- Cru Morrison, a Skyridge senior, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2025.
- Despite his illness, Cru's resilience has inspired his family and Skyridge community.
- A GoFundMe supports his treatment; surgery to remove the tumor is set for Oct. 2.
LEHI — It wasn't how Cru Morrison imagined his senior year.
The Skyridge High defensive back had put in months of work in the weight room and on the track, determined to lock down a starting spot and make his final football season unforgettable. But in July, just as that dream was about to unfold, the 17-year-old was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
Cru is the middle child of Joe and Kari Morrison's three children, with 19-year-old sister Ava and freshman brother James, who also plays football at Skyridge. Away from the field, Cru is known as a very supportive friend.
He hikes, fishes, and camps in American Fork Canyon, where he and his friends set up their hammocks and enjoy the outdoors. In the winter, he's often snowboarding at Brighton, making the most of his season pass.
And like many high schoolers, some of his favorite memories are simple ones — late-night In-N-Out runs after games.
That easygoing side balances his competitive edge. After his junior season ended, Cru went all-in on training, where he lifted relentlessly to add muscle, and shaved a second off his 100-meter dash time in track — even winning his heat several times.
He was peaking at just the right time.
"He gets excited to see his friends do well," Joe Morrison said. "Incredible work ethic. He's built this work ethic, when he sets a goal to go after something and puts his mind to it, he will work his tail off, which is inspiring."
Everything pointed to a breakout year. But during spring practice in February, Cru took an elbow to his ribs and started feeling pain. Like most players, he fought through it with ice and medication. He continued to play in seven-on-seven tournaments with Alpha Recruits and pushed through the pain.
"Most players get bumps and bruises all the time, and obviously we would have taken him in if we would have thought there was a fracture," Kari Morrison said. "But we just were like, 'let's ice it,' and he seemed OK with Advil, and he kept going. It wasn't like his pain was that crazy at that point."
When it was time to start up spring football with Skyridge, Cru's rib pain worsened. His parents took him to get an X-ray and the results showed a fracture on one of his ribs. The doctor told Cru and his family that the rib appeared to be healing, and Cru took four weeks off to rest his body and to allow his rib to heal.
He returned to football action with some extra padding for his rib when Cru participated in the BYU 7's and Utah Shoot tournaments. He was balling out in spring ball, making plays all over the field. He was looking to secure the last starting defensive back position on the team, and he was well on his way to do so, too.
But just before July, his rib began to swell and the pain intensified. His parents pushed for an MRI, and the scan revealed a large tumor on his seventh rib. Days later, Cru had surgery to biopsy the mass. The results confirmed every family's nightmare: cancer.
"To think your 17-year-old who is healthy and PR'ing in track and kind of at his peak, that this was happening in the background of that," Kari Morrison said. "It's just mind-boggling that he was doing all that with cancer."
The fight ahead
Cru is now in the middle of six cycles of chemotherapy, each cycle lasting five rounds with three medications. The treatment is aggressive, wiping out healthy cells, along with cancerous ones, and leaving him vulnerable to infection.
Once his second cycle is complete, he'll undergo surgery to remove the tumor — likely losing two or three ribs in the process — before returning for four more cycles of chemo.
"You wish you could trade places," Joe Morrison said. "You wish you could take it away; you don't wish it upon anyone. And that's been a growing part for me is just to figure out how to support through that and suffer with them as you can."
The family's life has been turned upside down. Ava returned home early from her church mission to support her brother, putting her own plans on hold. His parents juggle work and hospital trips, structuring their days around treatments and recovery.
"It's just getting through our lives; it's just kind of had a major shift," his father said. "The focus of the family has shifted, as it probably should. Cru gets a lot of attention and focus and energy. Our family's been really close and supportive of each other, which has been good, but it's just been a sacrifice."
A community rallies
As cancer has shaken the Morrison household, it has united the Skyridge community. Coaches, teammates, student leaders, and neighbors have surrounded Cru with support — from visits and messages to game day tributes.
"Skyridge has been awesome," Kari Morrison said. "The coaches and his teammates and the student council, everyone has just really shown up for Cru, which I think just helps the emotional toll that this takes. It's been a cool experience to have people reach out and show kindness towards us and for him."
Cru's coaches at Skyridge know they are not only missing a great player on the field this season, but a great person, as well.
"Cru Morrison is one of the toughest, most resilient young men I've coached," Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm said. "On the field, he's a competitor who gives everything he has for his team. Off the field, he's the kind of kid who leads by example — with humility, positivity, and grit.
Cru's position coach, Christian Snowden, echoed a similar statement about his character.
"It's really tough seeing a kid like Cru go through what he's battling right now," Snowden said. "I've coached Cru during 7v7 tournaments and at Skyridge for a few years now. A hard-working kid who makes his teammates feel appreciated and loved."
Even as the Falcons surge to a 5-1 start on the season, Cru's absence has been felt, and his fight has become their inspiration.
"I know that they've come together in a way that I don't think I've ever seen in the past," Kari Morrison said.
"It's been overwhelming to see the football community, in general, come together and realize it's bigger than a sport," Joe Morrison added.
A family battle
Cru's aunt, Janessa Whatcott, started a GoFundMe for Cru in light of his diagnosis. It is a cause that hits home for the Whatcott family as they faced the same battle. Cru's cousin, Nixon Whatcott, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and died six years ago after his own battle with cancer.
When they caught Nixon's cancer it had already spread throughout his body. Cru's appears to be localized at the moment, and if it stays that way his chances to beat the disease are higher.
There is a one in 600 million chance for cousins to have the same, rare cancer, but both Nixon and Cru's genetic testing showed negative results.
"They created a foundation called Nixon Strong," Joe said. "We work with them and help them and we do a big fundraising baseball tournament every year. The goal is to raise money to give to families who are going through what we're going through."
Holding on to hope
For Joe and Kari Morrison, the hardest part is watching their son shift from the energetic, athletic high schooler they knew to a teenager whose days are now stuck in bed as he fights the disease.
"It's a hard journey," Kari Morrison said. "It's physically hard, it's emotionally hard, it's mentally hard for everyone, especially Cru."
Still, there are signs of hope. Recent scans show the tumor has shrunk and the cancer hasn't spread to his lungs. Surgery is scheduled for October 2, when doctors will remove the tumor and reconstruct his chest with titanium ribs.
"We've had some miracles," Kari Morrison said. "Right now, it looks localized, and his last scan showed his tumor had shrunk. If that remains the case, they can remove it effectively. Then we look at reconstruction surgery when this is done, and he could live a pretty normal life after. That's, obviously, what we're hoping and praying happens."
Cru Morrison's senior season doesn't look like the one he trained for ahead of the year. There will be no game-winning interceptions, no late-night bus rides home with his teammates. But in the fight of his life, he's already proven more than any football stat could measure.
He has inspired a school, a community, and a family to rally together. His work ethic, positivity, and grit — once aimed at the field — are now focused on overcoming this challenge. Whatever lies ahead, Cru continues to show what it means to be resilient, to lead with courage, and to lift others along the way.
