Athletes of the Year – Meadowdale

The summer is going to be a busy time for Matt Johnson and Marelle Moehrle, Meadowdale High School’s Athletes of the Year.

The two senior standouts will be busy preparing for their next athletic challenge — playing at the collegiate level.

Johnson, the Mavericks’ starting quarterback for the last two years, is headed to Willamette University in Salem, Ore., to play football. Moehrle, a basketball standout, is taking her game to Western Washington University in Bellingham.

Though he also played basketball and ran track, football is Johnson’s first love and he’s glad to have the opportunity to continue with the sport he’s been playing since the fourth grade.

“There’s no other sport like it,” Johnson said. “It really emphasizes teamwork. If one person makes a mistake, other people end up paying for it. I just like being a part of that team atmosphere.”

Willamette had contacted Johnson last summer and he found that he liked the school and the coaches after a recruiting visit.

Even though the Bearcats bring back a senior quarterback, Johnson isn’t going in with the mindset that he’s going to be a backup.

“I’m hoping to work really hard and be in contention for the starting role,” Johnson said.

Meadowdale head football coach Mark Stewart sees Willamette as a good fit for Johnson’s talents, both as a runner and a passer.

The Mavericks’ offense revolved around Johnson.

“He probably accounted between running and throwing … for 60 to 70 percent of the offense,” Stewart said. “He’s just kind of a coach’s dream — a hard worker. Big, strong and fast. A great leader.

“He’ll be able to do the same thing down there. He’ll continue to throw and run, which are two of his attributes as a football player.”

Johnson likes the flexibility of the Bearcats’ offense.

“I like running the ball as well as throwing it,” he said. “It just fits well in terms of what I’m good at. The system at Willamette will allow me to run as well as throw.”

Johnson capped off his senior year with an appearance in the district playoffs. But Johnson also faced some challenges during his final year at Meadowdale.

In the second game of the season, he separated his shoulder. Johnson managed to continue to play the rest of the game before getting the injury checked out.

The first doctor he consulted with indicated he would be out for four to six weeks. Johnson sought out a second opinion, which was more optimistic. He ended up missing only one game.

“(Football) has taught me a lot about leadership and teamwork and how important hard work is and being able to overcome obstacles through hard work,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s graduation leaves a big hole for Meadowdale to fill in the fall, both on and off the field.

His work ethic and his encouragement of his teammates will be missed, Stewart said.

“He made all of his teammates around him better because he worked so hard,” Stewart said. “He set a high standard for his teammates and positively encouraged his teammates.”

Marelle Moehrle also heads off to college with the goal of wanting to make a contribution as a freshman for Western Washington’s women’s basketball team.

“I’ll be playing with the best of the best,” Moehrle said. “That’s what it is in college — all the good players.”

Moehrle certainly will fit right in, having helped lead the Mavericks to an undefeated regular season. Moehrle played a different role for Meadowdale during the 2006-07 season. Because of the Mavericks’ overall lack of height, head girls basketball coach Dan Taylor decided to shift Moehrle from guard to forward.

Taylor appreciated Moehrle’s willingness to tackle her new responsibilities.

“She was very open to new things,” Taylor said. “She readily accepted her new role … she’s truly a guard, but we wanted her to play inside and she did a great job.”

During Moehrle’s four years, Meadowdale went 97-10 and won the Class 3A state championship in 2004. Moehrle was a co-captain with Eryn Jones as a junior and senior.

“Winning state my freshman year was amazing and such a great experience for the rest of my high school career,” Moehrle said. “Some people never get to go to state or get a championship. … it worked out really well.”

Moehrle brought a fun-loving attitude to practice.

“She’s a very good builder of team chemistry,” Taylor said. “She encouraged others. The girls liked playing with her. She’s just fun to be around.”

But Moehrle also had a serious side and Taylor relied on her to run a drill at practice or to facilities team-building activities off the court.

“She was one of our strongest players,” Taylor said. “If girls wanted to get better, they would guard her or be guarded by her.”

In many ways, basketball changed Moehrle’s life. In elementary school, Moehrle struggled, at times, with her studies.

But the lessons she learned in basketball transferred to academic and she started getting better grades in middle school and went on to excel in high school.

“Playing sports has made me who I am for the better,” Moehrle said. “It’s allowed me to be organized and have a time schedule and to understand how to manage my time. It’s taught me to work hard … and to be a team player and to strive for a common goal.

“I don’t know where I’d be without it.”