All Heart: Kennedi Morris’ Story Is Bigger Than Basketball

Kennedi Morris and her family with Randon Blacklock and Joe Landin from Premier Autos

Not every hero fills the stat sheet.

Some lead by grit, resilience, and a heart that never quits.

That belief is exactly why the All Heart Award was created.

Founded by Premier Autos owner Randon Blacklock, the All Heart Award exists to recognize a student-athlete or student trainer who has faced adversity and still shows up every single day for their team. This honor is for those who may not always get the spotlight, but who are the glue that holds their program together. The encourager. The overcomer. The one whose presence makes everyone around them better.

Our first recipient of the All Heart Award this year embodies that mission in every way.

Kennedi Morris of Shallowater.

Kennedi Morris

In early September of her freshman year Kennedi was playing volleyball when something felt off. That night she didn’t feel well going to bed. The next morning, her mom Sarah took her to the clinic, where doctors quickly discovered something far more serious, her lung had collapsed.

Kennedi was rushed into care, spending three days in the ICU, requiring a chest tube and undergoing two surgeries. In total, she spent ten days in the hospital. Doctors later learned she had been born with a bleb on her lung, a condition that ultimately sidelined her from all sports for an entire year.

For a competitor like Kennedi, that might have been the hardest part.

She missed her entire freshman season, a year away from the court, away from competition, away from doing what she loved most. But instead of stepping away from the team, Kennedi leaned in.

The first thing she asked wasn’t when she could come back, it was how she could still help.

Kennedi went straight to Shallowater girls basketball head coach Kurt Richardson and asked if she could serve as a manager so she could remain part of the team. Even while unable to play, she showed up to practices, games, and workouts, supporting her teammates and doing whatever was asked of her without complaint.

Even during the most challenging stretch of her life, Kennedi carried herself with a calm strength that reassured those around her. Her presence mattered , not just on the court but in the locker room, in practice, and in the everyday moments that define a team.

That’s who Kennedi is.

Fierce. Loyal. Quiet but unshakable.

Black and white, no gray.

A competitor through and through.

Today, Kennedi is healthy and back on the basketball court for the Shallowater Fillies, doing what she loves again. But her impact goes far beyond baskets, minutes, or wins. Her journey through adversity, her commitment to her teammates, and her willingness to serve when she couldn’t shine are what define her.

That’s heart.

Kennedi’s journey didn’t just test her physically, it revealed her character. Through uncertainty and setback, she remained steady, selfless, and committed to the people beside her.

And that’s exactly what the Premier All Heart Athlete Award was created to celebrate.

This award isn’t about points or records. It’s about perseverance. It’s about character. It’s about honoring those who remind us that leadership doesn’t always come with headlines, sometimes it shows up quietly, every single day.

Kennedi Morris didn’t just earn the All Heart Award. She helped set the standard for what it means.