2013 PSAL Championship: Abraham Lincoln High School Has a Family Edge

The 2013 PSAL Boys Championship on Saturday at Madison Square Garden will feature Abraham Lincoln H.S. vs. Thomas Jefferson H.S., and it will be Lincoln's family dynamic that gives them the edge.

The Lincoln team is a tight-nit "basketball family", but the father-son duo of coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton and sharp-shooter Trevonn Morton is really what has propelled the Railsplitters back to Saturday's championship game.

"Tiny" talked about the advantages his son has had growing up around past Lincoln greats like Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson.

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He's been part of the program since he was born. He's been part of the huddles, and seen and heard the messages that was received by the other star players. He's not considered a star athlete, but he's definitely a star academic student. I think it's important for my team to see me praise him as much as you guys [the media] praise the best basketball players.

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Lincoln won the Brooklyn boro championship 72-60 over Jefferson a month ago, and Trevonn sank five three-pointers en route to that victory.

After helping Lincoln solidify their status as the No.1 team in Brooklyn, Morton was asked about his role and impact, and said "it was big, but I was open and I had to hit my three's. I knew they were going to focus on Whitehead and double Whitehead, so I was the next guy open so I knew I had to hit them."

The worst kept secret in Brooklyn is the prize of Lincoln basketball—6'4" shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, but Morton has been the team's strong second option on offense when Whitehead is bottled up.

Despite Morton torching Jefferson last month, he should find himself getting good looks Saturday as the Orange Wave aren't likely to alter their game plan of doubling Whitehead.

Morton will definitely be presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cement himself as a New York City legend.

"Tiny" has played for a city Championship on the same Garden floor, and won a few championships as the coach of Lincoln, but has never had the privilege of winning one with his son Trevonn playing under him.

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If you have a son or a daughter that you're coaching, and he's about to go to Madison Square Garden and play on the same floor as I did, that's special.

You kind of want to win for yourself and for your team, but I think I want it for my son more than anything, and if that's selfish, then I'm just naturally selfish.

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After splitting the regular season and then beating them for the boro championship, Coach Morton and Lincoln know rival Jefferson very well.

So what give them the edge?

"Tiny" will be motivated as he hasn't led the Railsplitters back to the PSAL championship game since Lincoln finished runner up to Boys & Girls in 2011.

Ultimately, the intangible force of a father-son tandem vying for a high school championship in the "World's most famous arena" will prove to be too much for Jefferson.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.