Playing in front of your future coaches can bring plenty of excitement and nervousness to the fold, especially in the biggest game of your season.

Ask Trinity Presbyterian star Francie Morris, who had the chance to play in front of her future Samford coaches on Tuesday.

“At first, it was a little nerve-wracking,” the senior told AL.com. “But then I was like, we just have to play hard as a team. They’re so fun and it was fun to look at them. Their smiles made me feel joy out there.”

Regardless of the emotions, Morris put on a show in the city where she’ll call home.

The Samford women’s basketball signee piled up 20 points and six rebounds as Class 4A No. 1 Trinity picked up a dominant 67-43 win over No. 6 Plainview to advance to the state title game.

“It was so fun, especially because the coaches were here,” Morris said of the semifinal matchup. “Just to play in front of them, and then I love Birmingham, so this was just a ton of fun.”

Morris shined under the basket in the win, noting how the game plan against Plainview was to limit the Bears’ second-chance points and dominate under the basket.

“We knew they were great shooters,” she said. “So, I was like, you know what? I was going to box out to get those boards. I knew they also were very physical underneath the basket, so thankfully I got a lot of free throws to get points.

“But, the points don’t really matter; the W matters, and I’m so proud of these players up here.”

Officially announced as a signee with Samford and head coach Carley Kuhns in November, Morris noted the bond the coaching staff has with its signees and how the relationship has only grown since committing.

She’ll join New Hope star Kaylee Yarbrough at Samford, who surpassed 3,000 career points this year and is another part of the signing class.

“They have great relationships with us,” Morris said of Samford’s staff. “I’m so thankful because I was definitely a last-minute recruit, but they’ve made me feel like family. I’m just so excited for this new chapter of life, but we also, we still have one more game, so we’ve gotta finish it off strong.”

Naturally, plenty of accolades come with the Division I signee.

Morris has helped lead Trinity to a pair of Class 4A state titles in 2023 and 2024, picking up all-state honors and Central Regional MVP honors last season as she averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists per game.

She described the experience of returning to the state title game for a third straight season as “the best experience ever.”

“We’ve all dreamed of being up here and just to be playing up on this big stage,” she said. “I just have an amazing team, and I’m just so thankful for this opportunity.”

She’ll have a chance to add a Class 4A title to her alma mater’s recent dominance on Friday as Trinity faces No. 4 Good Hope in the state championship at 4 p.m.

“Of course, we’re always nervous,” Morris said. “But, we have a great team, we still play hard and it’s in God’s control.”