strapping on the pads for Timbumburi a few years earlier than he did.
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The story goes that when he was in Kindergarten he asked if he could try out for the school team.
As the teachers explained to him, probably a bit young at that stage, he eventually got his chance when he was in Year 3, getting the call-up to fill-in for a knockout game against Tamworth Public.
It would be the only game Morgan played that year but by the next year he was a regular in the side and continued to be right up to when he graduated last year.
Now in Year 7 at Farrer, the multi-talented young sportsman signed off on his days at Timbumburi in spectacular fashion.
He was part of the North West PSSA boys hockey side that was crowned state champions for the first time since 2007.
He also represented the zone for cricket and touch, and played in the PSSA State Knockout finals with the Timbumburi cricket, and boys basketball and touch sides.
That success has rolled into 2024 with Morgan and his Tamworth Blues under 13 side to face Maitland Maroon in the George Denton Shield final on Sunday.
They will host the decider after defeating Coalfields under 13s by 118 runs on the weekend to clinch top spot.
Morgan played a huge hand in the win scoring an unbeaten 98 before claiming 2-7 and taking three catches.
Across school, rep and local grade cricket the teen's highest score this season, one of the things that most impressed Blues co-coach Nigel Parkinson about Morgan's innings was the way he built his way into it.
"Levi's innings was remarkable," he said.
"He showed great patience early in his innings and then hit out late to almost bring up his century."
What would have been a very well-deserved century, with Parkinson reckoning his knock was "probably worth 120 or 130" the way the outfield was playing.
It was tiring work. Morgan had to run all but 12 of his 98 runs due to the slow outfield.
His efforts calculated out at around 1.5 kilometres.
Naturally by the end, he was "pretty tired" and his legs were "a bit sore".
"It was pretty good," Morgan reflected of his knock.
"I just kind of got into a rhythm and kept going."
Traditionally more of a big hitter than accumulator, and guilty of at times probably going too hard too early, he's been trying to take his time a bit more.
It's something Parkinson and co-coach Adam Daly have been working with him on, and he showed the fruits of on Sunday.
At first drinks "on about 15 off 30", having gotten himself in, he was then able to revert to his more natural game and from there accelerated to reach his half-century off 50 balls. He continued to score at better than a-run-a-ball, and despite his growing tiredness finished with a flourish, taking 11 off the last over.
Hitting a three from the final ball to go to 98, Morgan said he knew he was "on a high score" but didn't know that he was as close to 100 as he was. The only inkling he was nearing the milestone was his team-mates and supporters in the tent starting standing up ready to applaud.
Even then though he didn't know his exact score until he came off.
It was his second half-century for 2023-24 after making 59 for the Northern Inland Bolters under 13s earlier on in the season.
