By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

Bridgewater, Mass. -- He grew up in a rough section of Philadelphia and was in need of some guidance as a 14-year-old high school freshman.

Edwin Morales witnessed a lot of difficult sights as a youngster, and he would drift into trouble at times.

“Growing up, I wasn’t always a good kid,” said Morales, a Bridgewater State University sophomore wrestler who earned NCAA Division 3 All-America first-team honors this season. “I brought a bunch of headaches to the house.”

While attending the Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School and with his grades suffering, Morales was offered some direction from teachers.

They suggested that he join a group called Beat the Streets Philadelphia, which provides mentors from area colleges to provide assistance to young students like Morales.

Becoming part of Beat the Streets Philadelphia turned out to be a life-changing experience for Morales, who grades rose sharply to allow him to attend college.

Morales, in his first year at BSU, compiled a 29-4 record this season and placed second in the NCAA Division 3 Northeast Regional at 184 pounds to earn a trip to the national tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The championships scheduled for March 13-14 were canceled due to the cornonavirus, but Morales learned recently that he has been named to the All-America team.

He is a shining example of what a program like Beat the Streets can offer, and now Morales is a mentor.

“I probably would have followed my friends (without joining Beat the Streets),” said Morales. “Most of my friends, they chose the wrong path. Some of them are not here today because of the decisions they chose.

“I didn’t really have a father figure growing up and that’s what Beat the Streets was to me, a role model, people I could look up to. Growing up was rough and I probably would have been down that bad road somewhere.”

Instead, Morales got heavily involved with wrestling and was mentored by University of Pennsylvania wrestler Lorenzo Thomas while receiving guidance from coaches and teachers.

Before graduating in 2016, Morales was a regular participant at postseason high school tournaments in Pennsylvania. He won more than 100 matches and was the first wrestler at the school to qualify for the state tournament.

“Beat the Streets means a lot to me because I wouldn’t be here where I am without them,” said Morales. “My family didn’t know about college. I wasn’t really good with school. Joining Beat the Streets and them showing the opportunities that life has to offer, college, trade schools, other jobs where you make decent money, it opened my eyes and got me on a better path.

“I had people to look up to, people I wanted to be like. You have to decide whether you want to waste your time or make your time productive and become somebody. That’s something I cherish from Beat the Streets and I always try to give back, even if I’m seven hours away.”

Morales does his part when he can, mentoring youngsters in the Philadelphia area and coaching them in wrestling.

He took a couple of days off from Bridgewater State in February to be a featured speaker at a Beat the Streets event in New York City. Morales took a bus from Boston to Manhattan, delivered the speech, returned home the next day and was wrestling for the Bears two nights later in a quad-meet at Rhode Island College.

“It’s a lifelong relationship,” said Morales of traveling to give that speech. “People can see we’re legit and care about the kids. Coming from me, growing up in a bad neighborhood with a rough childhood to now being on the road to success in college, wrestling, it feels good to tell and show other people that we’re helped. It felt good to share our story.”

After graduating from high school, Morales wrestled for one semester at Camden County Community College, but his season ended due to a broken shoulder blade.

He left school for a couple of years, then decided to pursue a degree in criminal justice. Morales has relatives living in Massachusetts, including an uncle who is a policeman.

Morales learned about the BSU wrestling program and enrolled at the school last fall. He had stayed active in wrestling despite not being in school the past couple of years and was ready to go when the Bears season began.

“I was pretty surprised how well I did,” he said. “I thought I was going to have a good year because I was hungry and I wanted to make some noise. But it went farther than I expected, which was pretty cool.”

Morales was one day away from competing in the nationals in Iowa when the announcement was made that the NCAA Championships were canceled. He had just finished the last workout of the season when the news hit and had to return back to Massachusetts.

“I was very disappointed,” said Morales. “Now I understand why it had to be the way it is, but it’s tough. Wrestling’s one of the toughest sports and you work all year to qualify and be on top of the podium.

“It was my last workout of the year and I’m thinking I’m really going to do that and the loudspeaker comes on and tells you the tournament was canceled. I was devastated. I was super upset. It’s unfinished business. That’s how I’m going to see it next year.”

BSU coach Frank Cammisa knows that Morales will be a favorite to make a return trip to the NCAAs next March.

“It was disappointing, but Edwin has battled through adversity his entire life,” said Camissa. “He is passionate. He is driven. He is dedicated. He cares about everyone in the room. He’s a real student of the sport. He’s really unique and we’re really lucky to have him.”

Morales will have two more full seasons to wrestle for the Bears, and he is looking to get into law enforcement after finishing his requirements for a criminal justice degree.

Beat the Streets Philadelphia sent Morales in the right direction back in those early days of high school, and he is grateful.

“I think back about it a lot just because if I didn’t do that, I could have been a different person,” said Morales. “I could be doing different things. I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if I didn’t wrestle or make that decision.

“I look back on that a lot, and every time I talk to my coaches back there, I thank them.”