There are times we don’t always agree with the methodology of choosing all-league teams or various league player of the year honors, but in the case of Josh Morano there is complete consensus.

Now, after earning the East Bay Athletic League Pitcher of the Year and Cal-Hi Sports all-state first-team Underclass honors, plus several local media awards, the 6-4, 185-pound left-handed throwing Morano has been named the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Junior of the Year.

“Thank you for this award,” the Arizona-committed Morano said. “It feels great to win this award with all the great talent in this area.”

Morano was not an overwhelming favorite in a crowded field of quality players as finalists, and his numbers weren’t significantly better then several of the other players considered. It’s what he meant to the success of Granada combined with outstanding numbers that earned him the honor.

On the season Morano was 7-3 with an excellent 1.24 ERA and 98 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 62 innings. Opposing batters hit .203 against him and only had a .280 on-base percentage, and it all came mostly in an EBAL chock full of top-notch hitters.

De La Salle and Foothill pinned two of the three losses on Morano, and the other came against San Ramon Valley, but in the Matadors' earlier meeting with the Wolves, he tossed a two-hitter with seven strikeouts and no walks in a 1-0 victory.

When he wasn’t pitching, Morano played some first base so he did get 82 plate appearances which were among the team’s leaders. He only batted .233 but on a team that didn’t have a ton of big bats, his nine RBIs tied for third on the team. Morano was also only one of three Granada players to hit a single home run last season. He did that against cross-town arch rival Livermore in a game he also pitched a five-hitter with a season-high 12 strikeouts and no walks in a 7-1 victory.

So why did Morano decide to commit to Arizona?

“I chose Arizona because of the coaches especially Coach (Chip) Hale and Coach (Dave) Lawn.,” Morano responded. “Also, since a young age I dreamed of playing baseball at Arizona. I love the campus and facilities there.”

Morano was invited to and played for the Oakland Athletics at the prestigious Area Code Games last month, so that means he’s on the radar of the pro scouts. That fact seems to have a lot to do with both his short-term and long-term goals.

“Some short-term goals are to perform well for the (Kansas City) Royals scout team this fall, and perform well in Jupiter (Florida) with a lot of MLB scouts there,” Morano said.

“Some long-term goals are to get stronger to increase my velocity and to have a good feel for all four of my pitches,” continued Morano, who according to PerfectGame.org tops out in the low to mid-80s with his fastball.

What about the possibilities of playing Major League Baseball in the future?

“Yes, it’s my dream to make the MLB, and that’s been my ultimate goal since a young age,” Morano said. “Everything I practice and work at is to help me achieve that goal. It could be out of high school or out of college, but all I want to do is play Major League Baseball.”

Even if it’s out of high school, Morano still has another prep season ahead of him, and he’ll come into it as the reigning Prep2Prep NCS Junior of the Year.

Other players considered for this award include California's Aidan Camberg, Foothill's Tyler Gebb, Clayton Valley's Ryan Helfrick and San Marin's Josh Martin.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of NCS baseball.