By Reagan Paz

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Since he first started playing football in the 7th grade, Quarterback Senior Jarin Morikawa has developed much as a player. After years of practice, he is now recognized as one of the top quarterbacks in the state and the Trojan of the Month.

“His GPA is 3.8, he’s the best quarterback in the state, he’s humble, works hard and he’s a great example of a … student athlete,” said Head Coach Roderick York.

His progress is not only recognized by his coaches, but by his teammates as well. “He wasn’t the best before, he was kind of on the slower side … (but) he’s really good now,” Wide Receiver Senior Ekolu Ramos said.

This development has been recognized by York throughout Morikawa’s high school career. “He’s become more intelligent about the offense and where to throw the ball and how to read defenses and he’s gotten a lot bigger and stronger,” said York.

Morikawa also continually shows leadership at practices and on the field. “After practice and stuff he makes us stay and work on more stuff … He’s super serious about things and he works hard,” said Ramos. “He’s a leader by example … He’ll direct teammates in the right direction,” York added.

This season, determined to win, Morikawa is devoting more of his time to work on improving the team’s skills. “I decided to dedicate the off season and work hard so that we’ll be successful,” he said, continuing, “I (want) to win the state championship this year.”

Morikawa credits much of his success to his coaches. “They’re intense and require a lot of focus and stuff for practice and I think that’s a good thing. They really stay on us and push us so that they get the best out of us,” he expressed.

Morikawa hopes to help his parents pay for college by being successful and earning a scholarship in football.